"I'm not an Artist."

My response..."well, are you human"?!  ;)

"The artist is not a special kind of person, rather each person is a special kind of artist."  -Amanda Coomaraswany

I hear more often than not, in all of my classes, independent of age, "I'm not an artist."  In the quiet moments before class, a shame-filled statement of lack... "I just wanted to let you know that I'm not creative, don't expect much, I'm not going to do well..."

So WHY do people, why do WE feel so inadequate?!  

My challenge for all of us "adulting" our days away... ACT LIKE A KINDERGARTENER!   Be hopelessly confident, try anything, and be exceedingly excited.  Emotions on your sleeve, let yourself feel your way back into creating.  It really is the most human part of us all.

YELLOW AND RED WILL ALWAYS MAKE ORANGE, BUT I WILL NEVER TIRE OF WATCHING A 5 YEAR OLD SEE THE MAGIC IN simply MIXING TWO COLORS TOGETHER. 

Try it. :)

  I get it, it's out of your comfort zone.  It's scary to stretch our own reality.  But trust me, as your teacher I'm just happy you showed up TO TRY.  To MAKE A MESS.  To find your own artistic and creative voice, if only for a brief moment.  YOU (against your attempts to control the outcome, will FEEL yourself relaxing).  Do it more often and you'll feel a shift in your daily life.  Trust me.  What do you have to lose??   I also hear, "I'm not creative, I can't draw a stick figure, I don't want to create because it's a waste of supplies..." SO. MANY. CAN NOT THOUGHTS.

Before we ever grab a paintbrush.

  I get it.  There are plenty of avenues where I'm fearful and where I will fail.  But that's NOT the point.  The point is to be uncomfortably comfortable...the point is to show up, to try, to expand, to think, to fail, to rise up, fail again, and to SIMPLY keep trying.  Show up for yourself in all avenues.  Art has very few consequences.   #justpaint   It is not easy, but like anything, it is something we can all make more of a daily practice in time.

YOUR CHALLENGE!!

THE GOOD STUFF, ACTION STEP, THE I LOVE MYSELF SO I'LL TRY MOMENT...JUST DO IT

(Is the Nike reference too much)  :)

 

Your objective for THIS VERY MOMENT.

STEP ONE: Grab the nearest piece of paper and writing instrument. STEP TWO: Answer these questions... using words and pictures.  No top or bottom, no rules, just make a mark...

1. The favorite moment of my day was...
2. The color that I would choose for today would be... (again, no right or wrong)!
3. If I could fly anywhere right now, through time and space... it would be...where?

STEP THREE: Find anything colorful (pens, markers, crayons, lipstick)! STEP FOUR: Find your favorite song. STEP FIVE: Color the ENTIRETY of the song, cover your words in color. Scribble, fill in, draw...make any mark you like.  Try to cover the entire piece of paper in the time that the song allows, or put the song on repeat.  ;)   This SHOULD be a mess.  That's okay. Put it away for the night.  Look at it again tomorrow and try to see how it makes you feel in your mind (are you kind or cruel to yourself), in your body (anxious or relaxed)?   Repeat.  Expand. xo- May you all find joy in not right or wrong, but simply in creation.     P.S. Want more instruction?  Contact me or sign up for one of my classes (under events on this website).