Apart from 2013 being the year without sugar (argh!) I want this year to be one of personal and artistic growth for me. I play pretty safe creating away in my little studio only showing my art to friends and family but I want to push myself artistically and thus put it out there {here in cyberspace for anyone to see}. I hope that this place can be one of inspiration not just for myself but for others as well - assuming someone happens to find my little blog!
I have always had a love of paper and stationery, hoarding pretty paper and coloured pens for as long as I can remember but years ago I wouldn't have said that I was creative at all. A sad story whereby an art teacher at school told me I was wasting my time in the art room. I come from a family that has many artists in past generations but I shut that side down in me. When I went to university I was studying to be a primary teacher and I had to do the compulsory art unit which I wasn't looking forward to at all as I truly had no confidence in this area (not like music where I knew I stank!). But as the unit progressed I came to realise that I wasn't as bad as my high school teacher had lead me to believe (this also became a good lesson for me as a teacher to watch how I mentor children). It wasn't until some fifteen years later when kicking and screaming, heels dragging I grudgingly went to my first scrapbooking party - it was love at first stick! The rest they say is history, I have come to realise I am very creative (even had personality typing at work highlighting this fact) and love to spend as much of my waking time as possible engaged is some creative pursuit or another whether it be scrapbooking, card making, mixed media or photography, if I'm not doing this then I am more than likely reading.
My downfall is that I am a perfectionist and don't like to do something unless I know I can be good at it, thus at times I put myself under a lot of pressure wanting everything I do to be perfect. Having said that I love the fact that with scrapbooking and mixed media work that when I do stuff up (which I do often!) it just becomes another space where I can layer some more. With my photography it is a bit harder to do this and I can nearly make myself ill when I am taking photos for others. I have had some paid work photographing weddings and families but I am unsure whether to take it further or stay in my safe world of teaching where I know I do a great job.
Just be thankful this isn't me live because once I start talking I am hard to stop! I do love teaching and have been a classroom teacher for over 20 years now. I used to to teach scrapbooking and I love it. So one of my goals this year is to start making videos where I can instruct but we will see what happens there. Currently I am on the design team for
Made With Memories, my local scrapbook store, and I love making samples for Anne Marie and the shop.
I'll finish off with some samples of my work and check back in later in the week.
Please respect that these are my own creations and can be used for inspiration and acknowledge me if used. Thanks.
