Natasha’s Art Candy

This sounds alittle corny perhaps. Natasha, you’ve lost your mind now. I want to discuss the art of making art. Have you as an artist given yourself the ambience and atmosphere that inspires, strengthens, and enlightens your work? Plein Air artists get the beauty and ambience of the outdoors. What about us indoor folks? ;P

Creating art while in a state of stress, clutter, or chaos can be constructive for a few, but for the rest of us, this is a killer of creativity.

Some ways to help you produce excellent work:

- Clean and organize your workspace. Clutter always seems to bog me down, and turn me into an unproductive mode.

- Make a workspace that can be uninterrupted or messed up by others. I tried to work in the same space as my boys’ play area and that just didn’t work out too well. Leggos in my paint just isn’t happenin…

- Put images and objects of inspiration, love, or creativity in your workspace. I personally love to have my boys’ photos around me, pictures of patterns and color combinations to help me create, and great quotes by artists and business people to keep me focused and on track.

- Find ways to reuse old furniture or thrift finds to furnish your workspace. Going to rummage sales, goodwill, or your preferred store to find chairs, tables, and pretty things to decorate your space. Make it your office. If you are fulltime, this should be essential, and IT’S TAX DEDUCTABLE! In my office/workspace, I have chandeliers, mirrors, favorite objects, and my own art hanging around the walls. If my art is good enough for me, then it’s really good. (I only create what I’d want in my home!)

- Frame quotes or favorite sketches you’ve done and place on the walls. I love to put up old sketches and rough draft ideas. It helps me remember good ideas I had in the past, and gives me something to work on for creating other works of art.

Fabulous creatingis about owning that space. Making it yours and making it work for you as a working, successful artist. It can be challenging on a tight budget, but we tend to be creative with what we got. Fabulous creating is about believing in you and your work, in BEING. You are fabulous!