Why Do I Create?

Photo: BigStock

Lately I've needed to remind myself again about why I create. I guess it should be obvious to me after all these years... but I still often lose sight of my "WHY?" 

Do I create just to enjoy the process of creating? Do I want my art to be noticed and appreciated by others? Do I want to make money with my art? Do I create because I want to share something that comes from within myself, as a gift to others? Do I create just because it's fun?... or maybe because I'm wired that way and I just need to create?

I guess the answer is probably "all of the above." To be honest, I still often get discouraged and I struggle with my "WHY?" So this is me thinking this whole creativity thing through as I blog.

I came to art kinda late in my life. I wasn't the little kid who played with paints and scissors and colored paper and made all kinds of creative "messes." No, I was the little girl who loved to color inside the lines with a brand new box of 64 Crayola crayons. I filled up coloring books, but I never imagined myself actually drawing my own pictures or painting on canvas. For one thing, I really didn't have a creative model in my family... someone I could watch to see that being a creative person was a valid way of being.. that it was more than OK to be creative just for the JOY of it. 

I discovered art when I was 28 years old and my first son was a little guy. I drew little pictures for him to find in his lunch box when he didn't like going to preschool Lunch Bunch... and it was a total surprise to me just how much I loved drawing those little stick figures! I had no idea that a simple pencil and 3x5 card and some colored markers could be so much fun! So, I kept drawing...

Years passed, and I got better at drawing. Then I got introduced to online art communities on Facebook, Flickr and blogging. Eventually I got inspired to open an Etsy shop and a Zazzle shop. Looking back, the art I created wasn't all that good, but I knew I had found something that was an integral part of who I was. I was a creative person who loved color and imagining things into existence that never had been before. And it was exciting! 

But somewhere along the way, I think I got confused about why I was making art. Lack of views and lack of sales really started to get me down. So I optimized my listings and listened to podcasts that I was sure would give me a leg up in marketing my art. I listened to Etsy experts and redoubled my efforts to make art that people would want. But all I still heard were crickets from both of my shops.

It really felt discouraging! And I asked myself over and over again... What was the point of painting these little canvases with all their happy colors when all that ended up happening was an ever-growing collection of mini canvas art on the shelves in my studio? I was sure that, years from now, my kids were going to need to figure out what in the world to do with all Mom's one-of-a-kind, funky art? 

But, you know what?... I'm really tired of thinking about my art and creativity in this way. So I'm going to try to make some mindset shifts that I hope will get me on a better artsy path. 

* I'm going to stop worrying about whether or not other people like what I create, and I'm going to create what I like anyway.

* I'm going to put my finished artwork in my shops, and then move on to the next project without wondering if someone will buy it or not.

* I'm going to stop checking "likes" and stats, and spend more time sketching and painting.

* I'm going to treat myself to some fun online creative classes that will teach me something new and spark my artsy enthusiasm.

* And I'm going to look for JOY in all I create, knowing that God has "wired" me to be a creative person, and it pleases Him when I use the gift of creativity that He has given me.

**Thank you Lord for creating me the way you have... for making me love working with my hands, for my love of color, for the gift of imagination. Please help me to look to YOU and not to others for approval and validation. Help me to find joy in the things you have made, and in the creative process that has become such an important part of my life. Inspire what I create Lord. I want to please you with all I am and all I do.

Every Day Is Earth Day

"Every Day Is Earth Day"

Just ask my husband and he'll tell you that I'm a devoted recycler! Yes, I've been known to go through our trash and pick out plastic wrap and cardboard that could be sent to the recycling center... and I have no shame about that! Walking our dogs every day, I'm liable to pick up bottles and cans to deposit in the nearest recycling cart. My thinking is always, "If I don't pick this up, then who will?" Just trying to keep our neighborhood beautiful one dog walk at a time!

Not only that, but I'm an unapologetic scavenger and enthusiastic repurposer! "Are you throwing that out?... Hmmmm! How could I reuse that in some creative way?" My brain just seems to be "wired" to see the possibilities in discarded items. Our home is decorated with lots of random finds and hand-me-downs... and I really love the uniqueness and whimsy they add to our environment!

