The Artist's Way....

I recently finished the book "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron.  A truly amazing book.  I read it within an online group - tackling one chapter a month for a year.  I learned so much about myself as an artist and what my artistic dreams are!

I learned that I want to paint in amazing places - and explore them for long periods of time!

Amalfi

I learned that the beauty of the female form moves me.

female form

I learned that music deeply resonates with me, and must always be a part of my life.

music

I learned that the sight of paint on my hands makes my heart thump.

hands

I learned that running wild and free is of vital importance to me.

free

I learned that self connection is the key to all connection.

self

I learned that romance in my life is so very fun and energizing.

kiss

I learned to take little steps towards my big goals - layer by layer, piece by piece, I am building something amazing.

small steps

I learned that avoiding my studio means I am avoiding an emotional issue that I don't want to face.

avoiding

I learned that creating with my hands is the same as connecting with my heart.

hands heart

This Artist's Way...

I was invited to join an on-line Artist Way (by Julia Cameron) Book Club by fabulous artist Jessica Brogan.  I thought it would be a year long adventure of learning to do things in my life in a more artistic way.  Turns out I was wrong - it is so much more than that!  The Artist's Way is about looking inward to find what is blocking your creativity and how to breathe life into your inner artiste. Our group is doing one chapter a month.  I sort of scoffed at that, thinking it would be a piece of cake to complete.  Turns out I was wrong again!  We did the first chapter in July, and I spent parts of the whole month really digging in and following the path that it took me. Part of the book advocates taking weekly Artist Dates.  A time that you have carved out to do something that inspires and ignites the sweet whisper of latent creativity lurking within.  Week 1 I went to the marvelous DaVinci Exhibit at our local Art Center.  Week 2 I spent an afternoon at the Barnes and Noble coffee shop ingesting book after book of art and pictures (and a few cups of coffee....and the most delicious peanut butter cup cookie!!).  Week 3 focused on lessons in a Class called Supplies Me - where you learn to better use all of your art supplies - which is awesome for me because I do have pretty things that I don't use frequently!  This past week I had a friend come over and we spent the afternoon creating canvases together - she was hoping to learn some new techniques that make art feel like play.  And I got to practice teaching - what fun! Today I had my Artist Date right out on my back deck.  It's finally cooled down enough to site outside.  So me and my colored pencils took an art journal outside and went to town.  I practiced faces, bottoms and backs.  The breeze was perfect, the leaves were rustling and time simply slipped away. The other main part of the assignment is completing Morning Pages - 3 journal pages a day of whatever is on your mind.  It's really a little nutty what happens to be on my mind some days!!!  The focus of the Morning Pages this month was finding the little voice that wants to convince you dreams are unreachable...impossible...crazy...never going to happen.  I found that little voice and guess what he was saying?  That "art is not worth creating unless someone is going to buy it".  Really?  I had no idea that belief was in there.  I kept going and found that this belief is tied to "No one ever will really buy your art, so why do it."  and finally to the mother of all nasty, creativity stomping thoughts "Creating something just for you is a waste of your time." The beauty of finding this inside me is now that I have examined the thought, I am rejecting it as untrue.  Guess what little voice - this time YOU are wrong!  Creating beauty just for me is totally worth my time.  Sometimes what I create will speak to someone else and they will want to see it often enough to own it.  And I believe that they will - they already have!  But even if they don't, the process of pouring my soul onto canvas is healing and magical for me.  And creating magic in my own life is always, always worth my time. I've posted some pictures of art journal pages that I have recently made.  Art journaling is just for me.  To express.  To try new things.  To play with beauty.  So this particular Artist's Way is meandering on a path through Art Journaling on the bookclub journey to creativity unleashed!