Why art?

To me art is the same as music.  I use it when I can’t speak or am having a hard time speaking.

It’s a lot easier to talk about a picture or something happening in a picture than it is to talk about what’s going on in my head.  It’s a lot easier to talk about an experience if I put some distance between myself and it.

Probably that’s another reason for my sort of creative stunt.  I had forgot to say earlier that I think “copying” or mimicking is common for children who are surviving abuse.  It’s trying to do what is perceived as normal I guess.  Just bottle everything up and try to fit in.

Art: Where to begin

There are a lot of books out there you could use:

Art is a Way of Knowing

It’s kind of interesting.  I liked how the author shares how she got into art therapy.  I liked some of the ideas for activities.  I got a little annoyed with words or phrases.  So I just took what worked for me.

The Artist’s Way I don’t know some people really like this book.  Personally i didn’t make it to far.  I thought getting up and writing first thing in the morning was helpful and…that was about it.  So try it out at least is what I would say.

The Creative Journal I haven’t done much with this but I have looked at some of the exercises and they look pretty cool.  This author has other books that I hear are really good.

The Art Therapy Sourcebook Haven’t done too much with this but flip through it for information and quick ideas. The Intro is pretty good so far.

also check around on YouTube there are a lot of good tutorials and ideas there.

Art or something like it…maybe ?

Sometimes I want to ban the word art.  So many people get hung up on what is or isn’t art.  So many people don’t allow themselves to pick up a pencil/pen/paintbrush/other tool and make pictures because of how they define the word art.

I mean what is the instant image you get when you think of art?  I don’t know, for me, maybe a gallery with a painting in a gold frame with elaborate woodwork.

Well, I don’t create that type of work.  I love that kind of art though (most times), I love wandering in galleries.  I just don’t create that kind of work.

I was, I would say, creatively stunted when I was a little kid.  Long story.  I never really let myself get into really creating.  Some people might say “Oh, but you are creative” .  Ok maybe in someways.  I can do crafty stuff till the cows come home.  I can kind of conjure up a picture of something in my head to “copy” (like a house, a cow, a street scene and trust me I’m terrible.  My cows probably look more like rhinos or something.).  It’s only recently that I have started to explore what I WANT to draw, the images my brain creates.

It’s kind of sad not to let yourself do those things, get creative, spill out what’s in your head.  If you really think you can’t well then, you won’t.  One thing that I have learned is that whatever age you stopped learning that skill (or any skill really) that’s where you stay.   Until you pick it up and start practicing it, using it, then you’ll start to grow in that skill again.  Mine is still pretty bad but I don’t care…I’m learning something I lost.

Been Busy with Art

So here is a bunch of stuff I’ve done so far

I did these two at the same time:

This is a fragment of something I don’t remember. I don’t think it was as intimidating as it looks though (??)

These two came from a song I love:

from a series of photos that I’m slowly working on:
I love this one I want to color it in with color pencil but so far it’s not working out lol:

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Just Something I Drew

I did a few other things before I did this, those ones where pretty horrible, angry pieces. I felt better though and just sat down and did this. I reaaally suck at drawing …yeah, I’m a stick figure kinda girl. My dogs get mistaken for cows, that kinda thing. I guess things happen though when I don’t let myself think and just let emotion take over instead.
I drew the little pond first. It was just a peaceful thing, plus there is that idea of reflection I think. I had been doing a lot of that. Then the grass and the tree. I was thinking about putting flowers in but that never happened. The tree was enough for me. I just saw this fiery red tree. Its something I wanna be. In the background though I saw this tangle of dark scary forest. It wasn’t really living though, it just looked scary. I just kinda see it as this journey I’m on…sometimes I’m in the scary trees, sometimes I’m by the pond looking at the tree. I think occasionally I am the tree, but only briefly (I think today is one of those days).