So. I'm going to share a lot about my artwork and job and grief here. Because that's what I've been living through for the past year and a half so that's what I know to write about. It's a wonky crooked path that has brought me all over the emotional map. Sorry ahead of time. What I want to do mostly, is make connections with how creating artwork has helped me through my grief. So has making and playing with slime, but I'll get to that later. Here goes.
Before my mother got sick and life flipped on it's head, my own personal art production had diminished as a result of major changes with my job. The pace of teaching affected my energy and motivation as had the natural changes that come along with age. And since my job was my life, it had an effect on just about everything. As I look back at the pace I kept I am realizing how I created and instead of having a practice I had an assembly line. I was churning out work that was informed by research for my job. It was a synchronous relationship and it worked really well. Until it didn't. This feedback loop that a lot of teachers thrive on was interrupted by extra non-creative stuff that pulled on the amount of bandwidth I had. It was a change I didn't see coming and resented fully upon arrival! Yeah, I don't handle change well.
Cut to today. I had the 100 Day Project on my radar along with many, many other projects, classes, workshops and FB groups all of which were well intended to restart my creativity. I am really good at collecting (read:hoard) resources. Just not so great at choosing and sticking to one. I did know that I was struggling with how to create again and tap into any energy that inspired me. Work was draining & I had difficulty taking photographs for a while after losing my mom. It was too close. I am dipping a toe back into my photography slowly...but what until then? How could I communicate all that I was feeling, which was a lot. I'm not an illustrator or a traditional painter. My computer skills are rusty as I fumble through Illustrator after not teaching it for years. But I do draw, I layer, I glue. I mix things around and don't care about the mess. I love order amid chaos and the nuance texture creates. So, I have finally embraced that I am a Mixed Media Artist. I integrate my photography in every piece I do but I am not limited to just photography. And it feels so good. So this project really, it found me. I am posting here the 1st 25 images that I've completed as they were photographed with my iphone right after completion. Fresh off the press. I hope that you enjoy my sharing of this process as I plan to post individual pieces that have particular meaning. I've taken notes most days about what I've discovered that I can't wait to share with you. It's amazing to be in this place creatively, FINALLY!!! I'm learning a language that only I speak and it's taking my breath away. Thank for joining the class! Cheers, friends~