I started the Art Slam after being inspired by the poetry slam community. I loved how people from different backgrounds come together and share their poetry. So, I figured, why not an Art Slam for people who love creating like I do. This is an exploration in art and journaling. Mixing words and pictures together. Getting out what is in your mind and acceptance of your own creativity. I receive lots of messages about my art journals and instead of telling people to "Just Do It", I will be working right along with those who have always wanted to start their own art journals. All you need to get started is something to journal in or on and a sense of adventure.
1. You can not under any circumstances remove, rip out or accidentally lose a page in your journal. There are no mistakes when you art journal, only inspirations. What you may see as a mistake or not good enough is most likely just the beginning of something big. So keep it...keep it ALL!
2. There is no "falling behind" with your journal. Creativity and inspiration hits people at different times. So, if you do not feel like creating or one of the projects does not inspire you to create, don't worry about it. Move on with your life.
3. You are not allowed to compare your journal to someone else's and talk about how much you suck. You don't suck. Thank God we are all individual and have different ideas. Being a copycat is so boring. Be an individual!
4. Finally, you must have fun. What I love the most about my journals is that allow me to be free. They are a creative santuary. A place for me to experiment, mess up ON PURPOSE and observe life. After all, life is the art and you hold the key to how much you decide to enjoy life.
Finally, the Art Slam blog is all set up. Candidly Speaking and the Art Slam will now be found here. I will continue to offer creative inspiration and hope you will join me in this adventure. Make sure you update your links. I will be posting there from now on. Everything from this blog has been transferred there, so you will not be missing out on anything. My hope is you will find a few things you might not have expected…I love it when that happens!
I’ve been planning to combine this blog with my Candidly Speaking blog for a little while. I am going back to the way my blog used to be where it was all about exploring being creative no matter what medium I used. So, the new blog will be called Art Slam and it will continue on with exploring authentic creativity and exploring ways of doing just that. I am also excited about taking the Guest Slammers to a new level by having more in-depth interviews with the artists. Instead of them contributing a challenge, we will learn more about the person behind the art. I plan to offer some online classes (this will be a new thing for me!) in shooting self-portraits and art journaling. I am really excited about this because it takes me out of my comfort zone and when you choose to do that, you can’t help but grow.
Updates coming soon as I get the new blog closer to my usual funky style.
Seriously, there is some mad talent at the Art Slam Flickr group. I have not posted in a little while because my latest art journal is actually my business plan. I have tried in desperation to do a traditional business plan and it does not work for me. I fouhere nd a great book about using an art journal to get your business plan in order.
Anyways, back to the Flickr group. I saw this page the other day and was struck by the color combination and the textures. This page showed the power of digital. I love it! The colors here are wonderful and the texture is unexpected. This makes a to-do list so much fun.
If you have not joined the Art Slam group, do so. You will find lots of kindred spirits there and plenty of inspiration.
I am so excited to share the art and creations of Rhian Cooksey Quinton with the Slam community. I remember the day I sent an email to Rhi asking if she would be a guest slammer and I anxiously awaited her response. I love the raw nature of her art journaling and how free she is in her creating. She takes messy to a whole new level of cool. I am sure you will enjoy her work as much as I do and love her to pieces after reading her amazing interview.
Why are you an artist and when did you become one?
In terms of my art journaling, I started, quite simply, because I had too. My youngest brother died 4 years ago, in circumstances that have left me with a lot of anger and questions. My journals became places that housed that pain, the questions that nobody can, or will be able to answer, and the questions that deserve answers. Some days I had no words for my pain, so images, pictures, and colour became the only thing possible.
Aside from my journaling I have always loved to create in general. I would make handmade gifts in high school, string sequins on elastic to make little bracelets, write stories about my friends.
I will always consider myself a journaler, an artist? That I’m practicing and working on!
How would you describe your style?
Messy. Really really messy. And I’d like to think experimental – but others may disagree on that 
Can you explain what inspires you?
Trees. Nature in general, which is quite a feat for this city girl. Independent artists, beautiful music (nizlopi), random conversation I overhear, my friends, traveling, and random things like candy floss and bubbles, flickering candles and fireflies, new words and a fabulous book.
What kinds of interests do you have outside of this form of expression?
I like to read. I like cuddles with my puppy. Listening to Mr.Rhi drum. Visiting new places. I like to play the piano and when the weather is good, go for walks in the forest.
