Are you a Shadow Artist too?
We are all artists.
Hear me out. We are all creative beings…we see things in shape and color. We can appreciate the melodies of birds singing and waves crashing on the shore.
Some lucky ones were brought up in an environment where art and creativity were fostered and nurtured. However, the majority of us were not given that safe space. We were told that art had no real place in our lives, and was something that only could be enjoyed as a hobby…if even that. For many of us there was no time to invest in art, from an early age we were told that free time should be allotted only to academics and perhaps sports. (Or vice versa)
Now, here we are in our thirties, or older and when overwhelmed with a problem we have no real coping mechanisms, our first response is to reach for a bottle of wine or a mindless scroll through our social media feed as a way to numb our pains and for a quick dopamine fix.
I URGE YOU TO TRY ART INSTEAD.
In the best-selling book “The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity”, Julia Cameron describes Shadow Artists as persons who were not supported in early artistic endeavors by their nuclear family and immediate circle, and as a result they do not know or maybe even believe that they are artists. I see this all the time when visiting friends; their living rooms are styled to perfection, Pinterest-perfect with unique pillows and fantastic gallery-style collections of artwork on their walls, but when complemented they downplay this talent of mixing colors, and textures and fabrics. “Oh…i just figured the cerulean would pop against the ochre”, said one marketing friend sheepishly.
(those are super fancy colors names for blue and golden yellow for those that missed that memo.)
Many of us are shadow artists, we believe that art is something that we can enjoy through observation only, but not by creating it ourselves. We weren’t willing to take that leap of faith and experience the joy in the mystery of creating. The freedom in the unknown. The unknown in us – that which cannot be found by way of a google search.
I have coined another definition of the term Shadow Artist – an artist that finds themselves after a dark period. This is how art re-entered my life. At the end of a broken marriage, when i didn’t have the strength left to shout, or the words left to even begin to explain (again) to my husband or myself.
The first wave of art came to me by way of drawings…I turned a few of them into free coloring pages in a former life of this blog. A few of the ideas even made their way to being my initial concepts for my healing art canvases! The ideas for the drawing came to me randomly as if plucked from the sky, and were very real, very solid concepts (for example a seaplane lifting off from a deserted island, a hammock lazily resting between two palm trees, and an afrocentric mermaid gracefully resting in the waters).
I became very excited by these drawings, it had been the first time i had picked up a pencil and sketched anything not work related in over 15 years. But the joy didn’t last for long as my well quickly dried up within a few months. Later that year, shortly after my ex and I separated and he was no longer living in our apartment. My creative side kicked up again, this time by way of poetry (if it could be called that). Angry, venomous words shot through my mind at all hours of the day, and after a few weeks of suppressing them, i began to let them out.
If you are on the Momma’s Healing email list you may have read some of the poems. I won’t include them here as the purpose right now is to focus on your art journey. The words can be ugly, if ugliness is your truth at the moment. I felt betrayed by my ex-partner, and also at the end of the relationship had felt that I had betrayed myself. I had surrendered to the role of wife and mother, before I had even given myself the chance to completely understand myself.
It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be a haiku. It doesn’t have to rhyme. Heck, it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone other than you! And also importantly…it’s okay to be angry. You don’t have to wear the mask here. You don’t have to fake anything. With art you don’t have to keep up with the Jones’ or the Kardashians…not that you should be putting that pressure on yourself in any aspect of life anyway. You are imperfectly perfect as you are.
Anyway, enough of that. Ladies, you get the point. Art is freeing. Art gives us a space when the words won’t come out. Art heals. Studies show that when we are in an open mind space that we have the best ideas….yes, like in the shower!
Give yourself the time and space to create art and you will be amazed at your results.
There are few things more satisfying than after a long day of being continuously over stimulated from technology, our jobs and our kids than to pick up a pencil or paintbrush and let our minds roam.
Creating art takes me back to a time in the not-so-distant-past to a land before we were all glued to our phones 24/7. Sometimes being in my art zone is the most “non-screen time” I get for the entire day…especially now that I invested in a GoPro camera to capture all my underwater adventures!
Here are my suggestions of what you need in order to get started with art. You are not a Shadow Artist.
1. Start small
I know how tempting it is to run to Michael’s (or Amazon) and throw everything in your cart Supermarket Sweep style. I urge you to follow the K.I.S.S. method – Keep it simple, sis!
I recommend starting with a small sketchbook, the large ones seem like a good idea but the copious amount of white space can be intimidating to new artists who feel they don’t know how to fill an entire page.
A smaller sized book is also great because it allows you to take it with you on the go. My sketchbook practically lives in the bag I carry with me daily. Creating this habit of carrying my sketchbook with me gives me an alternative to scrolling through social media mindlessly as I wait for my son during his afternoon swim lessons. I also find that sketching while waiting keeps me in a happy mind-space. I have been in several situations (dentists’ office, the DMV etc.) where I am now unfazed when told there will be an additional 10 minute wait while many other persons in the waiting area get irritated.
It is such a simple yet beautiful thing because a mind at peace is in connection with God.
I did buy a pack of various types of 4B and HB pencils when I began my creative journey, but I honestly find that I prefer a simple mechanical pencil most of the times. With a mechanical pencil there is no need to worry about sharpening.
2. Have fun
There is enough pressure put on us everyday from society and ourselves. Create art for you, not for instagram likes!
Many times my art time is my reward to myself for making it through another grueling day. Art greets me like an old friend when I am feeling creative and like a sister when I am feeling down and out.
It’s amazing how many times I open my sketchbook in the evening with my mind completely fried and by the end of an impromptu 20 minute sketch session I am in a more pleasant disposition.
I really get brought back to life when I get some good tunes playing as well. One of my favorites is this Smooth & Cool Jazz Reggae Instrumental Collection. It’s an hour long and it never gets old. I enjoy playing it whether I am having art time or working. It really shines when I am doing housework.
3. Create your well
As I mentioned earlier, when art first re-entered my life it came in spurts. I see now that these were not spurts of genius by any means. These spurts were the last resorts of a faucet struggling to deliver the goods.
To create art consistently, you need to create a well. Your well is where you store your inspiration, so that when it is time to create you have ideas that you can pick and choose from.
I use a two part system to keep my inspiration levels up now. The first (smaller) part is a never-ending project list I have started on Pinterest. They are projects that are perfect to do with my 5 year old…so we both get to enjoy the benefits of art healing.
The key thing that works for me is getting outside. I feel I am most inspired to create after a bit of time in my backyard or at the beach. I don’t come inside and create flowers or ocean creatures or anything like that. But I find being in nature so inspiring. It reminds me that there is art all around us…We are all works of art. There is no right or wrong way to create art.
I have found that for me, a trip to the museum or art studio is counter productive for inspiring me to create. I usually leave with Imposter Syndrome more than anything else….but like I said that’s just me…a woman in the middle of healing and juggling…maybe you are way more emotionally balanced than I am. ((shrugs))
That’s it. Those three tips are all you need to get started, but if you are looking for more inspiration you can find it here: