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.

As an artist that fights anxiety every day of my life, posting pieces that, personally, I feel are not worthy of trying to sell is hard for me to do. However, sometimes we need to come out of our comfort zones to grow and develop ourselves further. The original post this is referenced from can be found under Finding My Muse.

Any “practice piece” posted is one I felt was mediocre at best. That does not mean it is not appealing to some. This merely means that I am not overly pleased with the outcome.

This particular piece is an abstract piece painted in 2006 and is acrylic on poster-board. I feel there are many flaws, which is why it is put into the “hall of shame” to rarely see the light of day.

However, I am keeping my promise that for every like of Finding My Muse, I will post a practice piece. Critiques are welcome so long as they are professional in manner. I hope you enjoy “Fantasial.”

“I Don’t Have The Time”

Today’s topic has been on my mind the entire weekend: making time. In today’s world, we are often caught up in day-to-day things and everyday lives. Many of us have said at least once, “I don’t have the time.” There are numerous reasons we as humans forget about the world around us to focus on our own. It can be things such as work, family, or even spending time with friends.

We are often so busy and forget what is important in life. I know I am guilty of this as well. For example, my goal is to post a blog article once a day if possible, or multiple posts to make up for days “missed” for various reasons.

The reason this particular post has been on my mind is due to this particular weekend being very busy, from seeing family, trying to keep a toddler occupied and busy, and even focusing on aspects to finalize getting my freelancing gigs underway. With the weekend so busy, it was very difficult to find time to sit down to breathe, let alone write an article. That is not to say there were not articles and topics bouncing through my head.

There were small moments where there may have been a few minutes to sit and focus on writing, but overall, despite my efforts, the time escaped me. Thankfully I had ideas and topics that stayed with me throughout the weekend, but my own life experiences even beyond this weekend have led me to always appreciate the smallest and the most important things.

Every moment is precious, and we should not squander it. Though there are times where we will not have the time, or we tell ourselves “I don’t have the time” for this or that, the goal is to always try to make time, not just for the necessary things, such as work or making a living, but to also spend time with friends, family, and remember the important things in life. We need to turn the “I don’t have the time” into an “I will make time” statement.

Thus my current article. Things are still chaotic for this weekend, but I am taking the time to at least get one blog article in place, and pen my thoughts and ideas to paper. I cannot be successful if I do not apply myself in all areas of my life.

Despite the busy, chaotic weekend, I have made the time to apply myself to work, and also to focus on family and loved ones. If nothing else comes from my short article, then hopefully at least the concept to love and appreciate all aspects of life, no matter how trivial or important, and use it to always make the time for both the joys and the necessities.