"But I'm Still Here"
Altered Golden Book Cover & Canvas
Ever been in an art funk? When your Muse not only decides to take a hike, but also seems to be giving you the Bird on the way out the door? Yep. That was Me. For what felt like an eternity . . . . So I gave it a rest. For much longer than I would like. Now, I did try to create but every time I did, well, let's just say it wasn't pretty. And yes, perfectly reasonable (and normally rational) adults can have tantrums . . . . I am living proof.
So when I read Christen Olivarez' Letter from the Editor in the latest issue of Somerset Studio, I felt as if she was talking directly to me. She discussed the idea of being paralyzed by perfection (yep) and that when we over-think things (um hum), we can stop ourselves in the process. She underlined this point with a beautiful quote from Julia Cameron: "Art is not about thinking something up. It's about getting something down."
So I did just that. Tried to get something down. I made a little collage. And put it away. I started to scrapbook (which is another subject 'cause it's been years since I've scrapped anything for my own kid). And then threw it away. And then I eventually did what I set out to do in the first place: I played. For reals. I picked up a piece of canvas fabric ('cause it was the closest thing to me), ripped it into a small square and went to town. I didn't even seal my drawing as I normally would before painting because I couldn't be bothered . . . but in the end, I broke the curse. And my Muse is back. Although she is in trouble. Leaving me all high-and-dry like that . . . .
Okay, okay. Lesson learned.
Have fun playing,
Kristin xo
