If you love making art then why aren't you doing it?????

FYI - It's time for a pep talk......long post ahead..

So lately I have embraced getting down and dirty.  In the past I have been way too busy to be creative for the sake of it and this year I have made the commitment to change that mindset. I'm at the point where I am happy to pay someone and outsource the mundane stuff for more creative time. 

When I create for the kits (which I love to do) it's really difficult to use all the supplies I would normally use making one off items.  It wouldn't be possible to include things like paints and inks and every little tool I use at it would bump the cost of a kit through the roof.  Nor can I assume that all my customers have all the supplies at home.  Therefore I am limited with what I use, if I use it, it has to be in the kit.  The only exception to this is that I often suggest that I use inks to distress my work and these are all available on site.

Also if I put hundreds of little steps in for each card, it would be really confusing for the end user as well as drive me crazy. 

So these tags have been transformed with a bit of paint and ink and all things yummy.  I know its not my usual style but I am loving the grunginess of it, if that's a word.  It's refreshing to throw all that perfectionism out the window and just create with no rules, or boundries and SO WHAT if there are mistakes who cares it's all part of the process.  I think as creatives we really need to allow ourselves to do that.  Stop having to be so PERFECT.

In these tags I just played and added bits and cut pieces of other tags and papers I had distressed.  I have to thank this lady for inspiring the tag creating thing.  I also am so inspired by Christy Tomlinson.  Addicted to her videos and blog and would love to meet her one day she has an amazing personality on camera I can only assume she is like that in real life.  The way she creates on film cracks me up (in a funny way).  I sometimes think, What are you doing?? but it always looks so amazing in the end.  She is so free and easygoing with such a great attitude to her creating.

I am a lot like her, that messy impatience and never putting things away as I go and just making the biggest mess.   I love to be organised just so my head is clear, but when it comes to creating and being in that space, the mess just doesn't matter.  This is why we must allow for mistakes and failures in our art, to not be scared of picking up a brush or some ink or to stamp on the wrong spot.   Do not wait for that perfect pocket of time where all the stars are aligned and you are inspired.  Where the kids are playing quietly, the house is spotless, dinner is the oven and you are relaxed and well now you allow yourself to create becuase there is nothing else that is urgent.  Tell me how many times has that happened??  Yeh I thought so, if you are anything like me well the simple answer is never.  I can say I am never up to date with everything in my life and if ever I was it wouldn't last long. LOL!!

So the answer is simple, show up, suit up and shut up.  Stop complaining that there is never any time and just get your stuff out and DO IT.  Stay up late, get up early, pencil it into your diary, create the time somewhere and show up and just create.  That is the hardest part of the whole project.  It's like going to the gym, getting there is the hardest part, once you are there you just go through the motions and do your workout.  It's the same with art, its the same with everything in life.  Stop the mind games with yourself, bypass the beliefs that you don't have time, or you are not creative or there are more important things to do.  If creating art makes you happy then why aren't you carving out the time?

JUST DO IT!!!!!!