Less Stuck

I finally had the breakthrough idea for the moley design. I spent some time worrying over it, then just threw out all my preconceived ideas of what it should be, what skills I should be showing, how it should look. Now, it is quite the, um, evolving piece. I like it in the sense that it expresses the theme the way it feels to me, and can only hope that it turns out visually pleasing to the eye (mostly the journal's owner!). Thank you (especially HHC!) for the support and encouragement I have received, but also the advice to get out of my own way and let go of the shoulds.

I feel bursting with ideas of projects I want to do, but am still trying to get into the stride of trusting myself more. Each piece takes a long time to work on for me, in comparison to work I see from other artists who produce excellent artwork often and prolifically. It seems like these folks have a strong sense of their own style and they let the muse/energy flow through them to create and create and create. I'm not sure what part of the puzzle I'm missing, but I want to be doing art all of the time and can't keep up with all my ideas. And yet, I'm taking so long on each piece and not producing nearly as much as I feel I could be.

I just found Sonheim's blog and am excited to sign up for one of her online workshops (as soon as I get my tax money), as well as one or two through Art Trader. I hope this will get me expressing and producing. I'm also very much want to do art journals. But this scares me for some reason. I'm a counselor and psychotherapist, so you can bet I understand professionally and personally how healing the journaling process is. But I can't figure out how to start expressing my feelings directly in art. I know it will put the heart in my art, so to speak, but how to begin? I look at examples of others' work and think, "that is so cool, I can't do that". Such beautiful backgrounds and techniques! I find myself writing a phrase in my book like, "How do I make art about feeling alone?" and nothing comes to mind.

One idea I had was to get a bunch of magazines and just start cutting them up, and gather images, words, phrases, etc. Then I could just throw them in a box and pick one or two (or ten!) to work with and go for it. What do art journalers out there think?

Ok, enough for now. I wanted to show anyone that is reading my entry for January's AFA ATC contest. It didn't win but I think it held it's own!

Here's to sticking with the process even when it feels like its going nowhere...

Jan 2011 Contest Entry - Sun, Moon and Stars