Claiming Your Creativity

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I am currently running on a wave of creative energy. Today I am working on a fairly in-depth project here at Dreaming Dilettante and as a part of that project I wanted to write a bit about how I started to not only make time for my creativity but to claim the time and how that made such a difference for me.

Before I go into claiming my creativity I wanted to share a realization I had. I have never in my life used the word “career” referring to myself and/or my own work. I spoke of jobs and work but never career. The realization was a bit of an eye-opener for me because I realized that I never felt any work I did before (for which I received a paycheck) was a career. They were always place holders for that thing I was eventually going to do. More recently though I didn’t feel I could use the word career because it can’t be that big of thing if you aren’t being paid for it right? If you aren’t receiving a paycheck regularly then it’s not a career or a job right?

So what is it?

When I decided to claim the weekend mornings for my creativity I shared the idea with my husband who thought it was a great idea (he’s kinda awesome). As I was talking about this idea of claiming the weekends I was able to see where my own personal blocks had been in really owning my creative time.

You see, I didn’t think I could make time for my creativity because I wasn’t being paid for it. How could I justify taking time each day just for my art? Now there is probably 3 books worth of delving into why I felt like that but suffice to say I just decided that was all kinda crap and I’m not going to think like that anymore. To help me along the way I was gifted with the realization that before any amazing creative was getting paid anything for their amazing creativity they, well, weren’t getting paid, but they still were being creative.

You have to write a book before you can get an agent and/or a publishing contract. So before any great writer was a published, getting paid great writer they were telling friends and family “sorry I’m writing, can’t.” At least I imagine they did. Or perhaps they squirreled away in the wee hours of the night writing secretly by candlelight.

Either way they made time to do the thing they loved to do simply because they loved to do it.

I realized that even if I never make a penny from all my creative endeavors I still love them. I still want to do them. Elizabeth Gilbert in her book “Big Magic” said she never asked anything from her writing she just showed up. I think that’s beautiful and it made me think of all the things I asked of my writing before I even gave it my full attention. How I begged it to give me a publishing contract so I could get out of that job before I even dedicated daily attention to the act of writing.

I was thinking of selling my art long before I connected with the essence of my art. Long before I really fell in love with making my art.

It was a bit like going on 2 dates with someone and asking for their undying loyalty and devotion when all you had done was have 2 meals with them and decide you kinda liked them.

My creativity deserves so much more than that. It deserves more than my taking time for it, more than me squeezing in a few stolen moments here and there.

It deserves my full devotion. In fact, when you find that thing you love to do. The one you would do whether or not you earned money from it. It’s more than a career or a job even if it pays you boatloads of money. That thing that’s not a career and not a job? It’s purpose. It’s the whole reason your soul hopped aboard this human ride. It deserves claiming.

So I claimed the weekend mornings. On the weekends for 3-4 hours I do my creative thing. I am in my tiny studio space, I light some incense (which really helps set the tone and creative energy) and I sit down and I play. I start with playing never with the intention of finishing anything or making anything. I just play with things that look like fun to play with. My first weekend I made cardboard buttons, air dry clay stars, a wooden 8×8 painting of a girl my son thinks is me, a new journal cover, set up a new journal and began the cover for one of my energy journals. I also slapped down a lot of paint in my sketchbooks and journals and overall just really had a great time.

For me, “taking time” feels like something I am stealing away with. I am taking time out or taking time with-it almost feels like I am pulling from one place and putting it somewhere else. “Claiming” the time feels powerful and strong and like I am declaring this space as my own. It just feels better.

I will be honest, I do hope to one day receive money for the work I do. I would love nothing more than to retire my husband and spend my days making art, sharing art, inspiring others to make and share art and making some money while I’m at it.

For now however I am going to spend some time getting to know my creativity. Take her out on some mini-adventures, maybe some dinners and really get to know who she is without making any demands of her-or myself. Right now we just want to play, get to know each other and have fun.

Here’s to courting our creativity.

