I am grateful for all I have in life. I am thankful for the freedom we have in Canada and the sacrifices our Military members have made in the name of freedom. As a Military wife I know freedom is never simple. The world is a very complicated place with many conflicts going on. On November 11, Remembrance Day in Canada we honour our fallen, currently serving and retired Military members.
In a world with many conflicts going on at any given time, it is essential for me to be thankful for the simple things in life. Art to me is a simple thing in life, one I am very grateful for because without art, I know I would not be the person I am today. My relationship with art and the Canadian Military is how I got my start as a working Artist. It is really all thanks to my husband Billy, co-owner of Bolen’s Survival Inc. who is a retired Military Soldier, he always supported me in my artistic journey and still does.
Many people see art as trivial but not Billy. He has always seen that art is very healing, for me because creating art is how I work through things. Living life to the fullest is what both Billy and I do on a daily basis, which is why I decided to write this latest blog. Like many things in my life, my blog is not something I write regularly. Many things get in the way of me writing my blog, mostly living life!
Often I wish I could do more of the art and tangle challenges but I simply do not have the energy and time. I find that I have to just do what I really want to do and not what is expected of me as an Artist and Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT). Maybe that is just what I think, maybe nobody expects anything of me as an Artist and CZT? In any case, I have decided to do what I want, what I love and to heck with the rest.
After all, living life my way is what I need to do and not do art or other things out of obligation. Does this give you a reason to rethink why you create your art? It seems a lot of other Artists feel pressure or stress to keep up. I am reminding us all as Artists to stop comparing ourselves to what others do, just do what we love!
It is not that I don’t necessarily like all the challenges but for me, it has to you know, challenge me. If I find a certain challenge keeps rehashing the same old patterns or tangles, that is not going to challenge me. Sorry to the die hard tanglers, I am not out to offend anyone. Drawing for me has to be enjoyable plus I love learning new tangles and techniques.
I have been an Artist most of my life and a CZT for nine years. That may not mean anything to anyone else but to me, what it means is that I don’t need a lot of repetition but I need fresh ideas and things to challenge me as an Artist.
That is the main reason I decided to create my own line of tiles to accompany my Art and Zentangle classes. There is so much creativity out in the world but there are a lot of people who are afraid to try any art! My classes and tiles make it easy for anyone to give art a try, not just Zentangle.
I am adding in simple art classes to my offerings because when people first try some art they are hesitant to try for example drawing birds or a self portrait. My personalized simple method of teaching makes it so easy for anyone to give drawing a try, not just Zentangle style drawing.
Whether my class is in person, online on Zoom or on my YouTube channel or in PDF, the instruction is in my unique style of teaching. I do not follow rules in teaching art because I do believe Artists need to trust their intuition when creating from choosing colours to how they draw anything. If someone doesn’t like a particular pattern or tangle I suggest for one of my classes then I encourage them to add in a tangle they love. If someone wants to use colours that are different from the ones I suggest then I fully support that.
That is the difference between my classes. I do not expect you to follow a strict outline, my classes offer suggestions, not strict must do instructions! You are the one who has to love the colours you choose, the composition you create and the passion in your art while creating! Stepping out of your comfort zone in baby steps will ensure enjoyment and a feeling of success with my classes.
Believing in yourself and your art journey is the number one thing you have to do, in my opinion. Honestly, there are so many people who will judge you as an Artist for what you do and what you don’t do. What I have learned is to listen to my heart, intuition and nothing else. If I listen to my heart and intuition, I will always be happy with my art journey and outcome no matter what my art end result is.
Embracing your personal heartfelt art path is the number one reason you should be creating! Finally, be grateful you are able to create because art heals!