Let us create a 3D eBook for you!
Let us create a 3d Digital eBook for you! DigyCat.com

 

Find the Artist Within


Can anyone be an artist?

People admiring my work often say, "I could never do that!" I say, "Yes, you can!"

Eight years ago, during a very difficult time in my career in finance (Downsizings, layoffs - let's not talk about it, OK?), my company sent me to a development workshop for female executives.

I came out of a particularly thought-provoking discussion group and penned the following very prophetic free verse.

Threads They Said

Mimi said, "Why don't you paint again?"
I said, "There's no time. I crunch numbers now."

Carole said, "You can do it!"
I said, "No. I don't think so."

Cheryl said, "You have an artist within. Reach down. Bring it out."
I said, "My numbers ? they pay the bills.
Though, God knows, they don't feed the soul anymore!"

Martha said, "There's a strength within you."
I asked, "They why do I feel so weak, so beaten?"

Bob said, "Reach for the sky. Be your mother's daughter.
Write poetry. Perhaps the answer lies within."
I reached. I created. I wrote. I discovered.

The threads came together.
I design tee-shirts now.
On a glorious sunny beach.
I write my musings in between.
And share them with other artists
--- like me.


I didn't really dwell on these thoughts at the time since I ended up taking early retirement and had no intention of going back to work. "Threads They Said" got filed away with my other work files. I only unearthed it recently and was stunned to realize how it all has come true. Except we don't live on a glorious sunny beach, we live on a mountainside overlooking a beautiful lake - close enough for me! And now you are some of the other artists I share my musings with!

I believe anyone with a creative eye can be an artist. If you know what you like when you see it, you can be an artist. If you know what someone else will like, you can be a commercial artist. You only need to find your medium or craft.

To find the artistic spirit within you:

1. Think about your abilities, not your dis-abilities; what you can do, not what you can't. Maybe you're good with the computer. Think graphic arts. Maybe you wield a mean needle. Think of practical sewn items to which you can add artistic touches. Today with the endless supply of craft materials and kits to get you started, there's something for everyone - or I should say - something for every artist.

2. Determine your bliss. I once read that if a woman thinks back to what she most enjoyed when she was between 8 and 11, she can identify her bliss. For men, it's between 10 and 14. They mature later, you know - some women would say never. If, at that age, you were always making "stuff" (doesn't matter what) and loved having your own crayons (that no one else was allowed - under penalty of death - to touch) and maybe your own set of colored pencils, art and crafting could be your bliss. If you took particular joy in actually producing something - an end product - rather than just messing with all those neat (or should I say, messy) paints, you almost certainly have an artist within.

3. Browse a local crafts superstore or Internet crafting sites (please start by browsing around TheArtfulCrafter.com!). Go up and down the aisles, whether virtual or real, and see what appeals to you. Purchase a few kits. [Aside: If you intend to sell what you make from the get-go, be sure to consider what will also appeal to your future customers.]

4. Don't be afraid to try something new. To me, a sub-definition of artist is "someone who is always trying something new" - new techniques, new media. You have ittle to lose - the cost of a kit or a few tubes of paint - and very much to gain!


You have permission to publish this article electronically
or in print, free of charge, as long as you include the
author's bio and any links, then send an email to
Eileen@theartfulcrafter.com with a courtesy copy of your
publication or link to your web page

by Eileen Bergen
The Artful Crafter
www.theartfulcrafter.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Creativity - Google News

Creativity trumps cute factor in Super Bowl ads - The Detroit News


Creativity trumps cute factor in Super Bowl ads
The Detroit News
Perhaps this is why the ads that left the biggest impressions — good and bad — are those that showed sparks of creativity and pathos. This is why Chevy deserves a gold star for its apocalyptic ad. In the spot, a man and his dog are shown in a truck ...

and more »

Ningbo Hangzhou Bay New Area to build a cultural and creative production base - Ningbo Expat Life


Ningbo Hangzhou Bay New Area to build a cultural and creative production base
Ningbo Expat Life
Cooperating with a leading cultural company of China, Ningbo is going to build a cultural and creative production base in Ningbo Hangzhou Bay New Area. The other day, Ningbo Hangzhou Bay New Area signed an agreement with Shenzhen Huaqiang Holdings ...

and more »

Hayes: Reflections on being caretakers of creativity - Midland Daily News


Hayes: Reflections on being caretakers of creativity
Midland Daily News
I honestly believe this is a most significant structure, not only as a functional building but also as a catalyst to generate new facts and new feelings in the creative lives of all who use it." The 2011/12 season marks the 40th anniversary of MCFTA ...

and more »

the mystery of consciousness - CNN International


the mystery of consciousness
CNN International
By Antonio Damasio, Special to CNN Editor's note: Antonio Damasio, author of "Self Comes to Mind", published by Pantheon/Vintage, is a professor of neuroscience and director of the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California ...

and more »

Innovation and creativity move to the heart of the curriculum - Financial Times


Financial Times

Innovation and creativity move to the heart of the curriculum
Financial Times
Top schools have devoted considerable resources to entrepreneurship, from electives and specialist courses to in-house incubation centres to help groom the creative leaders of the future. While some business leaders question whether entrepreneurship ...

Who's More Creative? Introverts or Extroverts? - Big Think (blog)


Who's More Creative? Introverts or Extroverts?
Big Think (blog)
The big difference is the kind of environment they thrive in, says Susan Cain, author of a new book on the creative power of introverts. Now more than ever before, says Cain, Western society approves more of extroverts. Have we reached the tipping ...
The quiet achieversSydney Morning Herald

all 62 news articles »

Travel to Latin America with Creative Cauldron - Patch.com


Travel to Latin America with Creative Cauldron
Patch.com
Each performance is part of Creative Cauldron's Passport to the World festival, a pocket-friendly opportunity to travel the world without ever leaving Falls Church. Creative Cauldron is the non-profit arts organization that manages and operates ...

Pinterest, an online bulletin board, inspires creativity - Pensacola News Journal


Technorati

Pinterest, an online bulletin board, inspires creativity
Pensacola News Journal
» How it works: Users upload images or videos (which can be linked back to their original websites for additional info) with a drag-and-drop browser extension. The image, or pin, is then assigned to a board. Users can follow each other's boards, ...
7 Tips for Planning a Wedding on PinterestMashable
Pinterest Gaining Intensity and Support with Social ZealotsTechnorati

all 24 news articles »

Machine Knitters Club offers both creativity and friendship - Knoxville News Sentinel


Machine Knitters Club offers both creativity and friendship
Knoxville News Sentinel
Or maybe you just want to try your hand at a relaxing, creative craft or provide such items for those with special needs? Any which way you see it, the 30 or so women of the Tennessee Valley Machine Knitters Club would be pleased to have you come for a ...

and more »

Plant Creativity Saves GM Millions - Chicago Tribune


Plant Creativity Saves GM Millions
Chicago Tribune
Creative solutions can save a lot of money, and if you happen to be building light-duty and heavy-duty pickup trucks for GM, those savings can run into the millions of dollars. Josh Cable of Industry Week magazine recently toured GM's truck assembly ...

and more »

Click here for Best Buy In-Store Pickup

StreetSideAuto.com

Looking For Royalty Free Photos for your Website, Business or Advertising?

My Life Through The Lens

Jumbuck Domain Is For Sale - $5,000 For Enquiries eMail Us

© www.Jumbuck.biz 2011

home | site map | links

eXTReMe Tracker