Art from the Heart 1

One of the things I struggle with is finding my artistic voice. Reading that others find this a challenge helps me not feel so lost and alone. My process of training/learning technique is to study the work of those I admire and try to recreate it. There are so many artists that are publishing their work and their methodology in books, magazines, bloggs ... it's amazing how generous artists are with sharing their "trade secrets." (I have a background in business, where information is power and sharing information means sharing power and that is not considered a good thing.)

However, at some point, art must come from within, the expression of something internal. I'm taking art journaling classes online which is helping me move from journaling with words to inclusion of imagery and color as expressive elements. It's still a struggle and I'm comfortable with my morning pages, but I do find myself wondering and experimenting with expression through creative elements.



As I was doing my morning pages today, I realized that my art has taken on several internal themes: heart art, mandala art, houses and village art, gowns/robes for example. Last year, when I began this journey, practically every piece of art had a heart symbol as the focal point, or included somewhere in the piece.

While I experimented with putting paint on paper, collaging paper on painted background, and adding beads and fibers as embellishments, I used heart symbols as the focal point.

I realized this morning that my internal struggle at the time was around the issue of marriage, having decided to get married after being in a relationship for over 20 years. Relationships were at the core of my being during this period, and my art reflected this through the very obvious heart symbol. This reflects my rather linear, analytical, left brain thinking, something that I continue to struggle with.