Inspiration Tuesday

What gift(s) did you have when you woke up this morning?

Peace Janelle 

Creative Inspiration Board

So I am interested in creating a whimsical, empowering little girl's series of paper cuts in the near future. I have started collecting pictures of other beautiful characters or girls to draw inspiration from. Here are a couple that I have collected. I love these pictures because of the innocence and carefree feeling you see in each child.

1. Babiekins Magazine
2. Coily and Cute
3. Elizabeth Mitchell
4.Wendy Oldfield
5. Kadir Nelsin

Inspiration Tuesday - 6 stages of the Creative Process

No explanation needed.... This is the real process, excuse the language.

Behappy.com

Inspiration Tuesday - Creativity and Self Doubt

Lately, I have contemplating about being an artist.What is an artist?  Am I an artist? Do I have a voice? Is is being heard? I have a lot of questions that I am working through.

When I started drawing in high school, I was not the best. I enjoyed the challenge of creating and sketched daily.  I didn't have anyone telling me what I was doing was wrong. That my figures weren't proportional, my lines weren't straight, my shading was on the wrong sides, but I felt like an artist... I loved my work.

Until, I started showing others my artwork. Adults... Grownups... I got responses like, "That's nice but....."  "Have you seen (enter another artist's name here) work? They are so talented. "

All I could do was to mumble, thanks... This is when self doubt crept in.

Self doubt stayed with me through college as I tried to understand my art classes and what my teachers were instructing me to do. I loathed being criticized by my classmates and teachers. I barely got through art school. In my fashion design classes my fashion drawings were never skinny enough, never sexy enough, never bold enough.  I could never get a handle on gouache. I hated figure drawing. I tried to make my teachers happy so I could just pass the class and graduate.

Self doubt hung around until I had a break through as an 30 year adult in graduate school. I got to a point where I learned to take criticism. I had to, I was in a career where criticism happened a lot. I learned to dissect peoples words. I learned to find my own voice through the many other voices. I learned to stand and stop letting others define who I was... as an artist.. as a fashion designer.. as a human.

I did so much better in graduate school. I believed in myself. There was still heavy criticism in my classes but I could take it now. I could also say, I don't agree... or thank you I will take that into consideration. I could go home and breathe better. I still wasn't the best and wasn't highly favored but I didn't care. I came to an understanding that everyone has opinions but that doesn't mean that they are right.  

Right now, I am venturing out as an artist, creating paper cuts and silhouettes. An art form that I didn't learn in school, an art form where I am self taught. Right now, I own my own business. I am self taught in this also. I am coming to grips with the questions in my mind. I am learning to answer them in my own time while remembering not to participate in self doubt.

 Self doubt will destroy all that you work for, it will cripple you and weaken you. I've got to much too do and too much to say for this to happen.

I have to keep on being... being an artist, being me.

How do you get past self doubt as an artist?

Inspiration Tuesday- Do it now

I am currently preparing for a craft fair in Philadelphia in two weeks. Participating in art/craft fairs make me nervous. There are too many uncertainties and to sell you have to spend money. Right now my money is "short". 

Since I have a vivid imagination, in my mind I play out that I will sell well and have fun. I have learned over the past, what I see in my mind doesn't always come true.

The first fair I participated in I sold three items... and I felt they were pity sales... My art was well received but the people weren't convinced that they needed my art in their homes. 

I know I need to do these fairs. They will strengthen me as a sales person and as an artist. I will work on my "elevator art" pitch and smile more to strangers.

I also, know selling online (Etsy) in the summer sucks... Sales dry up like a California desert. I have put off doing outdoor fairs for two years saying that I didn't have enough inventory. Well, here I am with inventory and I need to do this now! I going to be brave and try to do at least three fairs this year. Tweaking my finances as I go.

I am brave. You can be too. Go and Do (whatever IT is for you) Now. We are not promised tomorrow and tomorrow may be one day to late.

Inspiration Tuesday-Manifesto for your Life

I came across the Holstee Manifesto several years ago and needed it so much in my life I use it as the background for my phone. I like to read it over and over again to help me gain focus on my life and my business. It sums up everything you need to do, allowing the most important phrases to stand out.

Now I am sharing this with you to help you to stop making excuses and to move.

Life is Fluid (my phrase) 

Life is Simple, 

Life is Short

Start doing the things YOU love........

Take care!

Just create!

I decided to draw my ideas out, no matter what they are and see where they take me. I found this quote online and am going to try to go by it.

Photos courtesy of Wit & Whistle

Here is my drawing for the day: Not sure how this translates into a paper cut but I want to fuse my fashion background with paper cut art.