Entries Tagged as 'art'
Meeting Yourself Where You’re At With Art
July 2nd, 2009, Comments (15)
elephant night
Art is one of the most soothing things I can do when I'm feeling cruddy. And yet, I still forget or I putter around without picking up the paintbrushes. It's a fairly simple task to pick up your pen and write or pick up your paintbrush and paint, but the starting can be hard. Especially if you have any voices in your head saying, "I want to make something good."
Phooey, I say. Let go of the making-something-good or making-something-special voices and meet yourself where you are, right now, in this moment.
It's true, it might not be pretty. It might not be what you expect.
detail
Allow yourself to be surprised.
Simply show up and begin. Begin with simple tools. A few colors, a piece of a paper, a pen. Leave your fears of failure at the door. For just this moment, it doesn't matter if what you create is "good" or "bad." Just let something flow out. A few brushstrokes. A few lines. Where does that take you?
Last night, I started with a scrap of paper that I'd done some playful marks on previously. I wet part of the paper and grabbed a bottle of ink that my cats had playfull rolled down the hall earlier. I squirted some ink on the wet paper and delighted in how it spread and curled and formed fantastic shapes. I then squirted blue paint directly onto the paper, shapes began to develop. Orange came next, a field. And ink spots looked like houses. A figure appeared on the right side. I stepped back, looked from a distance, then peered closer. One of the house shapes looked like an elephant, so I made it appear. The sky was lit with stars.
Before I started painting I was feeling some angst about a variety of things, including the weather. But afterwards, I felt light and alive and more free. That's some of what expressing yourself can do for you. When you allow yourself to create, not what you might wish you were creating, but what you need to create now, in this moment, you'll feel more alive, more connected, more at peace.
This is what I aim for when I'm creating, this connection to where I'm at in the moment. It's the way I found myself creating in the art picnics I developed and it continues to be a magical experience that I just adore having.
How can you meet yourself where you're at in your art?
p.s. The next Art Picnic workshop has been scheduled for Saturday, August 22nd, from 1-3 pm EST. You can get all the details and sign up here!
CED July Theme: Self
June 27th, 2009, Comments (15)
The *totally optional* theme for the Creative Every Day Challenge in July will be Self!
I will be posting about the theme throughout the month with different ways to approach it. If you need some suggestions, here are a few ideas to get you started. You could:
- *Do a series of self-portraits.
- *Get creative with your rituals of self-care
- *Write an autobiographical essay or poem.
- *Explore what your space says about you.
- *Have fun with your personal style.
- *Express yourself in an art journal.
- *Play with your personal symbols.
- *Write a letter to yourself from your higher self.
- *Create a vision board about your deepest visions for yourself.
How to use the CED themes:
If you're feeling creatively stuck or blocked at any point during the month, use the theme as a source of inspiration to get you moving.
Using the theme is entirely optional for CED participants. Use it if it inspires you, ignore it if it doesn't. I'll be sharing posts throughout the month around the theme (among other things) to get you thinking about how to incorporate it into your life. I'd love to hear how you use the theme in your creative world.
Feel free to focus on the theme in your creative activities for the entire month or as much as you'd like.
And have fun with it!
"The most beautiful art comes from our deepest, rawest selves; it rises from within like the hoot of an owl or the song of a whale." ~Jan Phillips, Marry Your Muse
p.s. The art I used in at the top of the post is from my painting, Lantern, which I modified slightly for this theme post.
Random Assortment of Sound
June 26th, 2009, Comments (6)
A random assortment of sound goodies to inspire you! Enjoy!
-Peggy Fussell sent me a link to the fabulous artwork from the Zurich Orchestra campaign from Euro RSCG, an agency in Switzerland, which is on view at the website fubiz. What a fun interplay between sound and art! This one is called "Goosebumps."
-A month or two ago I linked to a video of artist, Jonas Gerard, but I thought it was worth sharing another one this month, just because of the way he reacts and interacts with music while he paints. So fun to watch!
-For more inspirational listening, check out Art of the Song, a one hour public radio program all about creative expression with a focus on music. Lots of great interviews!
-Explore the beginnings of "sound art" in Luigi Russolo's "The Art of Noises" and in this article from TATE ETC.