Until next time…

-Michele aka The Dreaming Dilettante

What I’m Working on Wednesday

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It was a challenging weekend my creative friends. I am not sure what energy was flowing in and around but I struggled a lot with finding ground. Fortunately I was able to rest, reconnect and read which seems to be my magical potion when I feel overwhelmed, exhausted and just not myself. I didn’t have it in me to create anything until Sunday yet Sunday proved to be a really great day and I worked on lots of fun projects.

The best part was that I reconnected with truth and I’m very grateful for that.

Collage Journal Cover

So what did I work on? I am in the process of creating a Collage Journal. This journal is so much fun already I can’t wait until it has pages in it. It’s also something I have been filming and I am hoping to start sharing some of my process videos with you all really soon.

In addition to the Collage Journal I am making a tutorial on how I make my journals-or as I call them “Dilettante Diaries.” Sometimes we get caught up in the name of something. “Is this an junk journal or an art journal? Is this a glue book or scrapbook?” I just like to make things and I don’t really care much for falling into a recognizable camp. That’s never been my think. Calling it a Dilettante Diary says it’s just like me-whatever it wants to be and whatever I choose to use it for in any given moment. Freedom right?

Dilettante Diary Cover

I also am filming this process and I am going to be offering it as a tutorial here on the site. I’m hoping to have both journals finished this week and then with any luck I can share them with you next week which is really exciting.

One of the reasons I am making these journals is because I am teaching an online Patreon class for the lovely Lisa at The Lollipop Box Club. I have been a subscriber of Lisa’s boxes for years-they are the only creative subscription boxes I get and I absolutely love them! When Lisa launched her Patreon page this year I signed up right away as a supporter and it’s been so much fun. I love the community that’s there so when Lisa asked if I would teach out to make a journal I said yes! In preparation for the class I wanted to make a few journals to show as demos but also to fine tune my process to make it easier for everyone joining in. I really excited (and a little nervous) but I think it’s going to be great. The class is this Thursday and if you are interested in joining. The best part is even if you join after the classes has happened you receive access to all past posts-isn’t that awesome?

I also made a storage box to hold my memory keeping goodies. All the die cuts, stickers etc. that I use when I document photos. Amazon had been using these super cute boxes for a few of my orders and I knew I had to reuse them for storage and it’s come out really sweet-plus it works! If you would like me to share a video on how I made it just comment below and I would be happy to make one.

I finished 2 small embroidery patterns and they came out so cute. I just love buying full kits where it comes with everything you need to make an embroidery. All I have to do is sit down and start.

I also have been working on my air dry clay creations. I made a paint palette (inspired by Pink and Inko on YouTube) along with a pinch vase, a little well to hold water for water coloring, a paint brush rest and finally a pin. I am still painting them up and then I will have to coat them so they can hold water but I’ll be sure to let you know how they come out. And of course if you would like me to make a video on it just comment below!

The last project in the works is a puppet for my son. He loves puppets and with his birthday coming up next month I want to make him this puppet we found online a while back. He loved it and wanted me to make it the same as the sample so I ordered the fleece, the eyes and now I am waiting for one item for the armature but otherwise I can get started. I’m hoping to maybe cut the pattern pieces out this weekend and start stitching it up soon.

So that’s what’s going on with me. It seems like a lot but I assure you I work in bits and pieces as and when the mood arises. I do try to make time daily for creativity as it’s really important to me. I love the act of creating and I often find myself at the craft table.

Wishing you a creative week.

Until Next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Resources:

Embroidery Kits (great for beginners!): I get mine from Penguin & Fish

Pin and Ink YouTube

Puppet Pattern: I purchased this puppet pattern from While She Naps. I made her felt doll pattern a few years ago (A Liam for my son and 2 Emmas for my daughters for Xmas) and they are so cute and a definite favorite!

A note about my resource section: If you have questions about any of my blog posts and you post them in the comments I will do my best to answer your comment as well update the Resource section for everyone.

What Creativity Looks Like

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I have this image in my mind of what creating something looks like.

It’s a very vivid and active image where I am quite focused, creativity and paint just flying out everywhere as the work goes from inspiration to reality before my eyes.

