It feels good to get back into the studio!
Emerging from an extended hiatus (last quarter of 2010), I'm finding new challenges and fresh ways to approach them. I'd let my process get a bit warped while preparing for October's featured artist show, and as a result, the push towards production compromised the purity of creativity and at a deep core level, dishonored my psyche and spirit. Even though I was happy with what I'd created, my spirit felt compromised by the process. I'm not sure if that makes sense to everyone, but it was a necessary experience for me to see it so clearly. I find I need a level of discipline, but if it's too structured I get a bit batty and all the fun drops out. (I hear the taskmaster voice, as it hovers overhead with a ruler snap, snap on the side of the easel...'geterdone girl', 'that's not good enough'!) So there is a fine balance.
This blog is so encouraging. It is fun to see the processes of all these artists coming together. It's amazing how this level of community enriches the whole, and fun to see the various expressions of our guidelines "Show up! Trust the Process! How it manifests is up to you." Art has so many varied forms and expressions, and as the little kids I once taught used to say, "What I like about art ... is that there is no right or wrong way to do it as long as it comes from inside of me."
I'm sure this sounds very self involved, but perhaps others can gain something too from these experiences.
Here's the next installment in my mini portrait challenge. It's based on my niece and the love she radiates while holding her new kitty.
4 comments:
Adorable picture, Laura.
I think we've all echoed those sentiments at one time or many times. I know I have. I definitely need discipline (i.e deadlines)but have had times of over booking myself and have hurried through some jobs. Looking back at pictures they were great but I didn't feel I gave my clients my full energy.
Style, color and composition! You're blowing me away Laura!
My moment came in August of 2006. Having bastardized this tender, budding "call" and exhausted myself on every level possible, I said, "No more". The words I used then and still to describe it are, "severed from my soul". They are the perfect words but in no way convey the magnitude or ache of such a severing. The words that follow are, "and "nothing, nothing, is ever worth doing that again."
It's been a wonderment of free discovery since. In fact, Art-a-Day was borne from that moment. After many months recovering physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually I set out to discover what it meant to me to call myself an artist. Could I believe it? Trust it? Own it?
I set January 2009 aside to simply create without regard to whether it was good enough, valuable, meaningful, sellable or worthy in any regard beyond the sheer pleasure of showing up and doing it. It's been magic for me, for others and uniquely so for each. I still call myself "artist" though find "maker" more suitable to my renewed soul.
"...and as the little kids I once taught used to say, "What I like about art ... is that there is no right or wrong way to do it as long as it comes from inside of me."
oh my, from the mouths of babes...
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