On Creativity

This may seem like a strange post. But as an educator I have seen some changes in our educational system that really worry me. High stakes testing the biggest among them. I think these tests have created a system where thinking for yourself and thinking outside the box is not seen as important. Put these two things together and we will end up with a nation of adults who can't think their way OUT of a box! Scary. Creativity should be honored, prized, encouraged and "taught" in every classroom in America. Sadly, in many school systems (thankfully not my own) the classes that teach the arts (commonly known as resource classes) are often the first to go when budgets are cut. How sad this makes me feel. I love this video of Sir Ken Robinson, not only is it funny, but profound and thought provoking. Because creativity has always been a big part of my life and education is the way I pay the bills, I have always made connections between the two. So that is why, strange and out of place as it may seem, I wanted to include this video clip on my blog. And by the way, go to the TED site and watch other videos that interest you, the greatest minds in our society speak at TED...it truly is amazing!

Great class

I took a class this past Saturday at the PFAC on creativity. I met four wonderful women and had a great time. We did exercises in relaxation, improv, movement and creative work. I learned some really good techniques for getting my mind ready for creative endeavors. One of the things that really struck a cord with me was a list of behaviors that help us through the creative process.

1. Being present and really paying attention
2. Personalizing
3. Imaging
4. Serious play
5. Collaborative Inquiry
6. Crafting
   

That last one really hit me hard. I am good at coming up with the ideas but I rarely find my way to the actual work that has to be done. Crafting is the part where you sit down and bring your ideas, your art into fruition. You actual practice your craft, whethers it's oils, pastels, water colors, mixed media...whatever. I have a shed full of architectual salvage that will attest to the fact that I don't craft as much as I imagine. I have all these great ideas for what to repurpose those pieces into and never get to the part where I actually work on the ideas. Bad habit. I need to follow through on my ideas and if they fail accept the experience as a learning one.

My favorite activity of the day was making soul cards. I liked the fact that you are only given so much time to get each phase done. I found I was able to jump into the process because I didn't need the idea up front. You first just gather images at random, things that stick out in a positive or negative way. Then you trim them and lay them out to view them. I found my were ending up in loose categories of sorts. Then you choose the images you want to use and you have a certain amount of time to get them collaged together on your 5x8 card. When your done you look at what you have created and you give it a statement starting with "I am". It was incredible how the images came together and formed a statement without any preconcieved idea.

My statement for this was "I am the action that causes change." I really liked this activity and plan to make more cards. I think the process would work well with my art journal too.

The instructor for the class was awesome. She is the Creative Director for Alternatives Inc. , Linda Hansen. She is teaching another class during the Spring sessions on collage and I plan on taking it. Great experience, great day, I really felt I grew as an artist!

Okay, real quick this is a proud mom moment I can't help but include. A piece of my daughters art was chosen for a Newport News art show. The show features art from all the area schools. Here is her piece...

Meghan's Art

This is from a series of picture that my daughter Meghan did when she was little. I love them!

What to swap?

As Art and Soul approaches I'm starting to feel a bit anxious about the fact that I have not made anything to swap. I'm back the same place again...questioning if I'm good enough, will my work be worthy of a swap. I've been on the forum for the retreat several times and felt overwhelmed when I saw posts discussing bad swap experiences...can I face that kind of rejection when my artist soul is still so tender? I'm not sure, but I do plan to test it out. I have an idea for charms to make and swap, I had to place an order online to get some of the parts, so hopefully they will arrive soon. I also need to make my small collages for the soldering class and I need to send my photos to the instructor for the door class. It's getting close and I am getting excited! I can't wait to shop at collage....though secretly I'm scared Michaels will find out what I said about them...and never let me shop there again...they are all I have!

So onward to practicing my art. My latest project came about as a complete surprise. I read an article in CPS awhile back about mixed media on silver spoons. I've had my eye out for some spoons and hadn't had the luck to find any so far...until I went to work this past week where a teacher was selling some old things in the teachers lounge. Guess what I found?! Spoons and a few other utensils...all silver! Oh my goodness I was so excited, I never have that kind luck finding something. So I got a whole hand full of silver utensils and a cool crock bowl that I will use for my water when I'm painting. I dug out that magazine and my alcohol inks and went to town on those spoons. I even broke out the Dremel which I haven't used in a while. I think the spoons came out great and I gave the first ones I made to the teacher who sold them to me. She was thrilled, which did a lot to boost my confidence in what I do. I will be making several more sets of them, possibly to give away or maybe even to sell! (Am I that brave?)


I have also made a notebook for my friend Chris which I collaged with a Hattera/OuterBanks theme. She loved it. Which made me happy. She is one of muses that supports me in what I do. I love making stuff for my friends to use and enjoying.