How do you keep motivated when things get tough in the studio?
I am not so bothered when I don’t feel like making stuff. Creativity and that need and urge to create something, comes and goes. I don’t stress myself out, or cry out to heavens asking why I don’t want to paint! It’s the natural flow of life.
Plus there is always something else to do, something new to learn, another book to read…
My struggle is usually with how to live an authentic creative life. How can I be creative from my inner most being, rather than just being a person who made something? And what is the difference? It’s something I’m still figuring out!
Maybe if I was in a position of earning an income off of being creative, I would have a different answer
What advice would you give to some just starting to explore their creative side?
Get down on your floor and make a mess. It’s as simple as that. Don’t be concerned about what it looks like, or if it doesn’t come out like you pictured in your head. It’s all trial and error.
There are so many great tutorials, blogs, classes out there in internet land, sure to encourage and inspire you to get into your groove.
The most important thing, I believe, is for you to believe that your story, and your perspective, the thoughts and feelings you put out there on paper are worthwhile. When you get that bit right, it all comes together without the self doubt, or questioning, or comparing yourself to others.
This weekend, my family and I went downtown for the tree lighting ceremony. While shooting the holiday scenes around me, I remembered I had an interesting image from last year of the lights all blurred in my shot. This year, I intentionally looked for opportunities to blur my image and let the lights become the art. My challenge to you is to find the perfect imperfection in your blurry images. Purposely blur your image and see what you come up with. Happy shooting!
I am very excited about sharing the art of Sara Berry on the Art Slam. Sara’s journal pages are among my favorite to look at. She has a way of weaving a message into her pieces that is not always obvious. I realized how amazing her work was when I participated in a Story of My Life ATC exchange where she created a set of cards. I admit I did not want to share her cards with the rest of the group…they were that good. Below is an interview with Sara about her work and what inspires her. Enjoy!
Why are you an artist and when did you become one?
Hmmm, I guess I am an artist because I can’t not be one. I believe that we are all artists in some way. For me, the visual arts have always had a place in my life. I have been drawing from the time I could hold a crayon and I am very fortunate that my family is full of creative and encouraging people. I was very lucky that my parents found a way for me to take formal drawing and painting lessons when I was a kid and as I got older it was just understood that I’d go to college and study some field of art. I started out majoring in Drafting and then moved on to Art History. I finally settled on Photography and received my BFA from the University of Hawai’i. Even if I had never gone to ‘art school’ I still feel like I would have found a way to incorporate creativity into my life wherever I ended up, because really isn’t that what being an artist is all about?
How would you describe your style?
I’d like to say something profound about style here, but, honestly, I don’t really feel like I have a distinct “style”. To me the best art is multi-dimensional and I try to incorporate that into the things I create. My favorite work marries obvious mainstream imagery with personal imagery creating art work that anyone can view and understand but that holds special meaning, a sort of secret meaning, for me. I love almost all mediums but particularly love art that is done with paper and paint and of course, photography.
Can you explain what inspires you?
Everything! There is so much going on in the world today…and in my own world. I have a four-year-old son who doesn’t let a day pass without being 100% in the moment and that certainly has changed my perspective on time and getting things done.
I am also in awe of the connectivity that we as artists share via the internet. There’s no limit to what you can see and learn these days. I can remember going to the library in our little town and pouring over books just wishing that I could find a picture of this or that. Now all one has to do is type a query into the Google search box and whatever you want pops right up on the screen. It is amazing.
I am in love with flickr and blogs, too.
What kinds of interests do you have outside of this form of expression?
I try to run at least 3 times a week. If I can’t go I get sort of fuzzy…like I have one of those little squiggly lines above my head. I have found running to be the best way for me to clear my head and get back to center. I always feel better after I have gone…even if it was a hard run.
I also enjoy reading. It is nice to lose yourself in a book every once and a while!
I also own a small scrapbooking company called Story of My Life. We sell monthly scrapbooking kits and running the company and website definitely fuels my love of personal documentation.
How do you keep motivated when things get tough in the studio?
I keep journals. I have tons of journals that are full of ideas, photos, pages ripped from magazines, napkins…you name it. It was a hard adjustment for me to make once my son was born. I went from being able to just drop whatever I was doing to work on a project to being responsible for this tiny little human. I learned that if an idea presented itself I had better store it somewhere safe and then when I had the time I could break it out. The problem is not inspiration…it is time management! I will say that having time to work is not as much of an issue now that Hunter is older, and especially because he wants to make art of his own, but the all-nighter is a thing of the past!