It’s a lovely image.

Often times, however, creativity or rather the act of creating something looks quite different.
It might start with a passing thought. A little idea of, “ooh that could be fun.”
If I am in a position to sit down and run with it then the image described above is a possibility. Usually however the idea just sits inside my mind as I image the making of it.

I might imagine it in watercolors.
No, definitely not watercolors.
I might think about doing it in pencil.
I don’t think pencil will capture the magic I want to express.

Mixed media?
Collage?
Clay?

I might sit down and try out a little something in my sketchbook. I might have a play or a valiant effort at creation. It might work it might not.

I might sit in my chair and just think about the project. Allowing ideas, thoughts, inspiration to flow through until I feel that it is time to actually get down to action.

Creativity can look very different to different people. The most important thing I have learned is to not let an image of what something should look like hinder the experience of what actually is.

Creativity works through me and the energy and joy it brings is something I am grateful for every day. Making space for it daily is my only job. The way it chooses to show up is the mysterious gift that creativity gives me.

Until Next Time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Studio Sunday: Holding Creative Space

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Today I have found myself a bit lacking in energy. I have all these creative ideas swirling in my mind and when I sit down to bring them to fruition-there seems to be a disconnect.

I recorded a 12 minute audio for my other site only to realize it didn’t actually record. I am finding myself bouncing back and forth a bit from one idea to the next and feeling a bit all over the place. Times like this it’s important I think to let go of expectations and to just continue to hold creative space.

What does holding creative space look like to me? For me it means I am still designating time each day to my creativity. It could be just sitting with my new favorite journal and putting some watercolor on paper, it could be doodling, it could be working in my Year of Me Journal. It could be sitting in my creative corner and hoping some creative inspiration finds it’s way to me.

Making space for creativity is sometimes the only thing we can do when we feel a bit off and perhaps a little unmotivated. I find sometimes sitting in my creative corner with a cup of tea and watching some of my favorite creators often inspires me to do some doodling or painting. Even if I’m just starting a background or playing around in my journal.

It seems that when I have some big projects brewing the halt of action always seems to precipitate the actual doing. It’s almost like pulling back one of those little toy cars, you pull back, pull back then hold a moment and….release! They are off like a rocket. Allowing myself the space to let the ideas fall out onto paper (even when they are a fantastical mess) is part of the process. The space that happens prior to the launching.

After I write this post I am going to take just a few moments at least to sit with my journal and paints and work on this project that has been happily bouncing around in my head this week. I would love nothing more than to get this project all done this week, prepped next week and launched the week after yet I remind myself that it is the process of creating that makes me happiest. That it is not the creation that I seek but the journey towards the creation that offers the brightest joy.

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend and that you are looking forward to some wonderful creative time next week. Please consider joining my creative community and share what you are working on this week. I would love to hear about it!

-Until Next Time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

What I’m Working on Wednesday

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Week of March 29, 2021

Hello everyone I hope this post is finding you happily covered in paint (or your choice of creative medium). I thought it would be fun to share with you once a week what I am getting up to in my little creative corner. Some weeks I might include a video but in the interest of just getting on with sharing here on my site I decided to just write a little and include some photos. I do very much love videos and plan on making a lot to share here on the site but today after filming one I wasn’t very happy with I decided to change plan rather than delay the work.

Do you find as a creative that you do that a lot as well? I feel it’s one of the biggest perks of being creative is the ability to look at what you planned to do versus what you actually did and go, “well how do we make this work?”

I am drawn to the eclectic and the whimsical and my favorite art teachers are no exception. I am currently taking a class from Juliette Crane: Whimsical Animals and made a really fun page in my art journal. The colors were inspired by a class Tamara LaPorte did on painting an owl but the shape of the owl I feel was more what I learned in Juliette’s class. I am planning on making more of these little guys along with other woodland animals as I continue through the course and as I find my style within it I am planning some fun collage sheets that I can’t wait to share with you.

