I’m in a weird place with my art making. I know I want to advance, but I don’t even know where I’m going. I’m okay with that, but I also am impatient to feel the kind of progress I crave. How to feel focused and challenged?
When I find myself floundering, or frustrated, or wanting more satisfaction with my art making, I turn to my tried and true structure: art school curriculum.
My current areas of study include:
- drawing (always on the roster)
- painting (ditto above)
- visual storytelling – illustration + text
- hand lettering
I crave assignments and challenges. So I’ve designed a blend of projects and classes for April, May and June, to give me the kind of focus I need. My Original Impulse work is really busy. I’ve got a large, important project I am working on for the next six months in addition to my coaching, teaching and writing. So it’s necessary to devise boundaries to work on my art.
Sound familiar? Your work life and other obligations will almost always be more pressing than your creative work. You have to carve out time.
My coursework
Koosje Koene teaches art online from her studio in Amsterdam. I recently took Draw it Like it’s Hot – a food drawing class. And I am in the middle of her Character Drawing class.
Hand Lettering course with Sean Wes – I’ve been waiting for this for awhile and am excited to start. I’m doing the Master level class and am so excited to learn more about how to do hand lettering and how to do it on a professional level.
Life Drawing sessions at RedLine Gallery
Projects – Map Making
There are three maps I want to make:
They Draw and Travel and Uppercase map contest – the creative and curious places in my neighborhood. I’m excited to look at a one-mile radius of my home in Denver and map the fun stuff.
My Faves – Boulder and Paris – as part of my Capture the Wow Excursions this year, I want to make maps of my favorite places.
This course of study is as exciting as it is daunting. Wish me luck!
Cynthia,
I hear you! I love to keep learning even if I am not sure where it will lead – I just took a memoir writing workshop and then a Touch Drawing workshop here in NY and it was amazing. I feel so lifted in spirit and my art league is interested in me teaching a Touch Drawing class so I will be studying that even more! Good luck with all your projects and i love your B&W study above. have a good weekend. elizabeth
Elizabeth,
It’s so part of who we are – lifelong learners. I bet every artist and writer shares that. It’s embedded in the work of being a creator. We must keep learning. We must keep our creative edge sharp.
Thank you for sharing your passion with us here and thanks for the well wishes and kind comment about my art! It helps a lot, as you know.
With joy and gratitude, Cynthia
When I get to a challenging point in my photography, I go online and read about my issue. I tend to read stuff over and over again. Each time I learn or understand more.
Thanks for the links. I like when you share your research. I check ’em out knowing they’ve been pre-tried by our fearless trail blazer.
To an Artful Weekend!
Bobbi,
Isn’t it cool that we have so many resources online to help advance us? I love your process and do that too – have a specific challenge and instantly find answers. Such a rich world we inhabit, n’est-ce pas?
I am very happy to share the resources that impact me. I love being called a fearless trail-blazer!
Thank you for your creative gifts and for your generosity.
Once again, HOW do you FIND these cool online courses!!!
I went through each and book marked them in my Workshops file. That’s where I keep all the online courses with good reviews for future consideration.
Thank you for always sharing what you’re doing, inside and outside your art/writing studio.
Oh…if you are not Cynthia and are reading this and are on the fence about her Boulder or Paris excursions: GO! I joined her in 2011 for Paris and it absolutely changed my usage of sketchbooks Forever, in good ways.
PS: No, I am NOT an affiliate for her, LOL.
AM,
I am an insatiable learner and creator, as you know. I think Koosje has been on my radar for awhile because of the food drawing class, but she also came into focus more because she’s co-leading a sketchbook course with Danny Gregory. http://www.sketchbookskool.com I wanted to take that, too, but had to balance the classes I’m already invested in.
Thank you for the unsolicited testimonial about my creativity excursions! It’s an honor to have been part of your creative process. We had fun in Paris, didn’t we!
And, if you want, you can be part of my affiliate program. Just drop me an email if you’re interested. I appreciate your support and kindness. 🙂