This week, in an attempt to share my art far and wide, I have posted the first video of my art on YouTube. It feels new to be sharing in this way and I hope that doing so will help me reach a wider audience. As with everything on my journey to creative freedom, this is a little experiment. So, here goes… see what you think.
If you would like to experience Creative Freedom for yourself, click here.
I am just back from a few days away in a caravan on the coast with my Mum and the boys. Aged 5 and 9, the boys are independent enough to want to do their own thing, but young and mischievous enough to require fairly constant supervision… even from a distance. I had not expected to get a lot of rest, but I had also not expected to be crashing out around 8pm (still fully clothed on a couple of occasions), and ready to sleep a full 12 hours. Yes, 12! The potent combination of sea air, seaside food, lively lads and days out left me wiped out. Another thing I had not quite expected was to squeeze in as much creativity as I did. I took every opportunity I could to make a little something by the sea with what nature provided or with the chalks I had made sure went into the car when I packed. A beach littered with shells and pebbles is creative heaven for me. I find it almost impossible to train my eye away from the ground whilst walking along such a beach. I have to remember to stop, sit and look around me… to take in the rhythm of the sea and the sight of the wide open sky rather than totally obsess about what’s under my feet, afraid that I may miss any of nature’s gorgeous gifts. My treasure-seeking radar in on high alert as I scan the sand for the perfect shell, the perfect stone… and so often so many of them really are perfect. Add to the mix those jewel-like pieces if sea-worn glass and I really am in beach-combing heaven. Deep pockets are a must on outings such as these. Then, when I have gathered my pocket or bagful, I embark on the act of making, though the hunt doesn’t stop there… I often need a little piece of something else as the creative act ensues. I am always seeking new ways if expressing the creative freedom I re-discovered a couple of years ago and which I will be sharing over a period of three weeks in my upcoming course.
What’s your idea of creative heaven?
How have you expressed your creative freedom this week?
If you need a little inspiration to get your creative mojo back, check out 21 Days of Creative Freedom which begins April 28. Don’t miss your spot… sign up now!
Art is a basic need
The desire to express ourselves is something we experience from the moment we enter this world. A baby’s cry; a child’s marks made with sticks in the sand; songs improvised and sung whilst skipping along the road; cave paintings; the way we choose to dress… the list goes on and on.
Art is a visual language which can be used to help us interpret and better understand the world. For me, it is a passion. The desire to make art is an overwhelming urge which I suppressed for too long, but which brings untold joy to my life. Art is an old friend… no matter how long the gap since we last got together, when we do reconnect, there is an instant and immediate bond. Having invited art back into my life, it has, once again, become a habit; it is an addiction I have no intention of breaking.
I make art when I cannot find the words. I make art when I need to process something. I make art when I wish to remember and I make art to help me let go of what I wish to forget. Art is a basic need.
When did you last make art?
What stops you making art more often?