Today I want to discuss the various experiences I have had throughout my life with the various arts, why I feel each one of these is an art form, and where it has taken me in my life. Each of these experiences has shaped who I am today as an artist and writer. I have my favorites, but each of these has held a special place in my heart. I will touch on all of these, but some of them I will go into further details in a separate article, as it will create too long a read for all at once. I will refer back to this original post for each of the subsequent articles.
The first and most obvious is the visual arts. I have always enjoyed drawing even as a child. This is unfortunately a topic that will require a separate post. The passion behind the visual arts will be very clear within an article alone. Nevertheless, I will mention that the love for creating anything aesthetically appealing started in this form. Some of the examples even include creating Starbucks advertising signs with liquid chalk markers on a chalkboard.
The next topic is performing arts. In high school, I did three years of dance in ballet, jazz, and modern dancing. I progressed through the ranks from beginner, through intermediate I, and then finally in intermediate II. I enjoyed this. Not only was I physically fit, but I also got to use myself as an art medium. Some of my visual artwork pieces are inspired by the time I danced. For example, the image here for “Dancers” is based on a photograph of a performance I was in. I am the one in the middle. I need to try to locate the photo this was based on, but it will probably take a lot of digging through old sentimental totes full of things from over the years. Regardless, this mixed medium piece is just one of many examples of how dancing influenced my arts, not just as a subject for paintings and drawings, but also as an art form itself. Though I was far from being advanced or a professional, it was still an art form I cherished greatly. After high school, I stopped dancing. I, unfortunately, could never return to dancing now due to so many injuries. This is an art form that will remain a cherished memory.
In college, I pursued the digital and graphic arts, in particular Web design. I have an associate’s degree as an internet specialist – web design and development profession. Unfortunately, I graduated college in 2009, and the web design industry was rapidly changing. I had a couple of gigs with web design after college, and I have even designed logos on a freelance basis. I have dappled in other forms of digital arts, such as using photoshop or other similar software to paint with a drawing tablet or even used an actual tablet with a specialized pen optimized for older model tablets. Though my experience is limited in the graphic arts, I am very confident in the abilities I do have.
Somewhere after college and web design, I was working in retail and in particular within a bakery in a retail store. It was there I learned not only a love for baking, but also another art form: cake decorating. This was another art form I adored, and still adore to this day. Though numerous injuries prevent me from being able to do baking and cake decorating the way I once could. I have decorated wedding cakes, both for the bride and the groom. I made my own wedding cake and grooms cake for my husband and I. There are numerous instances of this art form I have done. Though I cannot really do it anymore without a significant amount of help, it is still something I try to enjoy from time to time.
Photography is another limited experience art I have only touched on. I enjoy taking photos, and even with a mobile device, in particular my cellphone, I have taken remarkable pictures. One example is the Jellyfish photo. This photo was taken with a simple cellphone. Moreover, the photo was also taken from outside of an aquarium tank. I know and recognize the photo is not perfect by any means, but when one looks the photo over it is not necessarily immediately obvious that the photo is not taken from inside the ocean itself. There are a couple of minor things that are apparent after looking closely, such as a small glare. However, even the glare can be brushed off as small animal particles floating alongside the jellyfish. This is an art form I would like to get more experience in.
Crafts is the next art form. This is a very broad spectrum, but is overall typically categorized as ‘art with a function,’ and it is hard to make a comprehensive list, but I will provide some examples of the types of works I have done. One example included creating a painting on a piece of furniture, clay mosaics, jewelry creation, crochet work, and more. Though I enjoy crafts and DIY projects, it is not my most favorite art form.
The last art form that I have dabbled in would be writing. Writing is something I have also always enjoyed. Though I have never had anything published, some of the works I have done include short stories, poetry, fan fiction, and essays. Writing is another art form I have minimal experience in but would like to further delve into.
