Monday, March 26, 2012

Taking it to the next level- The 2nd Floor Challenge

I've been going through a mini creative crisis this year.
It is an increasing challenge to stop all the internal chatter and just create.
There is always the question-who am I making this for?
Usually I'm making something just so it can go up here.
Perhaps that is why my work has so little influence.
It has no unique voice yet.
I made a promise to myself many years ago that when I got older I would write. I would create.
I would take many MANY pictures.
But I got lost along the way.
I decided chasing a corporate career and making money was important.
And I failed.
Spectacularly.

So now I am going back to that original promise and taking my talent seriously.
I am working on developing both my writing and my creative "voice".
I am an artist. Not just a hobbyist.
So when I read Julie Fei Fan Balzer's intro post on the Second Floor challenge.
I felt she was talking to me personally.

I've heard:
- Artists do not take photos of babies and family.
- People who call themselves "artists" are pretentious.
- Artists are too busy creating to run around calling themselves artists.

I let those statements quiet me for a while.
I've been called pretentious so many times I've internalized it and added it to the long list of labels for describing me.
Why is it ok to apply that negative label but not the more open and neutral label of artist?

The first step to any serious endeavor is deciding where you are headed.
You may detour many times along the way (it's fun) but you should have a clear vision of where you are going.
The final destination may change many times but to keep yourself motivated and focused those first few years you have to choose a path and GET TO WORK.

I choose the tools before me- a camera, some paper and some glue.
And I focus on WHAT I KNOW TO BE TRUE- my daughter, myself and my family.

So when I say I'm an artist, I'm thumbing my nose at convention AND taking what I do seriously.
Because I'm done pretending I'm "just a Mom".
I'm done calling what I do a "hobby" because I am so passionate about doing it I want to make it my career.

And so the need for the Second Floor Challenge.
I loved Nathalie Kalbach's Gold Paint post .
Using gold paint is the first challenge and its supposed to make you pause, freak out and think.
I love gold paint, gold glitter, gold thread but I have very little knowledge on how to use them effectively so this was a good chance to flex my creative muscle.

Here is what I came up with:
Toddler scribbles on water color paper painted over with gold paint. I sat on this for a
week. I tried a second page with Crafter's Workshop cloud stencils. I hated both.
So I combined the projects by cutting the clouds out and adding a sewn black border.
This could be more meaningful but for my first try at making something more abstract
 I can live with this. 
The Gauche alchemy punchinella is embedded in some Modge Podge.
The swallow chipboard is from Scrap FX.
I kinda wish I had added more of that black thread trailing from the clouds. 
A step in a long series of steps where the work isn't everything and the process also matters.
But I've never been very good at staying serious for long.


MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle

39 comments:

  1. love the combination of both, the cut out clouds with the black border. love your writing! thanks for joining us!

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  2. Love your card. Great texture! Sounds like you are making headway on your journey! I stopped calling what I do a "hobby" a long time ago. It's now part of who I am. :)

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  3. FANTASTIC post!!!! You are such a talented writer - AND artist! I love that you incorporated your daughter's scribbles in your piece and the pop of red with the messy black stitching is awesome!

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  4. Can i please just say ...OMG you totally cracked me up with that uncute pic!!!! LOVE IT!!!

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    1. :) I can't believe how closely I resemble Flava Fave- it's giving me the willies.

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  5. I love Julie Fei-Fan Balzer -- she's so inspiring! Although I'm not participating, I'm enjoying checking in on the 2nd Floor Challenge. And I love that you are taking credit for being an artist and taking your work seriously. Enjoy the process -- you're off to a great start!

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  6. That's a beautiful card. I know the feeling about the "artist" title and defining ones self. I'm currently dealing with the same thing and I realize something you said "And I focus on WHAT I KNOW TO BE TRUE..." that is a statement within itself to really sit and ponder on. What is the truth... the truth is, I love art, I love documenting, I love creating, I love paper, I love paints... and that is the TRUTH...Great post!
    blessings,
    Shanti
    (oh and I'm working on putting together my scraps for us to chat)

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    1. COOL! Can't wait to see! I try not to get too detailed on the arguments I'm having regarding calling myself "artist" but it seems the biggest push back comes from family- specifically MALE members of my family- so it's a process- they are do me a favor by "making me face reality" and I constantly annoy them by ignoring them completely. :)

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  7. Michelle, I loved reading this and the transition of your going from trying to create to produce versus just creating. I think we all go through that at some point or another and you gave yours voice and put it out there in the open.

    I love you creation that you and your daughter compiled together. You will treasure that in the years to come as she begins to grow older.