-I had to do a little searching to find this story again as I couldn't remember where I'd heard it first. But it was on NPR and you can read it, listen the story, and hear the music here. Very cool stuff. The story is about artist, Quinn Kiesow, who has constructed amazing music out of urban sounds. He has a songs for Los Angeles, New York, Madrid, and Barcelona all created from recordings of urban sounds in those cities. Listening to these songs may make you think differently about the sounds you hear in your own environment. There is music all around you!
Sounds to Soothe You
June 23rd, 2009, Comments (28)
Normally, I love the sound of rain. It's soothing, especially when I'm falling asleep. But lately, we've been getting so much rain in New England that the sound isn't as pleasing.
But it got me thinking about the sounds that soothe, the sounds that bring back pleasant memories or associations, the sounds that are like home: a fire crackling, the sound of my cat's purring, walking through dry leaves in the fall, the sound of water filling a bathtub, crickets chirping on summer nights, a distant train rumbling by, the zip-zap of corduroy pants, a spoon tinkling against the edge of a coffee mug, the beep of the hubster's car locking when he gets home, the rush of the river.
What sounds are soothing to you? Can you bring them to mind? Try taking some deep breaths, closing your eyes, and see if you can bring some of your favorite soothing sounds up in your imagination. See if it relaxes you to simply imagine them.
Perhaps even the memory of these sounds (your mother's voice, the padding of stockinged feet on the stairs, the school bus driving past) will stir something in you. How would you bring these sounds to life in words or in art?
I grew up in this town, my poetry was born between the hill and the river, it took its voice from the rain, and like the timber, it steeped itself in the forests. -Pablo Neruda
Singing in the Shower
June 16th, 2009, Comments (24)
Song
Do you remember singing as a kid? You know, that kind of singing kids do with pure abandon? Do you ever sing like that now?
As it's the month of sound here for the Creative Every Day Challenge, I've been thinking about where and when I sing. I'm not a fabulous singer, but I do love to sing. I sing with passionate abandon in the shower and in my car and sometimes to my cats. The hubster and I are constantly making up little songs about silly things we do, like the song we made up about bagel sandwiches and another we sing about tickling toes.
My dad used to sing (horribly) to 50's songs in the car and we'd all sing songs about farts (while laughing hysterically) on long car rides. My mom used to sing us a silly song about spinach on car rides to my grandmother's house (I still totally love that song) along with the more traditional "Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go..."
In elementary school, I got a solo in the school show, singing "Who Put the Bop," which I sang in a poodle skirt my mom made for me. And I sang a few lines as an orphan in the school's production of Annie. What a thrill that was! In high school, I sang along with my casette tape player, listening to musicals like Les Mis and Phantom over and over again. And I sang and danced in the production of A Chorus Line. In college, I learned to play enough guitar that I could strum along and belt out Ani Difranco's "Both Hands." I know when I have kids some day I'll sing to them.
Songs hold so many memories for people. Some remember being told they couldn't hold a tune, others remember their parents or grandparents singing them to sleep, others remember writing songs of love and angst in their teenage years, others remember singing their own babies to sleep. What are some of your favorite singing memories?
Whether or not you believe you're a "good" singer, singing is such a wonderful release, such a powerful expression. Perhaps, even if you are shy with your voice, you can find some time this month to play full out with song. (The shower or car a great place to give it a go!)
Some fun links to share:
- In case you're curious about some of the technical aspects of singing, here's a good article about basic singing techniques.
- Peggy sent me a link to this website which I'd twittered about before and then forgotten about. It's so worth sharing here though because it's such a fabulous combination of sound and interactive animation. Gorgeous! Just move your mouse around when the music starts.
- The next Art Picnic teleclass is happening tomorrow evening at 8pm EST and I'd love to "see" you there! Check out all the details and sign up here.
Featured Creative Every Day Challenge Participants!
June 12th, 2009, Comments (11)
I love featuring fabulous Creative Every Day Challenge participants here to give you all a glimpse into some of the wonderful things happening in our large group. I hope you enjoy the wonderful creations below!
The fabulous photo above is from the incredibly sexy mama, artist, and blogger, Karen Mowrey. Karen was inspired to do her TGI Bench Monday self-portrait with her saxophone, in response to the sound theme this month. This image just kills me. So cool!
