« Older Archive for May, 2008

Get Thee In The Studio

Saturday, May 31st, 2008 by Alyice

As you may recall, from an earlier post, I had been struggling with finding the time for my art and photography with an already overloaded schedule and loved Jan’s idea of painting first thing in the morning. I loved that idea so much that I put it into action but soon discovered that I wasn’t a creative person in the morning. I was a work-a-holic in the morning. I needed to get “work done” before I could play, otherwise the juices of creativity just didn’t flow.

But to make room for creativity later in the afternoon I had to accept that distractions come in many forms, including a few preconceived notions that constantly find their way back into my life, such as: “everything would fall apart if I didn’t stick to a schedule” or “I’d fall behind schedule if I didn’t complete x amount of tasks per day” or “nothing would get done if I didn’t do it” or “people are relying on me to…” And then I had to learn to let go of those distractions—both mentally and physically—so that I had room to get creative.

Susie Monday, Artist

Meet Susie

Susie Monday, Artist

Buy Susie’s Art

I think that’s why Susie Monday’s response to my question, “What’s the coolest tip you’ve ever received?” in a recent interview I did with her hit home so much. Most artists talk about various techniques they’ve learned, especially the ones that changed the way they create but Susie confirmed something I knew in my heart and up until recently had been struggling with mentally. She said her coolest tip was “Get thee in the studio.”

Susie went on to say, “When I make myself leave the laundry, turn off the tube, close the door, and just sit and look at the materials I have to work with I began piddle around with what IS, not what I want it to be…”

I absolutely loved that statement! I cannot tell you how many times I’ve procrastinated in creating because I needed to learn one more thing, buy one more thing, do one more thing. As a beginning artist, it’s so easy to see what isn’t or what could be versus seeing what is and working within the confines of what is at that moment in time.

Since I’ve made that commitment to do some form of art every day I have learned that working with what I have makes me a stronger artist. It causes me to think outside the box, to experiment with different ways of doing things, and to practice.

Not everything I do comes out the way I want it to. Many times I have to gesso over what I created and start again but in the doing and the redoing I am growing as an artist. Which brings me to the second thing Susie said that really hit home, “Get thee to the studio means that I do the work and let the consequences and the quality take care of itself—whether it’s a success or a failure.”

And that, my dear friends, is truly the secret to a successful artist! We can read all the art books ever written. We can watch every video made on our craft. We can attend all the workshops we can afford. We can get interviewed in a hundred various publications, but if we do not step foot in that studio it’s all for nothing. Without actually creating, we cannot call ourselves artists nor can we grow as artists. And if we don’t get in that studio and create something—anything—we cannot fill gallery showings or make a living as an artist because there will be nothing to show and nothing to sell.

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Interview With Susie Monday

Friday, May 30th, 2008 by Alyice

When one thinks of “mixed media artist” one may conjure up the idea of someone who works mainly with paints and canvases but compliments such works with other media like fabric, buttons, metal objects, wooden objects, plaster, and so forth. But that’s not the true picture. Mixed media artists are so much more than painters who adhere a few embellishments to their work and Susie Monday is one such artist.

Susie Monday, Artist

Meet Susie

Susie Monday, Artist

Buy Susie’s Art

Ever since she was a child, she’s had a love for art but over the past ten years she’s been truly living the artist’s dream by working full time as both an artist and an instructor of art. She believes that creating is not only her purpose in life but that it allows her to give back to the community of artists and the world, in general. And while she may be a successful artist monetarily she says her real success has come from being able to find her artistic voice and develop up into something consistent and real.

Susie “creates spirit-inspired art quilts, art cloth and one-of-a-kind table linens” that she hopes will find a home on everyone’s wall. Just listen to what Susie has to say about her art, criticism of her art, and why she feels it is important to “Get in thee studio.”

There’s a lot of mixed media collage work on the market these days, how do you differentiate yours from the rest? In other words, what do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own?
My mixed media collage work is primarily textile-based, though I use many different media to create the surface imagery, color, pattern and texture. My style is eclectic and colorful and is strongly inspired by the culture, icons, imagery, natural beauty and palette of the South Texas borderlands.

