I wonder how often any of us have found it easy to achieve something without hindrance. How often has something gone really smoothly or easily? It’s brilliant when it does happen like that but I’m guessing most of us have experienced the opposite a lot of the time.
I’m also interested in the way art can tell a story without us realising. It is a form of communication that taps into our deepest thoughts and can say things we don’t even know we are thinking or experiencing.
I work with children and young people in a therapeutic setting and what I enjoy seeing most is the way the process of art making can do a number of things. It gives those involved a chance to allow their minds to switch off from the worries and ruminating thoughts they are having which can lead to a place of pure joy and delight. It can also be frustrating but allow the creator to problem solve. Another thing I have noticed is the way the art itself can give expression to something within us that perhaps has no other outlet. It can be an outpouring of things without us realising.
I titled these four artworks ‘Rock’, ‘Jumping Hoops’, ‘Boulders’ and ‘Get the Ball Rolling’, quite a while after making them and the titles came quickly when I looked back at them but at the time I had no real idea what they were saying - or what I was saying - I was just in a flow of creativity. As I looked at them I realised that they tell a bit of a story about my quest to achieve a number of things related to my goals as an artist. Without wanting this to sound like a sob story - it’s not easy being an artist when you also need to contribute to the household income! Many artists, musicians, poets etc have to juggle jobs, families and the practicalities of life as well as fitting in time to hone their craft. Many never make a living from their art but pursue it anyway and many are unable to because there are just too many hindrances. But - creativity will never die because it is an essential part of our humanity. Artificial Intelligence cannot replace it and so it is worth running over those rocks, jumping through those hoops and finding ways around the boulders.
Throughout my adult life I have tried to find ways to make art and get better at it but I also love the teaching and therapeutic work I have done. So I have managed a balance between the two. However, there have been many rocks to climb over, hoops to jump through and boulders in the way…I’m hoping now that I have this website with everything I need in one place that I can make progress with the next stage of my quest! How apt that the first piece of work I sold when making the website live was titled ‘Get the Ball Rolling’