
Here we are at another 4th of July weekend. These days it seems everyone has a different idea of what freedom means.
Here we are at another 4th of July weekend. These days it seems everyone has a different idea of what freedom means.
I am at the one year mark or reimagining where I wanted my art to take me. A casual conversation with a fellow artist gave me a whole new take on things. Sometimes that is what it takes, just a fresh perspective from someone on the outside to show new possibilities. It allows the chance to stop doing the same things over and over, and to try something different. Of course, changing courses always means leaving the known and stepping out in faith that any bumps in the road will be minor. It has been quite a year, full of creativity, growth and new experiences. Two authors I read early on that helped spur me on are Jen Sincero and Marie Forleo, if you are looking for some motivation, check them out.
When I make my journal pages I am rarely sure where it will end up. Which is part of the fun. I can’t even recall what the first layer looked like now, the process took over.
Another dive into my scraps for this journal page. I tend to add things willy nilly to my scrap bins, and then get the surprise of rediscovering them most unexpectedly. I left the tea bag to swing on the thread for a bit of added interest. My journal is a new undertaking which let’s me explore a bit, and follow the mood of the day. I can see where filling journals can become quite a habit, ultimately filling shelves with finished ones. I’ll see where this new direction takes me.
Easy day, hard day, either way, to try is the constant. One step at a time, one foot in front of the other, one breath in and then out. It is all part of the process of making it through the day. Even the easiest ones, that flow like cool water over you on a hot summer day, require that you try. To remember, to enjoy, to sink into days like that so you can savor them later on. And on the hard days, when each thing takes monumental effort, when pain or sorrow seem to stretch unbroken into the future, trying seems especially hard. Those days, progress is made in small increments that are measured in minutes and inches, and worth cheering about.
Going through the process of thinking up new courses can be a winding one. Idea, thinking through the steps, gathering materials, giving it a go to see what works, fine tuning, and then doing the whole thing again on video. If it works on video, then editing occurs and all the related steps to publishing it. Sometimes the whole thing falls apart and there is no finished course to put out there. It happen, the idea just doesn’t translate into a course. But that doesn’t mean the effort was wasted. It just means that particular idea isn’t quite right…yet. It might need time to grow into something, or go in a different direction, or just have been a chance to work out some techniques to be used at a later date. Whatever the reason, don’t let the lack of a “perfect” result overshadow the gaining of skills.
Never back down 🔱⚔️
and other creative pursuits
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portrait photography, iPhoneography, and thoughts on living a creative life
Andrikken
sketching everyday since 2010