“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”
~
Hey, Lovelies!
Recently, as I was unpacking boxes of old papers and files I came upon a few interesting things.
One was a series of charcoal sketches I did at a life drawing class at Byron Bay in 1999, as a challenge to give myself an artist’s date while I was working my way through Julia Cameron’s excellent book The Artist’s Way.
The butchers paper crumbled beneath my hands, but before it disintegrated I saw something in those simple lines. Hope.
Then I found an old spiral notebook with thick blank paper. On the first few pages were simple sketches of scenes from my life back in 2004: the view from our hotel room when we lived in Palau, a bird in a tree, a power pole full of electrical lines, a rockpool, a pile of books, our old home in Brisbane with Ben at his desk in the office and the dogs sleeping on the rug at his feet. The last few I had painted in with watercolours from a little pocket kit I had purchased at an airport gift shop. The art was all childlike and earnest, but I had captured enough of my surroundings that I immediately remembered when I had made these little pieces – like time travel it took me right back, and helped me recollect details long forgotten.
I have been told since I was a child that I am not visually creative, and in fact I was shamed out by an art teacher at school to such an extent that I never experimented with art again until I began to work through Julia Cameron’s book – and I was VERY reticent to even try, dragging my heels to that life drawing class and sitting right at the back feeling like the supreme imposter.
But you know what?
Making art made me happy!
And I realised something. I don’t NEED to be good at art. I don’t need to set the world on fire. All that matters is that I find it fulfilling. So, I’ve added art to my list of things I’d like to explore further. Sounds like fun!
How about you? What are you doing that fills you up and makes you happy?
Do more of that, okay?
Biggest love, paint brushes, pencils and crayons, Nicole xx
Lovely to hear. Always just make art for you and what you like…. It’s all good fun and it’s only a piece of paper
Julia Cameron’s books have given me the incentive to move forward with my art whenever I get lost. 🙂 I’ve accepted that it is part of me whether I try to ignore it or not, so I keep working at it in whatever way I can. Sketching plants and trees outside is my happy place. THAT is what fills me up most.
Yes! Yes!!! Yes!!!! Do whatever makes you HAPPY and brings you JOY! We do not have to be good at everything and everybody’s idea of good is very subjective anyway. Hurray to you for discovering another path to joy. 🎨