I also took a class from Tamara LaPorte called Sacred Trees. I have been seeing an image of a magical forest in my mind and was wondering how to go about creating it. Should it be done in acryllics? Watercolors? Pencil? Mixed Media? Also the biggest challenge is I wanted to include little fairies and couldn’t see how I was going to accomplish that in a way I would be happy with. I was feeling a little unsure and when I saw this class it was just the inspiration I needed to get over the hump. I created the piece from the class then right after created my magical woodland and in the process of creating that scene the way to make the fairies just came to me and I couldn’t be happier!

My finished piece from Tamara LaPorte’s class “Sacred Trees”

Do you find when you are creating you need to take a step back sometimes? I find when I have an idea for something and then I want to make it I usually have to think about it a lot. It reminds me of a quote by Burton Rascoe that said, “…a writer is writing when…staring out the window.” I know that when I sit down to create with no clear idea but just start gluing, painting or doodling I can create without requiring much preparation. However in the instance of the woodland painting I saw it in my mind and those creations take a lot longer for me to bring to fruition usually.

In addition to the painting I also worked on 2 cut out stickers. The artwork is mine and they cut out fine but I didn’t love them on regular sticker paper so I ordered some vinyl sticker sheets. I am hoping to offer a mixture of tangible products as well as digital here on the site and stickers are ones I am really excited about. Well, stickers and washi tape. I love using both and use them almost daily in my Studio Journal. I love a sticker sheet and am planning to make quite a few since I love using them. Plus I like to collect them so it sounds like a lot of fun.

Of course another, obvious, project is this site. I have decided to just get going and to start sharing here without feeling things have to be perfect. To, much like my painting, let the layers add and the process to evolve as it does. In the end it will be amazing.

I hope you are finding time for creativity. Please do comment below I would love to hear from you. Or you can join my creative community. As another aspect of my creative journal I am planning on offering regular crafting tutorials, challenges and lots of creative sharing.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Don’t Discount the Journey

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Welcome! I am so excited to be officially saying my site is live!! Oh she’s a little baby at the moment but soon she will be over-flowing with creativity, fun and inspiration.

I have learned a lot the past 2 months as I have delved into the creative project that is this site. I learned that:

*Too much inspiration can lead to comparison.
*That there is no theme, algorithm or business strategy that will replace putting pen to paper Each. And. Every. Day.
*That I often get lost in the end vision and forget that it takes the daily steps to reach it.
*And, again, nothing replaces sitting down and making art Every. Single. Day.
*That the daily journey, the play and exploration of art is what I love the most.

I read a quote attributed to Dave Grohl (if you don’t like cursing you may want to skip this paragraph) that said “Musicians should go to a garage sale and buy an old fucking drum set and get in their garage and just suck. And get their friends to come in and they’ll suck too. And then they’ll fucking start playing and they’ll have the best time they ever had in their lives and then all of a sudden they’ll become Nirvana. Just a bunch of guys that had some shitty old instruments and they got together and they started playing some noisy ass shit and they became the biggest band in the world. That can happen again!”

So often we look towards the end result. We seek the end game the goal of getting to a certain place where we believe, “yes! That is when I will have arrived.” The truth is there is no end game. No final destination except for the actual final destination. I am reminded over and over to not discount the journey.

The real goal for me is to remind myself daily how much I love to create. To feel the love and passion flow through me as I touch paint to canvas or pen to paper. To some days leave my art table ecstatic with what I have created and wanting to share it with the world. And other days to leave wondering when I forgot how to draw a stick figure.

It’s all good, it’s all perfect and it’s all part of the journey. Everything that happens between birth and the final destination is what matters most. The experiences, the passion we feel when we create (even if that passion is passionate frustration wondering why the stupid paints won’t do what you want them to when they did it just fine yesterday!) are what matters most.

So I will try and remind myself when I am distracted with end product type things (like learning how to turn the art I haven’t yet made into stickers) that perhaps it’s more important to sit down and make something. To enjoy the process again, to not worry so much of what purpose the art will have at the end of it’s journey and to instead, thank it for allowing me to tag along.