Good things come in BIG packages!

An enormous padded envelope arrived today filled with one of my favorite things: papers! Laura Lein-Svencner at Lone Crow Collage filled an envelope with a combination of papers, including a bunch she had made herself. I have enough to make a LOT of collages (no pressure now!).

In addition to what you're seeing here (and you're seeing just the tip o' the 'berg), are various tools, materials, suggestions, and a big tutorial packet about making collages -- a seminar in itself.

Aprons one day, collage materials the next, another postcard from Sarah M. from France . . . it doesn't get much better. And now if you'll excuse me, there's obviously some work to be done!

©Carol Leigh

I got mail!

I have a friend in Illinois who so kindly sent me this hand-made journal as a gift. And what a gift! Laura Lein-Svencner is a collage artist and instructor and among the many things she does is make these coptic-stitched journals, using her own collages on the outside and inside covers. This is the one she sent to me, which arrived today. Isn't it cool?

But now, the pressure! I have to have something equally worthy to put on the empty pages inside. Let's see . . . "It was a dark and stormy night . . ."

©Carol Leigh

"The Artist's Way"

My latest work: "Amida Buddha Postcard Collage"
which I just uploaded to Fine Art America this morning.

This book has been on my shelf for at least 11 years now, and I keep vowing to work through it, but I never seem to get past the first chapter or so. It's The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron and it encourages you to accept your artistry and enhance your creativity. It's a tad "woo woo" for me, but this time around I'm giving it a decent go.

Part of Ms. Cameron's philosophy (well, it's a huge part of her philosophy) is to write three pages of what she calls "morning pages," three pages of anything you wish to scribble down. Even if all you're writing is "I don't know what to write. I don't know what to write."

Gotta say, as much as I love writing, I don't relish doing these three pages every morning. But I've done them now every day for more than a month, so I'm proud that I'm hanging in there.

Have there been any big revelations? Any huge breakthroughs? I'm not sure yet. I know that I have gotten some good ideas, but then I always get ideas, whether I'm writing every morning or not. In fact, I have so many ideas that I'll need numerous lifetimes to carry them out.

What I want is clarity, a more solid direction for me and my art. But I get bored going in just one direction. Who wants to spend their life doing just one thing? I blame it on being a Gemini... I cast my fate to the stars -- it's totally out of my hands!

Anyway, just wanted to mention what I'm reading and why. It's fun having all these books around to be picked up at times throughout the day. I read a few pages, nod sagely, make a few notes in my "idea book," and then move on, refreshed.

So I hope I can make it all the way through The Artist's Way this time, even though I find myself complaining, as I write my morning pages, how I could be at the computer or in the studio actually making something right now, rather than sitting on my butt writing, writing, writing . . .

How about you? Anybody else working their way through this book? (I know you have, Laura Lein-Svencner, and I'm enjoying reading your blog where you're talking about it.) And is it putting you in a different space? Is it elevating your artistry, your sense of yourself as an artist? Please say yes, otherwise I'm doomed to harboring 12 weeks of resentment as I grumble my way through this book!

©Carol Leigh

Internet = Despair or Inspiration?

Every morning I read Laura Lein-Svencner's blog (Lone Crow). She's a collage artist and I am happy to have one of her works on my mantel. Here's a link to her website: http://www.lauralein-svencner.com/art.html

She was talking about going online, looking at other artists' works, comparing her work to theirs, and momentarily feeling "less than."

I do this a lot, too. In fact, my morning routine is to get up around 4 or 4:30 and work on my own photomontages, have breakfast later with Chris, and then spend maybe an hour online, reading other artists' blogs as I sip my coffee.

"Wasp Waist" photomontage created this  morning.

I know what Laura means about feeling "less than." There's an incredible array of wonderfully creative art out there, from simple sketches to photographs to quilting to encaustic to collage to oil painting, etc. Sometimes I think, "Who am I kidding? Me? An artist? Look at what this person is creating."

Luckily, most of the time, instead of feeling "less than," I feel inspired. Look at that color palette. Look at the bones of that composition. Look at how she used image transfers. Look at that brayer technique. It's exciting and it's motivational, encouraging me to experiment, to incorporate, to continue creating in different ways.

I relate to Laura's "less than" feelings when I read about everything she does. She teaches classes all the time; she creates and sells calendars; she makes her own journals; she's making video tutorials; and she sells her work at art fairs. I feel "less than" because I don't do much of that at all, but feel maybe I should. (Well, except for doing art shows — did that in southern California and it was brutal — never again.)

But I digress. . . how do YOU use the Internet? Is it a source of inspiration or is it depressing? Do you use it to remain excited, be motivated, to learn/see new things? Or does all this surfing bring you down to an almost paralyzing low? Do you feel there's no point continuing on with your photography when you see others' amazing work?

My neighbor's a reader and we share books. She mentioned the other day that there are so many books out there to read that it's daunting. And my response was thank god there are a lot of books out there to be read because I know that in this lifetime I will never be bored, there will be no end to my enjoyment.

Cruising the Internet, comparing, analyzing, ingesting, studying, admiring — it's all good, and I believe it's good for you. So much creativity in one place — you cannot help but benefit from it. By pushing the "less than" feelings to one side, you make room for inspiration, which in turn makes you a better artist.

This has been a public service announcement . . .

©Carol Leigh