I bless them.
But I am not one of them.
I am an ‘Un-popular Girl’.
Always have been.
Always will be.
And I’m totally fine with that.
Part of being an ‘Un-popular Girl’ is that you get to mind your own business
and you can be yourself!
Oh God, please don’t ever look at me like one of them.
More likely,
I am one of You.
I’ve just put more time and effort into my art,
because I had time.
Time is a gift of my life.
I am not a Master or an Expert of anything except being Who I Am Right Now and making what I can make and living my life the way I want to live it.
“A face again”
When your inner critic goes silent,
it’s only because it’s busy looking for someone outside of your-self it can speak through.
;)
And in this world, it WILL find one.
Sometimes, several.
My inner critic used to bother me about drawing the same stuff ALL the time.
But ever since I decided what I wanted to do and why I wanted to do it,
And then, furthermore,
declared that my dreams were worthy and I was worthy of them,
there awoke in me this sassy, back-talk that I now keep in a holster on my hip
(for a fast ‘draw’ - of course),
my head space has been much quieter.
And my accomplishments, greater.
In response to that inner critic who isn’t yet willing to surrender,
here’s a round of reminders.
I like drawing faces.
I just like to do it.
They make me happy.
Nothing else I’ve ever drawn has pleased me as much.
So, I stick with what I enjoy
because my quota for doing things I do not enjoy is all filled up,
thankfully.
Btw, in case you haven’t noticed, inner critic, I also like drawing: houses, suns/moons, amongst other various things.
But, back to the ‘draw’ (so to speak) of the faces,
Perhaps it comes from the deep loneliness I have always felt in life.
Perhaps it is my way of creating a world in which I fit and am accepted and appreciated.
Some people dive into other worlds through reading stories other people write.
It just so happens the stories I dive into are in my own head.
And mostly they come out my hands by way of drawing and painting with some words thrown in
‘cause I almost always have something to say.
I have always wanted to draw.
For me, the ultimate was drawing a well shaded face.
Now I’ve arrived at a place in my journey where I can finally do that in a way that pleases and excites me.
I am 40 years old.
If I cannot do what I want now,
WHEN CAN I?
When I’m dead
or practically dead?
That is unacceptable.
Instead,
I am exploring this drawing that I have dreamed of doing deeply and long-ly
......maybe for the rest of this life.
And I’m okay with that because I do my art for me.
And although I share it with the world,
I do not do it for the world.
But,
I must add,
Laurel Burch draws cats.
And more cats.
And many people know her name
and appreciate her expressions of what makes her happy.
‘Nuff said.
Eh?
What you are seeing me do in these videos is two things all artists should be doing:
Practicing and Exploring.
Nothing more.
I just started art journalling a year or so ago!!
I am such a newbie!!!!
EXPERIENCED in art,
but not an expert.
I have been drawing and painting for a few years,
but decided to begin art journalling simply because I wanted to get better at drawing
and that means practicing drawing
and truly practicing means drawing on an almost daily basis.
I believe in breaks though.
Everyone needs breaks to experience other ways to express themself.
Being a mixed media artist almost demands it!
Naps are also important to the creative process.
Honest. :)
I get my best ideas sometimes while involved in sleep.
That brain is always working.
Even if you’re not actively using it. ;)
Anyways, in the process of practicing drawing,
I fell head over heels in love with Art Journalling!
Creating it from gathered bits and pieces.
The softened, bent edges of the paper after working in it for many days.
Drifting off to sleep while my art journal waited for me on the bedside table.
Waking up and stuffing it into my bag so we could have adventures together.
Seeing 3 or 4 of them stacked on my book shelf, just waiting for me to thumb through their pages, remembering when I drew this or when I painted that.
These books hold dear pieces of me and my life.
OH, what’s not to love??
I also happen to enjoy making videos, so I make videos of me working.
I am fulfilling one desire by using my ‘sharpening’ of another:
I am creating and producing videos of me art journalling.
I share the process I am going through for one reason:
Because I know how it feels to be searching around on the internet looking for something,
ANYTHING,
that could JOLT ME Into Art Action.
I wanted to make stuff so bad!
I wanted to be creative so bad!
I wanted to make stuff I Looooved!
And now that I am IN the Art Action,
I am sharing that energy with those of you who want to receive it,
in hopes that you can use it.
Not as the fast burn of sugary crap that has no real girth behind it,
but as a hearty meal that can sustain you until you receive another JOLT to your Inner Artist.
That future JOLT may not come from me.
But it could,
I know I have lots more JOLTS to share.
I feel like I am only in the beginning of What I Can Do.
(Here’s a secret: You are too.)
But in the end, the truth is this:
None of that really matters because I just like drawing faces - Confound it.
And that’s enough.
I am allowed to draw as many faces as I want to.
So Nayh! (as I stick my tongue out)
how’s that for sass?
So, in conclusion,
I am sorry, inner critic, if it bothers you that I am always drawing faces.
Whether it disappoints you
or makes you feel bored
or whatever negative thing it does to you,
my suggestion is,
why don’t you draw and share on video what you want to see instead of throwing a small stone at me???
Ha!
You wouldn’t dare.
Know why?
Critics are the worse sharers.
They’re always afraid someone is going to say something bad.
Go figure, eh?
So remind me why we ever bother listening to them in the first place?
Oh, 'cause we're silly like that!
~magick~
Meliss
