This coming year is turning out to be a major milestone in my life as an artist
and in many other aspects of my life. I am moving ahead with the "no looking back"
attitude that will either take me or break me and am preferring the prior of
the two options. Either way, this is going to be a year of stretching, learning and
discovery.
As part of this commitment to my future goals, I have decided to take
an online blogging class given by one of my favorite blogs
ArtBizBlog.com
by blogger and art coach Alyson Stanfield and Cynthia Morris who is the blogger at journeyjuju.com
and orginalimpulseblog.com. I have now committed to a 4-week Blog Triage Class.
At the start of this class, of course, is the base question from which all else
comes...Why do I blog and who am I hoping to be blogging for? So here it is...
Why do I blog?
I had initially decided to start blogging as a new creativity and accountability
tool for myself. I have the discipline of keeping both a journal and a
sketchbook and thought that posting some of my sketches online would keep me
accountable to my art in some way. Both the journal and sketchbook are what I
use to give my creativity a place to grow and find a voice. They are very
different from the refined finish drawings that represent me as an
artist. We all have the polished exterior that we carefully present to the
world, but in showing these glimpses of art that I normally would be hesitant
to share because they aren't the perfect finished pieces, I hope to create that
personal human connection that touches each of us in some way
when we come in contact with another's soul being bared.
Through sharing my thoughts and sketches I hope to give those who enjoy my art a
deeper sense of who I am as a person and what drives my creativity. Further, I hope to
give inspiration to other artists as they do to me when I admire their work. I also
hope to give those I have done commissioned work for a greater sense of what I
go through in the process of creating something unique and valuable to them. I
always say being an artist is a little bit like being a surrogate mother. You go
through the emotional ups and downs, the preparation and birthing, but in the end
your ultimate joy comes from giving that joy to someone else. My hope is that my
blog reflects that.
"Art, like play, helps children to understand their world. But art goes beyond play, enabling them to express their personal experiences and fantasies in a way that are concrete and compelling, even when they are unable to articulate the events in words."
— The Art of Teaching Art to Children
I am facinated with children's artistic development and creativity. I recently did a career day demonstation to a class of young children. As much as the thought of a large group of small children outnumbering me makes me shake in my shoes far more than a business presentation in front of a meeting of executives, I did it anyhow. I did it because I want children to understand that art is a real career and something that can be taken seriously. Even if a child doesn't necessarily have an interest in the arts, I do feel it is critical to their development and it is sad that so little serious attention is given to it in school anymore.
I have too often heard growing up that I had better have a backup plan. Or make sure to study something more practical such as graphic design. As much as I am the free-spirited artist there is a small part of me that took that advice and though I did go to art school, I studied design as well as fine arts. Honestly, I regret that choice. You can't squelch a fire that is burning deep within a person's entire being. If only I had someone who supported me and told me to go for it. Even my high school art teacher, as inspiring and supportive as he was pushed me in the direction of the graphic arts.
While I have been successful at keeping a dual existence of fine artist-commercial artist, it does make a person feel torn in two directions. This new decade is going to be a new direction for me and I am really looking forward to it.
Lastly, to all the little budding artists out there, go for it... I'm planning on taking my own advice too.
Welcome to my sketchbook blog. I look forward to sharing my sketchbook sketches, what's possibly on the drawing board at the moment as well as what is inspiring me as an artist. I hope you come visit often.