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  8. A really thought provoking post. You have given me plenty to think about. And of course I love that you never stay serious for long :)

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    1. Thank you Sian- that is a very high compliment- your posts always make me think.

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  9. Your art is completely inspirational, I love your writing. I think you will most certainly reach your goals because you come back and revisit them again and again and because you MEAN it! Btw, Nathalie left a comment...totally envious!! Love your take on the gold challenge. I started an art journal for mine and totally bombed it..can't even look at it right now b/c it depresses me.

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    1. Miae this is the perfect link party/challenge for you! I think you should join- you have loads of great ideas and talent- would love to see that art journal page. :)

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    2. Yep, I'd read that post by Julie Fei-Fan and was so amazed by how real everything she said was so I decided to follow the challenge "in secret" BUT well maybe I just will officially join and be public about it :) Did that even make any sense?! Anyway, thanks for the encouragement!

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  10. I love it when you write blog posts like this, because they're just so real...!

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  11. Great post! Love to read about the process. Beautiful project. Thank you so much for your lovely comment on mine.

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  12. You are such an inspiration...and totally an artist with your writing and scrapbooking! BTW...you literally made me laugh with your comparison to flava flave!!!

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    1. Blogger makes it crazy hard to get rid of the freaking captcha! I had to hit the little square 5 times before it followed through. I hate those things! They don't protect from spam anyway- my inbox is full of annoying Viagara ads and offers for the British lottery. I don't need Viagara and I am not giving anyone money via the net to STOP ASKING!!! :)

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  14. Your work inspired me! Very cool!

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  15. really cute! love the clouds and the scribbles!

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  16. some happy news for you here http://angsandy.blogspot.com/2012/03/blog-hop-time.html

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  17. I need to take this class! You keep doing what you are doing!

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    1. Hi Patricia! It's a free link party- the purpose is to inspire each other and meet other multi media artists/crafters/creative folks. PLEASE join in! Your take on this would be mind blowing I'm sure!

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    2. I signed up! Will see. I could use a recharge!

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    3. EEEP! So exciting! I just uploaded some stuff to the Flickr group and I'm crossing my fingers.

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  18. loved your post. I relate to it very much and am sitting in almost the same space right now as well.

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  19. This is a great post. Have added you to my Google Reader list

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    1. Thanks Bernice- great to see new faces here- I hope to keep serving up some thoughtful stuff- or funnies- can't be angsty all the time. :)

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  20. Very interesting post!! I can totally relate also but I'm not in a position to take it seriously yet. I hope one day I am and can say these things to myself. I'm bookmarking this for the future me. Good luck on your journey!!

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    1. I think everyone's journey is individual- whatever label you apply (or choose to ignore) in your work is fine- it's what works for you. I don';t think what I'm making is all that ground breaking- or even interesting but it's a step in the right direction- that's what's most important.

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  21. Love your post and your artwork - the Second Floor challenge also struck a chord with me - I struggle so with even calling myself an artist. However - if I "need" to create - then I am an artist. It's not really about creating masterpieces - it's just about listening to that voice inside that drives you to create. That doesn't mean that I don't want the appreciation of others - but I'm not creating to get that. Sorry for the long comment - I'm glad to have found your blog.

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    1. YES! Gina- you just said what I should have said above! We get so caught up in current images of what artists are- they make a certain amount of money- they get recognition for their work- they use unusual materials- we rarely recognize that what we do every day can be art- all you need is INTENT- force of will! Julie Balzer did a FASCINATING post on the MoMA where she pointed out artwork that uses the same techniques she uses but said that perhaps what separates art from "craft" is intellectual content- now THAT is interesting indeed- because I see plenty of paintings that are all just pretty pretty paint but they sell for millions- so the debate is complex indeed.

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  22. Melanie here! I enjoyed this piece, please email me--I have a question about your blog. MelanieLBowen[at]gmail[dot]com

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  23. Amazing post! And amazing job at the challenge! AND GOOD FOR YOU ARTIST WOMAN! ;)

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  24. Michelle, don't ever doubt your artist self... what you made for the challenge is fabulous! I love the stitching and the clouds with the punchenella "rain"...really great stuff! I created a scrapbook layout for the 2nd Floor Challenge using all upcycled products...talk about getting out of your comfort zone!

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  25. Hello Michelle, you did a great job on this card!Love it! Your composition is very dynamic .Please don't doubt about yourself as an artist, all your creations prove you are one and take negative labels for what they are: words , and you are totally free to refuse them.
    Thanks for your nice and interesting comment on my blog, take care.

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Ok peeps lets CHAT! You tell me what you REALLY think and I PROMISE to keep it open minded here.