Heart Senses by Emily Long
Listen
Close the eyes
Still and listen
Open the senses of the heart
Listen
Smell the green
Washed clean by falling rain
Smell the soil
Warmed by beams of sun
Feel the air caress the skin
Cool shadows
Hot sun
Feel them play across the face
Hear the heartbeat within
Let it slow
Hear it match its rhythm
To the pulsing of the Earth
Taste the love that dwells within
Taste the joy so deep
Listen
Hear the footsteps of the ages
Steps that were, are, and will be yet
Listen
Hear the voice of all that is
The poem above was written by Emily Long of Healing Pages, a blog filled with heartfelt poetry. Emily also recently wrote a poem in response to my painting, Listening, called Listen Deep (which I loved!)
The beautiful mandala above is Fairyland Pentagram Mandala by Sue O'Kieffe of the blog, Sacred Circle Mandalas. The colors in this piece sing Spring to me!
This art journal spread above was created by Verna of the blog, Studio Vee, in response to a prompt from Ali Edwards. It's all about the things that make Verna happy. What a lovely thing to play with in your journal!
Kitty Duet! Last, but certainly not least, I want to point you in the direction of this post from Janice of the blog, Postcards from Wildwood. The post itself is hilarious, but the recording Janice put together in response to the sound theme...oh my, it may just be one of my favorite responses to a Creative Every Day Challenge theme ever!! It's flippin fantastic! So, please go over there straight away and check out Janice and her cat Oliver's earth-shattering duet based on Rossini’s famous Duetto buffo di due gatti (Comic duet for two cats). And then you can come back and thank me for making your day by sending you over there. 
Wishing you all a wonderfully creative weekend!
Close Your Eyes and Create
June 11th, 2009, Comments (12)
Creating to music can be a wonderful thing. It can be especially interesting when you allow yourself to be moved by the music, to respond to what you hear.
The following exercise is a wonderful way play with sound and creating intuitively. I share a similar exercise in the Art Picnic workshops and the next one is coming up Wednesday, June 17th, 8pm EST. Get all the details and sign up here! I would love to create with you!
I've set this post up, so that you can use the song here (if you're reading this in rss or email, click through to the blog to listen) or use your own music.
The Exercise: Have a pen and piece of paper ready and get into a comfortable position. Take a few deep breaths to center and ground yourself, then begin the music. Let the music play for a moment, then put pen to paper and close your eyes. As the music plays, let your pen move freely across the paper. Move it in response to the music and let your hand move whichever way it wants to go. Don't think about the end result, just let go.
You can do this for the whole music piece or just for 30 seconds, depending on how much time you have to play with. Letting the drawing go for the whole song can be a wonderful exercise, but do as much as you can.
When the music has stopped, take a deep cleansing breath and open your eyes. Take a moment to look at what you've scribbled. Do you see anything there? Maybe a face? A monster? A house? A fish? Or maybe a tree? Whatever you see there, take a moment to bring it out. You can color it in or just make it more clear. The image here is an example of what happened when I developed the image with colored pencil.
Often the symbols that pop up through an exercise like this relate to something going on in our lives or have some kind of message for us. Sometimes they don't. But either way, it's fun to play with. You could do some journal writing or dialoguing with the symbols that come up for you and see what they have to say or develop your doodle further with some paint.
This is a fabulous way to get started if you're feeling particularly stuck creatively. It takes all the pressure off of performing (your eyes are closed, so what can you do?) and allows a more intuitive response to come forward. Plus, it's just fun!
p.s. The fabulous Jamie has written about her experience of turning business meetings into Art Picnics right here. So cool! Love that idea!
p.p.s. Christine at BlissChick has posted a great interview with me at her blog, which you can check out over here.
p.p.p.s. (That's way too many p's! Be sure to stop by tomorrow for the featured Creative Every Day Challenge Participants post!! I've got some wonderful work to share with you!)
Click below to expand post and view music player.
(more...)Art in Silence and Sound
June 9th, 2009, Comments (25)
This is the latest piece I did for the intuitive painting class I took. It was a bit more time consuming than the others because before painting, I collaged the 15"x20" surface with collage. I then stenciled in the eucalyptus shape I've been working with and started exploring it's similarities to a spine shape again. I'm loving the layered look.
As it is the month of sound, I've been more aware of what the sounds that surround me each day and the things I listen to as I create. I said in this post that I'd share some of what I listen to, so I'll do that here.