What advice would you give to some just starting to explore their creative side?
Don’t be intimidated—just go for it. Journals are your friend…you never have to show them to anyone unless you want to and that safety is wonderful for truthful self-expression.
I came upon this site by accident, and I love the idea behind it. I am going to put forth a good effort to create something. To make this easier for myself, I am going to primarily shoot photographs. Here is my first one to start off the challenge.
There are all kinds of things going on in celebration of Digital Scrapbooking Day. One of the projects I participated in was designing my laptop skin.
In celebration of Digital Scrapbooking Day, myTego, a producer of custom skins for all kinds of electronic devices, invites you to participate in a design challenge. If your design is chosen, you’ll win a gift certificate to order your own skins using your design and the opportunity to have your design included in their catalog.
I am in the middle of three projects for the Digital Scrapbooking Magazine and another special project. It is not always easy for me to stay focused when it comes to art. I can’t help myself. One idea flows into another.
I found this little book (and it is tiny) in my basket of mini books the other day and I realized I had not filled the envelopes with any faith messages. When I did the book, I did not know what I wanted to put in it. I only knew that I wanted the book to be full of hope. I am at a point in my life where I am filling up with hope.
This weekend, create a Book of Faith for yourself and fill it with encouraging messages. We all need a little sunshine every now and again, so why not give it to yourself.
How many times have you been on deadline for a project only to have your muses leave you high and dry? No new ideas, sparks of inspiration…NOTHING! Sometimes, it is not enough to look through your favorite magazines or visit your favorite blogs for ideas. You need something completely out of the box to get your ideas flowing.
Recently, I found myself in this situation. Desperately in need of some new or revamped ideas, I went to my art area and started painting backgrounds in my art journal. Mind you, there is nothing in the art journal, because I am blocked, but slapping paint on blank pages gave me the necessary spark I needed to generate a few ideas. That experience started me thinking about some other ways to jump start creativity on demand.
Be an observer of people. I love watching and listening to people. The lunchtime crowd is my favorite. Especially when you catch them on a warm, sunny day. Watching what people wear and how they mix colors together can be rather inspiring and good for a few laughs. I have seen unusual combinations of patterns I would never normally pair together myself. Overheard snippets of conversations can be just the spark you need to start a new project. People watching is very effective if you learn to be a good observer. There is a wealth of creative inspiration just waiting to be found out.
Find inspiration outside of your discipline. While I find a lot of inspiration in the photography, scrapbooking and crafting world, I tend to find the best inspiration in other disciplines. I love food photography because it covers many of my interests. Studying how to light food helps me improve my portrait photography. Analyzing the simplistic styling of a food photo shoot has helped me design my scrapbook pages better. Looking at a fluffy, frosted cupcake inspires me to sew fluffy pin cushions shaped like cupcakes.
Exchange ideas with friends. I like to call this “friendly brainstorming”. The purpose of brainstorming is to generate a bunch of ideas. Why not do something like this with a few friends? Some of my photography buddies will have a brainstorming session at the end of the year to generate new ideas for promoting their businesses the next season. One person’s idea can be the catalyst for your next BIG thing. Remember, if you have an idea and your friend has an idea and you exchange them, you both now have two ideas. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
Kill the excuses. That’s right, knock them out. Excuses are a messed up way to avoid taking action. I have a few of my own I use from time to time…”I don’t have time.”, “I am too busy.”, and my favorite, “I am feeling blocked.” All excuses that distract me from moving forward. Instead of settling on your excuses, do anything that nullifies the excuse. If you are feeling blocked, create anyways. Who says it has to be your best work? Sometimes, the best way out of a block is to work through it. If you are too busy, get organized or delegate to someone else. If you don’t have time (this is a good one for those of us who say we want to work out…), get up earlier or stay up later to get it done.
Acknowledge your hunches. Hunches can lead to some pretty good ideas, but if you are not prepared to record them, you can lose them as fast as they come. Carry a notebook with you at all times and write your hunches down. Those hunches, that seem unimportant at the time, can lead to some amazing ideas.
I hope these ideas help you to jump start your creativity and to get it going when you need it the most. As long as we do not forget we are already creative, creativity will come easily to us.