This week is the Bulky Item Pick Up in our neighborhood... the once-a-year chance our city gives us to clear out our attics and basements of "junk" and have the city take it all to the dump. My next door neighbors have used this opportunity to clear out a HUGE amount of unwanted "stuff" left in their home by the previous owner. So we've had a front row view to the ever-growing pile of "stuff" they've brought out to the curb this week.

They say "One man's trash is another man's treasure"... and we've been witness to that this week as many folks have come by to pick through the mountain of random things and happily cart them away for who-knows-what-purpose.

As I watched out our front windows, I spied two older black rocking chairs someone put out at the curb... and I literally SPRINTED across the street to nab them for my front porch. My husband and I hosed them down and dried them off... and now they're looking soooo cute on "This Old House's" large front porch. I'm happy to say I now have a rainy day place to sit outside and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee with a friend!

Are YOU an avid recycler like me???... Please tell me I'm not the only one out there!!


** The painting "Every Day Is Earth Day" was created by me. You can find other whimsical & quirky paintings like this one in my Etsy shop, PholkartStudio!

From Sketch to Painting

About a week ago, I drew this sketch of a boy and his dog, thinking it could be a fun autumn scene... but I only had a vague idea at the time what the background might look like or what colors I might use in the final painting.

After transferring the boy and his dog onto a 5x7 inch canvas panel, I sketched in some trees in the background, and started to paint the sky a bright blue, the leaves on the trees vivid orange & yellow, and the grass two tones of bright green.

It was at this point I suddenly realized that my painting was going to be super colorful!... and I wasn't quite sure how to choose the colors for the 'main characters', the boy and his dog. Hmmm... This would be challenging!

"A Boy's Best Friend"

After a bit of trial and error, this is what I came up with... and I'm happy with the final painting! A bit of a wispy white cloud helps to balance out all that color!... and some outlining with a micron pen gives the painting a little dimension.

I hope you like this little autumn scene of a boy and his dog!... I sure had fun creating it!!  :)

"A Boy's Best Friend" can be found in my Etsy shop, PholkartStudio.

Daily Doodle: Today's Grocery List

Back when I first got interested in art, I had an arty friend who taught a mini-class on handlettering. Her advice to us... practice, practice, and keep on practicing! "Letter your grocery lists!" she told us... and that advice has stayed with me all these years!

So today, when I looked at the chicken scrawl on my hurriedly written list, I decided to have some fun & illustrate my list on a regular old 3x5 card. I had bought a bunch of 3x5's when I last got inspired to try some Daily Doodles (my little practice, "don't take yourself too seriously" sketches). I probably spent an hour this afternoon on this silly drawing... listening to music & just plain havin' fun!

Here's a close-up of my list... slightly wonky & totally spontaneous. Simply great art therapy for a normal Monday afternoon!

My Recent Rx for Creative Block

There's a funny thing about my Creative Blocks... No matter how hard I try to push those big old blocks aside, they just won't budge! And that's just what I found this month as I sat down to update my blog... I was completely at a loss about what to write.

Now normally, my tendency would be to press on, hoping that inspiration would magically reappear. But this time was different...

This time I got busy!

I am NOT at all excited about house cleaning (or cooking either, for that matter!). But since I was getting nowhere with my writing efforts, I jumped into cleaning my studio & "This Old House." It felt good to chase some of the dust bunnies away that had multiplied during the winter months.

My wintertime reading had been James Herriot's book, All Creatures Great and Small. I enjoyed traveling around the English countryside "with him" so much as he cared for the animals & the farm people there, that I immersed myself in his second book All Things Bright and Beautiful ... Nothing like a trip to faraway places (even if only in book form!) to bring new inspiration to me.

And since it's been so pretty outside...

...I've spent extra time enjoying the newness of Spring in our neighborhood. I must say, though I'm not a photographer at all, I've had so much fun capturing pics with my new phone camera as I've walked our lab Winnie on the block each day!

Taking pics has really challenged me to see with fresh eyes... There are interesting things, inspiration & beauty around me everyday!

So... Yet another lesson learned for me about being a creative person... Sometimes it's best to put my project aside for a while & let my creative brain gain some fresh perspective.

Thank you so much Lord for "wiring" me to be a creative person. Please help me to honor You while I allow creativity to grow in me.