In the case of the piece above, I had a Harry Potter movie on while I did the collaging part. I like to work intuitively as I collage, and having movies on will distract my talky-talky-mind enough that I can move in a different space while I work. (A new to me movie might have distracted me too much, but this one worked well.) The following day, I started working on the painting and realized in the middle of it, that I wasn't listening to anything. I usually cue up some music or a podcast to paint to, but in this case I guess I wanted silence. I put some final touches on it the next day while listening to a Craftcast podcast.
What I choose to listen to when creating, depends a great deal on what I'm working on and my mood in the moment, but if you're one who loves to have something to listen to while you work, here are some of my favorite things to work to:
Podcasts: I love me some podcasts!! Great fun, informative, often inspiring, sometimes funny. I love a good story and podcasts are a great way to hear the stories of many different people. Here's a sampling of the podcasts I've been listening to lately:
- -NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me: Super funny and smart news/quiz show
- -Craftcast, Crafty Pod, and Craft Sanity: Interviews with creative people in all different mediums.
- -TED talks: Incredibly inspirational talks on a wide variety of topics (I usually have to sit down to watch these as there's a visual element to most of them.)
- -An Illustrated Life with Danny Gregory: Interviews with illustrators whose work is in his latest book. Lots of great discussion on process.
- -Tranquility du Jour: Interviews from yoga teacher and author, Kimberly Wilson. Check out her fabulous interviews with Goddess Leonie and Jennifer Lee.
- (and so many more.)
Music: A wide range. I love my iTunes dj function which mixes up my music to provide such nutty combinations as: George Michael, Ani Difranco, Pearl Jam, a lesson in Greek, and Weird Al. I just looked to see what was coming up in the rotation: Counting Crows, Radiohead, Indigo Girls, and Yo-Yo Ma. Hehe.
But seriously, if you haven't checked out Pandora yet, get your butt over there now and try it. You simply type in a song or artist you enjoy listening to and it creates playlists of similar music for you. You can tell it what you like and don't like and you may find some new music there. I enjoy writing to their new age/ambient music station.
Audiobooks: A new love of mine. I'm a tad obsessed with Jim Dale's readings of the Harry Potter series. I listen to it all the time. I didn't think I'd like listening to audiobooks, as I'm not too good with audio learning, but I gave the first HP audiobook a try because my friend Jim recommended it to me (thanks, Jim!) and I got completely hooked! Maybe it helped that I'd already read the series, I'm not sure. But since then I've listened to a few more audiobooks, and enjoyed them. Martha Beck's reading of her book Steering by Starlight is particularly fantastic.
T.V.: When I asked the question, "What do you listen to when you create?" on Twitter, a few people mentioned mindless t.v. and most seemed ashamed of it. I say, whatever works! I haven't done much creating in front of the tv lately, but there are times when I enjoy having mindless television shows on in the background. Like I mentioned before, mindless t.v. can often distract that monkey mind part of your brain, so that you can create from a more intuitive place.
Television itself isn't evil. It's all about moderation and consciously choosing what you watch. Sometimes, shows will inspire me to create. I absolutely love Project Runway for example and often draw while I watch it (it starts up again in August!) and I'm totally enjoying So You Think You Can Dance at the moment.
Silence: Sometimes, I get overloaded with sound and I need a break from it all. Even in silence there is some sound: Cars passing outside, rain tapping the windows, my cat snoring in the corner, the buzz of the fridge, the sound of a paintbrush moving across the canvas.
When I take a bath, I often bring things with me: books, sketchbook, pen, etc, but I rarely dip into them. By the time in get in the bath, all I want to do is sit in silence and soak. And that is more than enough.
If you didn't pipe in on the post where I asked about what you listen to while you create, I'd love to hear about your favorite podcasts, music, audiobooks, and shows to create to!
What Do You Listen to When You Create?
