Creative Boot Camp

On Sunday I started Creativity Boot Camp. It's a {free!} two week intensive e-course designed to take your creativity to the next level. The course is designed by Maegan Beishline who has an awesome blog called Life set to Words. In addition to having prompts each day that you express through your choice of artistic medium, there are also journal prompts.

While I have faithfully done my photography {my chosen medium} for the day, I have been a little slow on the completing the journal prompts. We are now on Day 4 and I have just completed Days 1 and 2 journals. Day 1 was a letter to be written to our future selves as if we had already finished the course. I won't post that here {it's just for future me!} but I thought I would post the Day 2's journal...and maybe more in the future, we'll see.

If you would like to see my photographs from each day you can mosey on over to my Flikr and take a peek.

CBC Journal Prompt

Day 2 Prompt:  Do you shy away from calling yourself an artist? If so, what do you think makes someone else an artist and not you? What are some ways that you can start today to outwardly reflect your inner artist? Name three people who you would be comfortable sharing your creative work and projects with.

My response:

"An artist cannot fail; it is a success to be one." ~Charles Horton Cooley

For some reason after I read this quote, I actually felt, for the first time, that I was an artist.  Before I would always think to myself  "I wish I was a photographer, {an artist}" But then I realized something: I don't have to have some fancy-schmancy job as a photo editor or a Cinematographer to be an artist. I don't even have to have a job at all. I will still be an artist. Being an artist isn't characterized by what kind of job, education, or degrees you may have. If you believe in yourself and believe in what you create, that is all that matters. You simply are.

Until recently when I would get complimented on my photography I would always graciously say "thank you." But in my head i would be thinking "Yeah...it may be good and you may like it, but anyone could do it. It's easy." And I would just brush that compliment right off. It's not that I thought people were being insincere, it was that in I didn't even believe in my own artistry.

The truth I have come to realize is that what I was thinking was wrong. Not just anyone can create photographs like I can. And no one sees quite the same thing i do when I look through the lens. Sure, anyone can pick up a camera and stat shooting, but even if there's hundreds of people photographing the exact same thing, none of them will have the same photographs as I do. I have come to believe in not only my art, but in myself. And without even realizing it, I have found this has made me a much stronger photographer as well as a much more confident person in general.

What exactly makes me an artist? Or anyone for that matter? That's hard to put into words. We are artists because we see things in a different way than others. We see inspiration in the world around us and create things are beautiful. Fortunately most of us know a few others that agree with the beauty we have created. But even if no one else thought it was beautiful, we would all still be artists because we created something meaningful {and beautiful} to ourselves. Having others accept your work just an {awesome} added bonus.

As far as three people I would be comfortable sharing my creative works with? Everyone. Even when I didn't truly believe in myself as an artist, I still liked showing off my work. I was/am proud of it. But it was like I was trying to gain approval from the outside world and wait for them to tell me I was an artist. But I have learned it has to come from within myself, I have to believe it. If I don't, why should anyone else?

One person I really enjoy sharing my work with is my big sis, Jessica. She, herself is an artist, in many shapes and forms. Her taste in everything is amazing! I always love what she comes up with. Whether it be how she has decorated her apartment to her awesome business ideas... the list goes on and on. I am always amazed when the 'theme', shall we say, she is into during a certain month blows up into the mainstream a few months later. She always ahead of everything! So when she likes something I have done, it's extra special. Not just because she is my big sis, but because she is a fellow artist with and amazing eye. I hope she considers herself to be an artist because I certainly do.

Outwardly reflecting my inner artist? I think I already do that. In a way, I have turned myself into a living canvas. I am constantly cutting my own hair, as well as changing the color. Today it is red-ish with a big purple streak. Tomorrow, who knows?

Recently i let my body be the canvas for another artist. A tattoo artist. Tattoos are art too, people! They are beautiful and I was so happy to be able to let a great artist create something on my body. Not only does it show off her artistry, but at the same time it let me be creative by coming up with the concept {a pin-up sitting on a 1955 sedan delivery with some hibiscus added in} and it let me show my appreciation for other artists as well. I love it and cannot wait until I can save up the dough to have it filled in.

I am an artist. Are you?

 

Here's one of the photographs that was a result of the word prompt: Picnic

I really like this one because I think it looks like and ad in  magazine or something.  Don't for get to check out my other photos from this prompt and the others over on Flikr. You can also check out the other participants art in the CBC Flikr Group. There really is some great work worth seeing.