As you know, art is very subjective in nature. What some people like, others do not. I’m sure you’ve received both positive and negative feedback in your career, but what I want to know is how you handle the negative criticism, especially when it hurts deep down within your soul?
I have learned with time to consider criticism as a pointer to what might need improvement but I always reserve the right to disagree! And an opinion about my work is just that—an opinion. I consider the source, the expertise of the critic, the rationale for getting in or not getting in any particular exhibit. There is a lot of fabulous work out there—mine may just not fit the venue, the intent, the moment. Next time it might! Truly, I try not to let it hurt my soul, no matter what. As artists we have to do the work and leave the quality up to the universe. If I work, my work will improve, will fit, will suit when it’s supposed to.

What’s the coolest art tip you’ve ever received?
Get thee to the studio.

Many times we, artists, find excuses for not actually getting to the work. We have other demands on our time (maybe even full time jobs); the space we have doesn’t meet our dream image of the studio we “need.” our ideas need some new tool or some new art supply that isn’t on hand, we aren’t “in the mood,” or we think we do not have any good, original ideas. We come up with a million excuses for not putting our hands on the clay or into the paint or onto the sewing machine. There’s another website we must visit, another place of inspiration we must check out, another evening of “Dancing with the Stars” because anything is more fun than just getting in there.

Distractions are everywhere. It’s up to us to not allow them to steal our creativity or our play time.

I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about what I am going to do in my studio. I just go there and start working. I have a lot of things going at once and it looks like a cyclone went off between the four walls, but I just dive in and get my hands engaged; even if my brain wants to explore the refrigerator contents or spend just a little more time worrying about the price of gas.

When I make myself leave the laundry, turn off the tube, close the door, and just sit and look at the materials I have to work with I began piddle around with what IS, not what I want it to be. And it’s then that I engage the real issue: a fear of success, rather than a fear of failure.

Most artists are in the business of transformation—from raw material to powerful visual communication that speaks to the soul. It’s a bit scary to actually succeed at that, and we often dampen our best ideas with the fear of what might happen if our dreams do come true.

“Get thee to the studio” means that I do the work and let the consequences and the quality take care of itself, whether it’s a success or a failure.

Visit her at SusieMonday.com

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In Love With Creativity

Friday, May 30th, 2008 by Alyice

It’s amazing how many times we tell ourselves, “I just don’t have enough time to…” and then buy into that statement instead of changing the way we think or the way we do things so that we have the time for the things that constantly beckon us. Maybe we’re afraid that we’ll change our lives to fit that one thing in and discover we liked the idea of that thing more than the actual doing. Maybe we’re afraid that the changes we make to make room for that thing will do more harm than good or maybe we’ve simply forgotten what it means to take care of “me.”

It’s easy to allow the pressures and busyness of everyday life to rob us of doing things that make us happy. And it’s easy to put our own needs on the backburner for the greater good of our children, our spouse, our relationships, our work, our business, and even our church. Heck, it’s even easy to allow preconceived notions of how things ought to be to rule over what should be. But it’s that kind of martyr-like thinking that can destroy us and everything around us.

We need time for ourselves. We need time to relax, to breathe, to think, and to do absolutely nothing. And we need time to do something for ourselves without guilt or shame or feelings of selfishness.

And that’s why I am in love with the idea of creativity!

Creativity is about stepping outside the obvious and using one’s imagination. It’s about letting go of the reality around you and taking pleasure in the impossibilities. It’s about being one with yourself instead of trying to be one hundred things to a hundred different people. And, for me, it’s about relaxation and meditation.

Whenever I feel stressed or overwhelmed, I now take a break and pick up a paint brush, some molding paste, and a recycled jar. I cannot tell you how relaxing it feels to simply be in the moment—to forget about time, duties, hurts, worries, and the hassles of everyday life and just be. Whether it’s five minutes or an hour, I just concentrate on the project at hand and when I’m done, I feel so much better.

Your creative muse may come in one of many forms: art, gardening, crocheting, sewing, woodworking, writing or even photography. My hope for you, today, is that as you think about the things that constantly beckon you, you’ll slow down long enough to make room for them, too.

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