June 4th, 2009, Comments (18)
I put up a question on Twitter (I'm @leah_art on Twitter) yesterday asking, "What do you listen to when you create? Music, Podcast, Silence?" Here are some of the responses I got:
82Apple my favorite CD's
JimDoran Jazz, Pirates of the Caribbean.
ladymisssusan Music or (saddly) the tv
obrown Sometime (usu) silence, occasionally mindless television, rarely music. Great question!
acrawley I listen to music-instrumental/classical or a mix of rock/pop/bombastic when in the studio; depends on my mood & mood of the artwk- acrawley Tho' sometimes I do like to create in silence.
kaleidoplex Lately, I've been listening to the electronica music television channel when I'm working on my mixed-media projects
TouchSoul Silence when I draw; Music when I color. News when I clean.
alexispl what I listen to in the studio depends on my mood: sometimes it's music, sometimes it's silence
ERLong8502 Silence usually, occasionally instrumental music. People talking/singing tend to interrupt my flow & scatter my focus.
OoffAhh Nothing helps the creative process like Philip Glass!
T_C_P i usually check with my inner muse to see what she's up for : )
bgmillsart I listen to NPR programs like This American LIfe or music
HiroBoga Silence when I'm writing. Music when I'm creating book covers or drawing or cooking.
Good stuff! For me it all depends on the mood. But I tend to listen to a variety of music, audiobooks, or podcasts while painting. Sometimes silence. Sometimes mindless t.v. If I'm writing, I can't have on anything with words, so then I might just have silence or turn on something instrumental. Lately, I've been enjoying writing to the New Age Ambient station on Pandora. Today I put it on a Radiohead station to work to. I could go on and on about the things I listen to, but first, I'd love to hear from you:
What do you listen to when you create? Is your art impacted by what you listen to?
No More Creative Constipation! Art Picnic: June 17th
June 3rd, 2009, Comments (6)
It's nearly time for another Art Picnic adventure. Yay! I'm super excited to share this class with you!
fly fly fly, created at recent art picnic
I have a confession to make.
I get a bit nervous about talking on the phone. I've done a bunch of phone interviews in the last year, a few calls and classes, and they've all gone smoothly, but each time I've had a wave of anxiety wash over me before I spoke. It's getting easier, the anxiety is less each time, but speaking, for this introvert, can be a bit unnerving.
I could simply stop doing this sort of thing, but I really love sharing this work. I feel that it's powerful and important. Yes, it's simple, but the most powerful stuff is often the simplest. And the things I share in the Art Picnic class are essential parts of what helped me though my worst creative blocks, stuff I wish someone had shared with me when I was going through it.
My worst creative stuckage happened after I graduated from art school. My head was literally bursting with the voices of all the teachers I had and unfortunately, the loudest ones were the negative voices. Teamed up with my inner critic, these voices had me way too scared to create anything at all. I went months without painting or drawing and a full year without creating much at all.
If you're a creative person (and I know you are), then you know that creative stuck can lead to the feeling of build-up, like a dam that's over-extended and ready to burst. It affects all parts of your life, leading you to feel on edge, frustrated, and not so fun to be around. Well, it's like being creatively constipated! Heh. Not pleasant!
No more creative constipation!
The way out for me was scheduling some time with myself to be playful, to give myself permission to fail wildly, and to create from my heart. In the Art Picnic class, I share the main tools to help you get started, get playing, and keep that momentum going. It's a gentle approach and I think that's the best way to get back to your creativity. Even if you're not blocked, scheduling some special time for you and your creative muse is a beautiful thing. Why not come play?
The next Art Picnic is happening Wednesday, June 17th from 8 - 10 p.m. EST (find out what time that is in your neck of the woods here.) It's only $25 and you can sign yourself up right over here.
An Art Picnic is all about quieting your gremlins and moving past your creative blocks so you can create freely. I'll be teaching you how to let your intuition guide you as you work, how to get playful with your art, and how to create from a place of joy, freedom, and authenticity.
The call consists of a half hour of sharing the essential parts having your own Art Picnic, 1 hour of creating on your own (with the ability to get in touch with me if you get stuck), and a final half hour of checking-in, sharing, and a few final tips to help you continue on the creative path. Check out all the details about the class here.
I loved what Teri wrote about her Art Picnic experience from the last workshop I gave. In the process, she learned that she could schedule some time for her creativity. And I love how she noted that it was a picnic with no ants! Ha! Very true!
It's so vital to schedule time for our creativity. Signing up for a class like this can be a huge help in making a commitment to yourself. It's fabulous self-care, so nurturing, and healing to set aside this kind of time.
If you have any questions, feel free to let me know. I hope to see you there!
