Looking for the Carp

Seize the carp! Or the day! Or the moment! Anything that will help make this life of yours richer, filled with love, and acceptance of yourself. This is my little journey to always be on the look out for that carp, grabbing it, and never letting go. This is the only life we have and it's too short for what ifs and maybe laters!

Sunday 26 October 2014

20th Carp- Rediscovering Creativity

If I would have listened to myself growing up, I would have taken my creative side more seriously in high school and university.

I mean, I knew I always liked to draw, paint and take photos but I just didn't think it would 'get me anywhere' so why pursue it? I can do it for pleasure and that be that.

Why was I so blasé about something that I love so so much? I spent my young adult life pushing away my creativity to work on becoming a professional. Which is really silly because I remember that as a teenager I was asked by families to take portraits for them and I even did a set of head shots for someone going into acting. Couple that with also selling paintings on the side and self teaching art techniques, I really had a lot of opportunities available to me.

This is probably my biggest regret in life. I should have taken myself to New Brunswick School of Craft and Design or another such institution instead of diving right into University. Because what inevitably happened is that I hit a wall. I hit a wall with my photography because the technology was changing and I hadn't kept up with it and I hit a wall with my art. I kept buying and buying more supplies, but I really didn't know what to do with them to create the pieces that I wanted. I needed someone to help me with both of these things.

Since being on maternity leave I have reached out to people who are the 'incredibly talented' in their fields to help me break through this wall that I have come to. A good friend, Sean McGrath has been giving me tips to make my photography better. If you have been living under a rock and don't know about this amazing photographer you can go educate yourself here. I have even been saving up my pennies to be able to take a one on one class with him. So excited! Here are some of my all time favourite portraits of my willing sons that show how far I have come.








Now on to the art side of things. I have recently finished my very first online art class which I had to pay for. Before, I would try to see if I could find things on youtube and free promo classes but this one was just a treat to find an artist that I admired and take a full 8 week class with them. Jane Davenport's Supplies Me class was perfect. (You can check out her wonderful art here. ) The class helped you through every type of medium, what to spend your money on and what you should just avoid altogether. Also it showed you how to play and use with each individual medium together with others and independently. I was in love. And my art supply closet grew and GREW! Now I am currently waiting for pastels that were invented for Pablo Picasso from France. So unbelievably excited to work with those. Here are some pieces from the class that I am particularly proud of. 







For right now, these experiences are helping me keep my creative side alive and challenged daily. I will continue to listen to that side of me as it is so important for my soul. One day, I will get a fine arts degree I am certain but for now, this is wonderful and long overdue. 

What's your carp? 

2 comments:

  1. I wrote a long comment and it disappeared when I logged in. Here was the just of it. You go girl! As a society we forget to nurture or creative self or feel it is only for the "professionals" and deny that we are creative-this is even more heartbreaking when we see it in children, because the see it in us-believing we can't. I truly believe that our creative selves need priority and tending, or we lose ourselves in the everyday. I love seeing the fire in your art and creative acts as you sieze the carp <3

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