Hi, My Name Is Patti And I'm A Pur-fek-shun-ist!

I've been working away at my Zazzle shop for a while now... having lots of fun creating cards, prints, & more from my original artwork. Finally, I decided the time had come for me to order some of my designs so I could see the final products...

The day the mailman delivered my Zazzle Mail I was sooooo excited to see what was inside! And there it was!... a glossy postcard of my "Pumpkins For Sale" illustration. The printing was crisp & clear, the paper was top-notch... I was thrilled with my arty mail!

That is, 'til I realized one thing!... The colors were not an exact match to my original art.

Uh-Oh!!... Enter Patti's Perfectionism! 

For the next two days I plunged myself into research & study, trying my best to understand the language of sRGB & CMYK. Now, as a self-taught artist, most of what I've learned art-wise has been through research, plus LOTS of trial & error!... So at first, my quest for new art knowledge felt like another challenging adventure.

However, that feeling of adventure was soon replaced by the cross-eyed, head-throbbing feeling of bumping my head against something I just couldn't figure out or change, no matter how hard I tried!

Well, to make a very loooooong story short... I decided to "back away from the edge" of my "unreconcilable problem" & get a fresh perspective. I placed the postcard on a tiny easel & took this picture in my sunny kitchen... and then I walked away.

The next day, I felt like the Lord had given me a whole new outlook on my problem...

I realized (once again!) that some things are just plain out of my control. The printing process Zazzle uses allows me to offer my artwork on products in a print-on-demand way. Other printing methods might allow more exact color matching... but the process would be much slower & the products would need to be purchased in bulk at a higher cost.

... Basically, that just wouldn't work for me.

And as I looked with fresh eyes at the photo I'd taken the day before... and at the postcard still propped up on its' easel... I realized it was OK. I could like this version of my artwork just the way it was.

Perfectionists really don't like to settle for less than perfect... But today I'm feeling thankful for learning one more lesson on the road toward embracing "good enough."

Welcome Spring!!

Photo Courtesy Big Stock Photos

I don't know about you... but SPRING could not come quickly enough for me this year!!

Now, I know as a "North Carolina Gal" I really have no room to complain! While the Northeast was being covered repeatedly by snow this winter, we were mostly just cold & soggy, with day after day of gray skies... Nothing multiple layers of warm clothes & an extra pair of wooly socks couldn't cure! Oh!... and LOTS of hot coffee!!   ;)

Truth be told, Wintertime is always challenging for me. Like so many other artists, I struggle with depression... and there's nothing like soaking up some early spring sunshine to lift my spirits! My studio is on the south side of our home... definitely the best place to be year 'round to catch Mother Nature's warm glow when the sun does peek out!

"Kite Flying Lessons"

Back one gray day this past winter, when I was especially yearning for spring, I asked my arty friends on facebook if they could suggest some SPRING Ideas that I could illustrate. I really needed some help in pulling my imagination out of winter's chill & back to warmer weather. And they gifted me with a loooong list of inspiration!... as well as the encouragement that YES!, there would be spring again!

...And that's how "Kite Flying Lessons" was "born"... An itty-bitty piece of artwork that reminded me again of my need for the encouragement of creative friends and the hope of SPRING! 

Unplugged

Recently, my husband & I took a very rainy trip up to see his mom, where she lives on the family farm. I took this picture of the light in our bedroom window... Somehow, the warm light seemed especially inviting on that cold, rainy evening!

In some ways, life at the farm is still untouched by time. Things are the way they always have been... well, not really! But the pace of life is definitely slower & it's not hard at all to feel closer to Mother Nature with all her moods & beauty.

One thing that is definitely missing there... The internet has not found its' way to the farm (nor do I expect it to get there for a very long time!). Even our cell phones struggle to keep from dropping their calls!  ;)

And so, I've come to find that the farm can be the perfect place to snuggle up with a cup of tea, enjoy the quietness, & doodle in my sketchbook without distraction.

Here are some recent "Farm Doodles"... Just having fun with some autumn themes. The "Peace Dove" sketch will no doubt become a Christmas card design in the months to come...

I'm looking forward to watching as these simple sketches become little pieces of colorful art!... It still feels like a magical process to me!  :)

Farm Doodles © Patti Moore