Alas, it appears I don’t feel like writing today. It’s not often, but it happens every now and then.
So instead of leaving you empty-handed, I will share the video I made for my friend Nathalie’s January Jumpstart class. We were each asked to do a video on how you get inspired to be creative.
Here’s my video:
And if you found me through Jump Start so this is a repetition for you, I apologize for repeating it.
Hope you like it.
And, yes, I clearly need some video practice!
Thank you so much for sharing this video with us.
You are so right! I have my stuff out also, but just don’t go and sit down and start something very often. I think about way to much! But I will now.
Thanks, Sharon
thank you… this is real good advice … even for professional artists!
Thanks for sharing this video with us 🙂
Hi Karen,
Thanks for sharing this video. There are so many nuggets of truth in what you say. I recognize myself in a lot of what you said. I spent years thinking I couldn’t do anything creative. Now, I see that I was wrong.
Cheers from France.
Your video is *exactly* me…. You’re a programmer… I’m an accountant. So my natural tendency is to be very precise and organized. You may not think your video was BIG, but trust me it WAS!!! I’ve heard the same things from other artists I respect (and yes, that means you are one of them) and it was exactly what I needed to hear. I struggle with finding my *own* creative voice/style and trying to break out of just copying someone else’s style. Not easy for me. So… THANK YOU!
What a wonderful tip. Thanks so much. I’m willing to try this more often.
Love your blog
You continue to be an inspiration to me. I have started keeping a few art supplies with me when I travel during the week. It has helped me create something every week. Thanks for sharing so much of yourself.
Nice to see this again. Of all the videos from the Jumpstart, I saved yours because it really connected with me. Thanks!
I loved this video at JumpStart you made me feel better about always having my stuff out. I have continued to keep it out but try to give it a good clean up once a week.
Thanks for sharing this. The reason I follow your blog is that I am like you (organized, structured, ideas don’t come easily), so I found this very interesting! Sometimes I feel like there aren’t many left-brainers in the art world. But maybe there are and they have learned to work differently. Or maybe you can teach more of us how to work a different way and there will be more of us.
Hello! I’ve been following your blog for a little while now, and it’s honestly one of the most inspiring ones that I read (and I have quite a few). I love your art journaling and sketches, and the photos of your kids.
This video was great! I liked getting to know you a little better and I LOVE your workspace! At the moment, all of my stuff is put away and I don’t have a table right now to work on consistently where I can leave stuff out. I also really love your encouragement to people who may not think themselves creative. You are right — everyone is creative! If you think of a different way to do something routine, if you innovate at work, if you take initiative in anything, you are creative. I think people have the wrong idea that computer programmers, and accountants, etc. are not/cannot be creative. Just because you use your left-brain a lot, it doesn’t mean you can’t use the right-brain.
One thing I have to ask about is that you kept on saying some of your ideas and how you keep your workspace “may be stupid”. Why? Why put yourself down? If it works for you, then it’s actually smart. Because you found the way that gets you creating. It’s as simple as that. You fought against the belief that you can’t be creative – that’s huge! You try everything in order to find the thing(s) that gets your soul out, as you so artistically put it. Be proud of yourself for everything you accomplish – that’s not conceit or arrogance. It’s faith in yourself and a recognition that you are more than the stories you’ve always told yourself about what you can’t do, or what other people/society have/has said you shouldn’t (be able to) do. It’s brave to create when you are scared you can’t. And I don’t mean to imply that you don’t have faith or pride in yourself or your creative activities – that shows up in what you actually create and how you write about it. I just think you should notice when you start spouting negative self-talk, and turn it around – as in “it may sound unconventional, but it’s what works for me!” vs. “it sounds stupid, but…”.
Thank you for this video – I’m getting better slowly, but I still get pretty scared at getting started (what if it’s “no good?!”) and I use tutorials and other artists’ websites as inspiration yes, but also as a way to ‘run out of time’ to do art. Thanks for the simple truth and the necessary reminder that I won’t do any art unless I start!
eSeN