Today’s card is one of my Zentangle art pieces. It tickles me to no end to say that. My art piece. I’ve never felt like an artist in that sense. I’ve never thought I could create things like this.
I know. I go on and on about my love of Zentangles. Did you know I used to be flat out scared to try to create anything? And that the other night, I began decopaging a box. ME! Decopauging? Decoupaging? Whatever. I just did it.
There are two people who helped me break through that block. One is Joanna Powell Colbert. She does these seasonal practices classes. They are online and you get a weekly lesson that includes art journaling. Now, I still don’t do that. 😀 But I did some and it helped me see that art isn’t contained in a frame. It doesn’t need an easel. It doesn’t require years and years of training.
It can be as simple as gluing a found feather to a page where I write about finding the feather. It can be as easy as putting some of this stuff I had on a box then putting a cut out from a magazine on that. Then brushing on more of the stuff.
Funny that.
I don’t know that I’ve ever done that but Tuesday night, I had a box that I’d been given in a group that I’m working in. We’d been encouraged to cut out pictures and words that meant things to us. The box was to hold them.
I had the box.
I had the words.
Then I picked up my long-neglected craft box where this stuff was. I actually didn’t know if it would work. It was called acrylic matte something or other. I thought it was for making pictures have a matte finish. But it looked like glue so I tried it out.
It worked. I was very pleased with the results. And it felt familiar to me.
That was the most important lesson. I remembered doing this at some time before. I don’t know when but I’ve sat and glued and pasted and collaged before. I will do it again too.
The other person is Leonie Dawson–specifically her Creative Goddess course. It showed me how to have fun.
Because of both of those course, I took a third course last August with Ginny Krauskopf, CZT. She teaches in the greater Austin area including San Antonio and Salado. A little 2 hour class and I started doing Zentangle art pieces.
Me. Arwen. Drawing stuff that other people liked.
Whodathunk it?
So this is my Valentine’s gift to you. You can be as creative as you like. You can produce your own personal masterpieces.
I give you permission.
I am asking you to commit your 180 seconds today to finding joy in something artsy or craftsy. Especially if you think you can’t. Especially if you think your stick figures don’t remotely resemble sticks.
Do it. You have permission to create.
Create as if no one was looking.
Zentangle, 2/12/2013, Stephanie Arwen Lynch
Seek Joy, y’all. Pass it on.
P.S. What card could this be in my Tangled Tarot deck?
