Art is for everyone :)

So excited at the moment. At the beginning of the summer I moved in with an artistic person. I was thrilled. I've needed direction or support on how to go about starting up art. I've been trying to think of what I loved to do as a child, drawing was one of them. I quite before I was able to get really good, but it has been something I wish I stuck with.

So when I moved in with the roomie, we planned on shopping for art supplies that could get me started. BUT we have been unable to until yesterday. That's why I'm so excited today. We went shopping last night.

I bought a sketch pad and soft pastels. I realized while shopping for supplies how important it is to really pay attention to what you feel and what you want. It starts with shopping, not with drawing. That's why I picked soft pastels, I was feelin' it. haha.

Then when we got home, I whipped out my new supplies and started doodling, to see how the chalk works. This is when it became quite useful to have an artsy person for a roommate. She explained that I really need to just make my mind go blank when I want to draw. Creating something involves really paying attention to how you feel. What colors you feel like using. What type of line or circle or tree or whatever do you feel like drawing. That's funny. What perfect training for me to pay attention to what I am really feeling, forcing me to address my issues. I need that. I've developed a habit of pushing my feelings to the back of my mind, so training myself to go blank and pay attention is perfect.

The roomie explained it perfectly. She said, this could be therapeutic for me simply b/c I have an issue with constantly being in control of myself, being busy, focused, with a schedule. Forcing myself to start with a blank slate, without having a picture in mind when I start, requires to me lose a bit of control. Working on a whim. Going with the flow. No plan in sight.

I'm thrilled. I'm hoping that drawing will help me allow me to develop new ways of expressing myself. Learning how to pay attention is the first step. I'll include a picture when I get better.

You know, I've always told people that I'm not creative, innovative, or artistic. I'm starting to realize that everyone is (or can be). When I used to think of art, I thought of it as these beautiful, famous paintings. I realize now that art is so much more than that. Art is what you make it. Maybe I can be creative. Maybe I can be artsy. I just have to find the type of art that I like.