Day 32 - Oh Art, how I need you...

Implementation of goal--"art for creation and consumption"--begins tomorrow. I am giddy over this one.

I'm thrilled because I love this kind of stuff. I love art. I love creation. I love color, shapes, lines, shadows, paper, paint. But my track record is sporadic. I finished some classes in college; I even briefly named Art my major. That is, until I found out my Creative Writing would cycle me out of college faster. While I tried to combine my two fave loves into one "interdisciplinary" major, the administrative gods wouldn't have it. And so I abandoned my charcoal sticks and camera lenses in the back of my closet.

Over the years, I've dragged out the glue and paint tubes, the canvas and decorative papers. And sure, I've blasted Cat Stevens from the laptop and made a mess out of the kitchen table more than once. Mostly for "presents from the heart" OR when I felt particularly lacking of soul--art proves the quickest way back to myself. I even went through a semi-serious stint of bookbinding and making, where I crafted some supercute journals and accordian books.

But what I've never been is consistent. AND I've never put anything out there. To sell. And I've ALWAYS wanted to. I know this because I'm insanely jealous of anybody else who does. And because when I see indie art on a coffee shop wall, I think to myself 'O why can't I do that?!' I may not be Picasso, but I think I got some talent (and you know my mom thinks so too). And most of all, I simply love the process. Isn't that enough?

My inner Naysayer says, "You need a Career darcy, not a hobby." or "What's the point of crafting pretty little trinkets? If it's not going to make you rich, it's a waste of time. Get a job loser."

Luckily, I already tried all of Naysayer's dubious instructions. And considering the whole "get a career" thing grew progressively lamer and lamer, I simply gave up on the whole darn thing! Now I can do whatever the f*%$ I want. As Janis says, "Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose..."

The concrete goal for my 'year of change' is to make one arty thing a week (anything!) and put it somewhere (anywhere!) with a pricetag attached. It could be etsy (a cool all-things-handmade website), ebay, a coffee shop, an amateur art walk, a website, a boutique store, a booth at an arts and crafts fair. Whatever it is, it just must be done.

So, I've decided to make WHATEVER I WANT every week. And I'm hopinghoping that one day, as I brush through this glorious process, that I'll zero in on a particular artsy thing (i love so much of it--photography, painting, book-making, printmaking). And I'm hopinghopinghoping that I'll be good enough that people will want to purchase my color and shape creations.

My secret little dream is that one day I'll man my very own cutesy little booth at an art fair (hopefully with a family member or friend ;-)!). I'll sit on a lawn chair under a straw hat. I'll smile at passerbys who comb through my artsy goods as they ooh and aah. I'm barefoot, drinking iced green tea in the sunshine. I'll hand out colorful business cards to my new patrons and friends, telling them, "Look for my booth at the neighborhood farmer's market too!"