Sunday 6 June 2010

Creativity boot camp

I found this online 2 week course called Creativity Boot Camp. Its run by Maegan Beishline, link on the left. It looks interesting so I thought I would have a go. You are supposed to chose one medium to work in throughout the course so I have chosen mixed media and thought I would have a go at an Art journal. I have never done a 'proper' one of these before although as a girl I always had a sketch book on the go and still have some of my college sketch books from my fashion design course.
I found an old, hardly used notebook last night and thought I would just start with a bit of doodleing to get the creative juices flowing. Heres what I ended up with.

I am a little rusty in the drawing department but hopefully this course will help me get back into the swing of things. Hard to believe I spent my childhood drawing and painting and now it scares me to put pen to paper in case it doesn't turn out right!


I just have to learn to let go, not worry about producing a work of art, not worrying thats its not perfect, that it doesn't look like what it should be, and just learn to create again. No ones going to see it but me, Im not doing it for anyone else but me so so what if its crap??!!
This is day 1 of the course

The prompt was to write a letter to your future self as if you had already done this course. Tell yourself what you got out of it, how you met and exceeded all of the challenges set and how all your creative dreams have come true. Then you put the letter away and dont read it again for the duration of the course. Also the random word prompt to be incorporated was 'Ivory'.
This stumped me for a bit...I wanted to start the art journal, Im not great at writing and I wasn't supposed to read it again during the course???
So I have just gone my own way with it...see I've learnt something already...theres no right and wrong way!
I wrote my letter on good quality ivory parchment paper then I made an envelope to put it in that I could stick in my art journal. The letter would be put away and I have my first entry in my Journal.
I drew a picture of future me..I so wish!....then I covered it with ivory paint and ink. I used it as a mask to paint around, creating what looks like a door, then stuck the picture above it. Then I stamped and painted swirls with the ivory paint and ink.
Now at this point I would normally be obsessing over whether it met the criteria, had I done it right, is it good enough..but I'm not. I've done it, I'm happy with it, it gave me a couple of hours to myself just to play so day 1 accomplished I'd say!
TFL
Sami x

4 comments:

Carmen said...

Sam you are amazing! I am still sat here stumped by the letter. And you call THAT doodling? Blimey I call it art! You sound exactly like me. Growing up I was never far from my pens and pencils and always had a drawing on the go. Now I don't draw in case I mess it up or can't do it. I remember when I stopped, I remember why I stopped but now that certain influences are not in my life anymore... why haven't I started again?

Ooh - may have to run do my letter now. Thanks Sam, brilliant post.

Paige said...

These are amazing Sam!!!! what a creative weekend you have had :) pleased to see you drawing again and I think an art journal is a FAB idea for your boot camp class.

Paige said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Hi Sam
I love these drawings if i was more arty i would have a go at the boot camp. x