So I guess I've made some progress. I'm attending an all day work shop at the PFAC on creativity. I'm looking forward to the class, which is being taught by someone I have wanted to meet since last years Art and Soul. She runs the Monart studio in Hampton. Anyhow, I think I will enjoy the class and perhaps it will help me to erase some of this self doubt I've felt lately.

Last thing...found this cool site where the artist makes bracelets from old gift cards, especially from Starbucks (yum). I should get it in a couple of days, can't wait to show it to my Starbucks addicted friends at Yates. Here is her Etsy shop link...sorry you can't get a bracelet just like mine...it was the last one! www.jupita.etsy.com

OBX Art

This weekend has been girls weekend in Nags Head. Loads of laughs and lots of shopping. I finally was able to catch the Art Council in Manteo open. I added another piece to my Art O Mat collection. The Art O Mat is a refurbished cigarette machine that depenses art instead of cigarettes. They are located all over the place. The link for the website is included in my list of favorite sites on this blog.

I was inspired by the work I saw at the Art Council. They have a very nice collection of pieces there, including some assemblage work which you don't normally see. Of course I couldn't escape without opening my wallet. I bought two lovely glass pieces by a bead artist. I got a necklace and a pair of earrings. The art of making those glass beads is really amazing. It is something I would like to try but it looks so hard to do. I just don't get how they keep if from turning into a ugly blob of glass. Here is the artists website. Her work is great. http://www.janepulley.com/.

I brought my art journal with me to work on if the mood struck (and of course it did). I completed just one page and doodled on a second page. It really is fun to work in an art journal because it will never be published. It's a great place for me to work on my need for perfection and to try to let it go and just let it be.

So here we are early on Sunday morning, with rain drops dripping from the sky, and the beach is still a beautiful place. I'm looking out the back door of the cottage where there is a small view of the ocean wondering what treasures I might find on the shore if I were to take a walk on the wet sand. But then again there is something to be said about the mystery of possibilities...and inside it's dry, the coffee is hot and the realities of daily life are just around the corner...I think I'll just stay put.

It's been a long time!

I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted to this blog! The year has flown by as it usually does. Once school starts the momentum just keeps building and before I know it, Christmas is here. Sad but not surprising that I have barely touched my art stuff in all this time. I get caught up in the trappings of working and life in general. Soccer season is over and Futsal hasn't started. Christmas shopping is done and gifts are wrapped. So guess what I did yesterday. I went to my sunroom studio, cranked the radio and three hours later I had a collage done and was covered in paint...I think I felt my spirit expand or atleast take it's first really deep breath in a long while. I've been doing some thinking lately about what to do next. I've looked into going back to school to take some classes and work towards my degree in art, who knows. I'm very excited that I got to enroll early in Art and Soul and got all my classes I wanted. Glenny is the best! I am so excited and can't wait for it to be here. As fast as the time is flying it will be here very soon!!!

And the Art Goes On

I registered for Art and Soul this week. Oh my gosh I could have spent twice as much as I did and taken twice as many classes. As it is I feel guilty for spending that kind of money on myself. At the same time I can't imagine not going to the retreat. It feels like the only time I get to me my true self. I was excited because I was invited to rigister early and was able to get into both of the all day classes I really wanted to take. I'm so excited and counting the days!

A really good read, Taking Flight Inspiration and Techniques to give your Creative spirit wings by Kelly Rae Roberts. I picked it up at Barnes and Noble one day last week. I love this book. It really speaks to my artistic soul. She writes about the journey to finding your creative self. A while back I came up with the winged S as a way to sign my art. It symbolizes me finding my wings and taking flight to find the artist within. So when I saw the title of the book and the many wings in all the pictures I knew this book and I would connect...and I was right. Some of the things she speaks about I have experienced already and some made me think differently than I had before. Mixed in with the advice are some really cool techniques for mixed media art. I've already tried a few, great stuff! I also love her artwork you can see it at http://www.kellyraeroberts.com/index.html.html and at her etsy shop.

I discovered a group in Flickr called Collage Images. You have to join but once you do, you can download all kinds of ephemera. You can search the pool of pictures posted by the group. Great stuff!

So here is my latest ATC for the exchange. It's called Pumpkin Pi? I drew the pumpkins and vine with watercolor pencils. Then I scanned them into my computer and resized them. I created a background of the number pi to the 10th or so decimal, copy/pasted it over and over to fill the page. I then selected all the texted and changed it to a very pale gray. I ran the paper through again and printed the pumpkins on top. I used a maroon Sharpie to write in Pumpkin Pi? and inked the edges with an orange ink pad. I think they came out pretty good.