I used to create a lot of visual art when I was a teenager. I drew, painted and sketched non-stop. Art was a shelter that I could run to in order to escape to my own world, away from the stresses and disappointments of real life. Art was a type of therapy for me well before I knew about art therapy as a discipline. I was lucky to have had a very encouraging art teacher when I was a high school student. He patiently critiqued my work, gave me free rein over the art supplies that were technically meant for the whole class, and told me all about various famous artists. The biggest thing I learned from him was that art can be whatever you want it to be. There is no wrong way to be creative.
However, after his sudden passing, I found myself unable and unwilling to create art. It didn't help that my beloved, open-minded, and the encouraging teacher was replaced by a rather conventionally minded teacher who focused on teaching photo-realism (no surprise that she majored in photography). Her insistence that I create likenesses of things in the "real" ( I now prefer to say the observable world) stamped out my creative fire.
I stopped drawing and painting, choosing instead to channel my creativity into writing. I hadn't drawn or painted in years but in recent months I have rediscovered the joy of drawing. I began to draw mandalas as they seemed to be rather easy to do. I believe anyone can draw these without following any pre-set artistic conventions. There are many videos online that you can use as a guide. Also, there are a lot of pictures on Instagram if you need extra inspiration. I absolutely love the sensation of letting my creativity run free. Let me know if you have ever created art? Was there a teacher who inspired you?
Wonderful art works @banterwords 😉 I think if it drawn on a ceramic, it will shine and wonderfully amazing when you hang it on the wall😊
I never created arts because I love watching other create their arts😆 my art teacher in junior high school taught me about "perspective" through several drawing class.. mostly we use "straight line" and that's all my story about art😅 but thanks to her that I understand how to appreciate art works until now.
I found your post through @chekohler entry post in the pay it forward contest this week and I hope you will keep posting your drawing a long with your writing post too. That mandala looks beautiful.
Thank you so much for your compliment. I can totally relate to the idea of appreciating art but not wanting to create it yourself. I had a similar situation with dance. My parents put me into ballet since I was a young child but I didn't really like it a lot. As you know it is very strict and requires a lot of discipline. Though I still like watching ballet, I am not compelled to dance. I will for sure continue to make art and to write. Thanks for your words of encouragement. They made my heart sing!
Perspective and composition are 2 things that I learned from the art teacher, I tried to join the traditional singing group and dance too.. but later I found out.. I'm a good spectator and a supporter for my friends who sing and dance... so, I never get jealous to anyone who can do art works .. amazingly😊 all I need to do is appreciate the arts the way I could.
Your drawing already made my heart singing too... 😊
We all struggle with external factors that affect our moods and perspectives and that can have a knock on effect on creativity and productivity. Its important to try and let go of things, meditate, try to gain a different perspective and take in other stimuli. You can't create if you're not absorbing from the world around you
FYI I also nominated your post as my pick for the @pifc curation pick of the week. You can find my submission here or more about the project here. You're welcome to join us each week and help share cool authors you may find.
Thanks for doing that. I will be sure to check out your contest. Yes, I agree with you that the more we take in, the more inspired we are to create. I love following fellow creatives and looking at images I find compelling. Nature and the natural world is also one of the best sources of inspiration.
So glad you found your way back to what you loved @banterwords. I never thought of myself as artistic or creative.
This is the best advice. It sucks that the other teacher sucked your desire. I have a hard time even thinking that anyone that calls themselves an artist or to become an art teacher would have to have a open mind. Express a love for anything creative. If that's the case, then Jackson Pollock should never have been considered and artist. He flung paint at a canvas. There was no deeper meaning, he got drunk, high and so forth then flung paint at a canvas. Keep up with your art and escape to that beautiful place in your mind.
You were featured in week 5k of @pifc's Pay It Forward Curation Contest by @chekohler. @pifc is a Pay It Forward Community which believes in by helping others grow we build a stronger community. We run this contest each week, it is open to everyone. It's a great way to show off people you find that might need some more exposure or meet new people.
I agree with you. Unfortunately nowadays teachers focus on teaching skills that sell and my teacher believed that going into the practical arts like digital design or photography would be the way to go. That wasn't my jam then and it still isn't my jam. Thanks for appreciating my art and yes Jackson Pollock was the man.
Your post was featured in an entry into @pifc's Curation Contest:Week 55. Posts are selected because the entrant felt you are producing great content and deserve more attention (& rewards) on your post. As such your post has been upvoted and will be visited by other members of the PIFC Community.
We are always looking for new people to join our curation efforts. This is a great way to meet new people and become part of a community that focuses on helping one another.
Want to promote a post for free and have a chance to find some other great content? Check out this week's Pimp Your Post.
The Pay It Forward community also has a Discord Channel if you are interested in learning more about us.
This is beautiful !!
Thanks so much! I really appreciate it.
Congratulations @banterwords! You have completed the following achievement on the Steem blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
You can view your badges on your Steem Board and compare to others on the Steem Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPTo support your work, I also upvoted your post!
Vote for @Steemitboard as a witness to get one more award and increased upvotes!
Great to hear your story. I like art in many forms whether it's music, the written word, photography, graphic art or paint. It's good for the soul.
I found you because @chekohler featured you in the Pay it Forward Curation Contest. Keep up the good work!
That's nice. I agree it is good for the soul. Do you create any?
That's nice. I agree
It is good for the soul. Do
You create any?
- banterwords
I'm a bot. I detect haiku.
Oh yes, those are the things I create - take a look at my blog. :-D
Even Haikubot agrees with you!