I feel like I am in front of a blank canvas and not quite sure where to start. I have a fear that I will try to do or say too much with and get all gaudy and convoluted, then frusterated... or the opposite - it's boring and here I have invested all this time into something that's boring. Does this sound like a fear of taking risks? Funny since I have always been such a risk taker in other areas of my life. How have others dealt with fears of taking risks in their art? Any exercises or affirmations or quotes come to mind?
lisa owens-hoy
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Documenting the third year of the Bead Journal Project. Blog #2
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Read this post by Robin Atkins, BJP founder, for guidelines and tips about getting started and keeping on track during the year!
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About the Bead Journal Project
The brain child of Robin Atkins, the first Bead Journal Project, which began in June of 2007, included 241 women and 1 man who were dedicated and committed to creating 12 bead journal pages, one per month, for a year.
The BJP is all about visual journaling using any media and techniques, providing it includes some beading. We are free to structure our bead journal pages any way we want, as long as all 12 are the same size.
The current years' Bead Journal Project runs from September, 2008 through August, 2009. This blog is a means by which we may support each other in process, techniques and design. Participants (many with links to their personal blogs or websites) are listed below.
Due to the limitations of blogger.com which places a limit of 100 authors per blog, there are three Bead Journal Project blogs this year. Be sure and visit all of them.
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7 comments:
I'm feeling much the same way. I don't know that it's a fear of taking risks as much as discomfort with letting our creativity out of its confines. My current favorite affirmation comes from Dr Seuss...“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” I'm also partial to that scene in Risky Business where the kids says: Every now and then say, "What the f...." "What the ...." gives you freedom. Freedom brings opportunity. Opportunity makes your future.
I'm going to just go with the flow, have some fun, and enjoy the journey. It might take some work and determination but that's what I'm gonna do! lol
Sara
It's only a small piece of fabric and some little glass beads. If you don't like it you can trash it, rip the beads off and start again, set it aside and start a new one or whatever. It is JUST a little piece of fabric and a few beads. Don't let them bully you. No one has to see your efforts unless you want them too but of course, sometimes our own expectations are the BIG problem aren't they? Well tell that side of you that this is just playtime, not work. There is no point to this other than to enjoy yourself, stretch yourself or learn something new. Relax and enjoy how the beads play on the fabric. Hope I am helping and not making things worse for you.
Timaree
My suggestion is to just a bead on the fabric and go from there! This is from someone who named her first piece from last year "Blank Slate" because I couldn't think of anything. But as soon as I put a few beads on, they took over from my inner voice and created a lovely piece. Sometimes we have to get out of our own way to let the art in.
Susan
Oh, I feel that way often, but I just keep going. Sometimes I totally hate what I'm doing. But I trust the beads, and know that they are beautiful in themselves, so the piece will be beautiful, too. I start with one of two beads or a focal something-or-other, and go from there. The piece will grow, and I just keep going till I'm done. I make changes as I go, pulling out sections and replacing them with something that I think works better. But ultimately I have to realize that it will turn out the way it wants to, and anyone looking at it will have no idea which parts I like or don't like, nor will they care. I can only speak for myself here, and this is what I think: All art is a risk, but mostly I'm risking my own critical opinion of what I''m doing. It's hard sometimes, but I have learned I have to set that aside, or at just keep going in spite of it, and just sew the beads to the cloth, no matter how I feel about it. When I'm done, I usually like the results.
Sara, I LOVE the quotes! Thank you. And really these ARE just little beads and stuff. I am still exploring a starting point, size and all that... I guess size is really the only thing I really need to decide on.
I get stuck in there needing to be a "reason" for what I am making, something that can be "articulated" in words. I have a favorite piece of art I bought years ago, a sculpture that to me just resonates with joy and I love this piece. I know the artist didn't determine ahead of time "hmmm I am going to make a piece that reasonates joy to people". She probably just started something and went with it and let it unfold. And the sculptures impact on me is very different than on others.
I truly feel honored in the time you all have taken in responding.
I look forward to hopefully lot's of dialogue about art and beads and stuff.
Namaste, lisa owens-hoy
You might just have your theme..."Resonating with Joy"...and not even realize it!
Thank you so much for writing this post, TBL... You might be surprised at how many of us feel this way part or all of the time. I've been doing bead embroidery for 25 years, authored several books and founded the BJP... but still, sometimes I have your same fears. As the wise BJPers above have said, you just have to push the fears into a locked compartment of your head, and begin. The first year of the BJP, I didn't have a clue about the size I would do until the moment I began. I think I chose 4 x 6 inches because I had a postcard on the table, which I picked up and traced around. No clue yet for this year either. But the day will come when I begin... at that time, something will holler "Me! I want to be your shape!" And that's what it will be. One thing I hang onto for dear life is the word "change"... If something isn't working for me, I change. Whooooeee! You'll be fine! Robin A.
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