Let’s stay in touch! I’ll share tips, ideas, gadgets, and more for artists and the people who love them. (And you’ll be the first to see my new artwork, too!)
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I am in tears. Happy ones. Today I found out that Raindance won an award at the UK Colored Pencil Society’s 19th Annual Open Exhibition. Today the much-awaited CP Treasures 7 was collection was released, and Raindance was one of only 112 pieces selected to be included. And right now it’s on display at the Tsuga Gallery, where it was selected as a featured artwork in a colored pencil exhibition.
And as if that weren’t enough, Artsy Shark has selected Journey to Shangri-La as a featured piece in their call for featured artists.
What an amazing day! It’s like winning the Colored Pencil Super Bowl. And I feel like the world is spraying champagne on me right now. (Or dumping a cooler of Gatorade on my head.)
Call this a message from the universe for you today: Whatever you dream, you can make happen.
Five years ago or so, I never would have dared to think of a day like today. “No way, I would have said. I will never be good enough to win awards or have my artwork featured.”
How wrong I was.
Heck, when I started making colored pencil art, I didn’t know what I was doing. I just noodled around with it because it was fun to do. Then I found other people who made art with colored pencils, and began to feel like part of a tribe.
I always treated art-making like play (and I still do). Whatever my inner eight-year-old wants to do with those pencils, she gets to do. No rules or have-tos.
And that’s why I wanted to share this with you today. Because I truly, down-to-my-bones believe that what happened for me today could happen for you.
I can’t tell this to myself five years ago, but I can tell you: The only thing that is holding you back is not trying.
And yeah, you may not succeed right away. But please don’t let that stop you. If you are doing something you love, whether it’s art or writing or hair cutting or car repair, do it because you love it.
Let the love be enough, at least at first. Success will come.
I wish you the magic of realizing your dreams.
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What does getting back to your roots mean to you? What something from years ago have you stopped doing, or put on hold, or shoved down because it felt frivolous or indulgent or less important?
Let’s drill down….
When I was a kid, I loved to draw more than anything else. A pencil, eraser, and stack of typing paper were prized possessions. I spent countless hours drawing cartoon characters.
Then, gradually, adulting happened.
I got a little older and started to notice the things other young artists were drawing: portraits and realistic drawings. Realistic was never my style, but it seemed way more serious and masterly than my little characters. Then an art teacher took me to task for holding the pencil “the wrong way.” So, feeling defeated and inept, I lost my passion for drawing.
Many years and stories later, the medium of colored pencil rekindled my desire to make art. My subjects all wanted to be dressed in bright colors and have outlines, just like cartoons, but I decided that was okay. I embraced this graphic style of making art with colored pencils and it works for me.
But now: a new turning. I recently took a daylong character development class with masterful illustrator, Jan Fagan. Spending a few hours creating characters with others cracked open a door, and magic happened: the cartooning mojo is coming back and I’m having more fun with art than I’ve had in a long time. I sense my art may be heading back to its roots. I’m open to the idea, and I’m excited to see where this adventure takes me.
Now let’s get back to you…
Without a doubt, there is some small or large thing you never do that makes your heart sing. Maybe it’s tucked so far back you have forgotten about it.
What do you feel like were you born to do?
What would you do if money and time were no option?
Could it be time to revisit it?
I invite you to relax and think about this. Try not to rush it. Take some time, and see what bubbles up for you.
You are the pilot of your life’s adventure. Remove the chocks from under your wheels, throttle up, and let yourself head for the runway. Once you do, amazing things are bound to happen. Your excitement will create energy, and energy makes things happen. Ideas will come, opportunities will appear, and before you know it, you’ll be flying.
I’ll see you up above the clouds!
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