Living the Creative Life 2013

So, 2013 has begun and like everyone, I made New Years Resolutions. Not resolutions so much as what one person described as "intentions". I have a list of things that I "intend" to do in 2013 and you will be hearing much more about them in the weeks to come.

 

In the art community, there is also this thing known as your "One Word". You pick one word to define what you are seeking or hope to achieve in the year. One word to guide you along the path and give you direction. I have a list of words so far that I am narrowing down. I haven't found the "ONE" yet that just speaks to me. When I do, I intend to blog that as well so stay tuned my friends.

 

Today's focus is "Living the Creative Life". One of my first "intentions" is to put more time and effort into pursuing my creative side. I want to get better and develop my artistic skills. Mom and I are taking one of the coolest classes called LifeBook 2013 and I am hoping to take some other courses as well. My goal is to do something creative everyday. So far I have done a couple of art journal pages that you can see below.

 

This is my first fairy art-mother. For the class we are taking, the first assignment was to draw a fairy art-mother who would be your guide in the journey. She would give you pep talks and get rid of all the negative thoughts about your art. Because we hadn't gotten in the class yet, I didn't have a chance to watch the video but I felt inspired to do it anyway just from the pictures that I was seeing in the FB group. So, in the spirit of 2013, I JUST DID IT! I think this is probably the first time that I have ever sat down to create something strictly on my own with no point of reference or directions to follow. For that reason alone, I just love her.

 

 

This second fairy art-mother is based on the course video. She is totally out of my box with the strange colors and the kind of whimsical feel to her. I am hoping that as the course goes on, I will get more comfortable with different styles and incorporate more of them in my work. There are things that I would like to change about her but I am just letting it go. I am not as happy with her. I ignored the lesson that she was trying to tell me and I listened to outside influences (even though they were well-meaning) that led me to go back and make changes that I really didn't want to make. Going forward, I hope that I take that lesson to heart and listen to my own inner voice.

 

 

I think I had the most fun with this one. Back in December, I found a wonderful artist named Sandra van der Geest who works in a collage-y type, mixed media style. This was definitely way out of any box that I ever conceived for myself but I just fell in love with the quirky-ness of it and how the process all came together. After watching several of her videos, this was my take on it. I just love Pink and was immediately drawn to her pic in one of my magazines. The broken heart and the lyrics just seemed fitting at the time. Art journaling can be a way to work through pain and begin the healing process. I think this page is going to be an amazing part of the process. It really got me excited about creating again.

 

And last but not least, I created this page yesterday while I was sitting at the park watching the kids play. This is the quote that inspired this blog and I have had this vision in my head ever since I read it. I just wasn't sure that I could translate it to paper. Again, new year, new me...JUST DO IT! I had a lot of fun playing with my new Neocolor watercolor crayons. I think that I still prefer my acrylics but it is fun to branch out every now and again.

 

I hope that you all are having a fabulous 2013 so far. Do something creative everyday. Do something for yourself. Enjoy life and the process. That is what it is all about.

 

Hugs,

Katie