Last week I finally finished the creative experiment that I started way back in November. I got the book Draw Paint Print Like the Great Artists, by Marion Deuchars, for my birthday last year and I decided that I would do every single exercise in the book, and document my progress on Instagram. I thought it would take me 4 months, but it ended up taking 6 1/2. I'm so happy to report that last week I finished the final exercise.
As you may have seen on Instagram, last week I set up a window display at a popular hotel here in Edmonton. It's part of an amazing project called Green Window City, which invited artists to pair up with businesses in a busy shopping and restaurant district. The goal of the project is to reclaim otherwise wasted materials to make art, and to celebrate Pride Week here in Edmonton. Nineteen installations went up last week, and I feel so lucky to have made one of them.
For the very first of my interviews I am so excited to welcome local Edmonton designer Justine Ma to the blog. Our creative lives have criss-crossed each other since we were in the same high school art class and later when we were both vendors at the Royal Bison Craft and Art Fair. Her work is beautiful and charming - I bought one of her onesies for my friend's baby and it is absolutely adorable. Enjoy!
Why do we create? Because it makes us feel good. It relaxes us, or helps us focus, or lets us escape. It gives us a sense of purpose and helps us to create meaning. And if we choose to share what we create, it can help others get to similar positive states. Unfortunately, the creative process doesn't always feel good. Sometimes it can feel downright awful. Here are 6 ways to find your way out of the dark spots.
When I mention her name in conversation, sometimes people don't know who I'm talking about - until I mention that she wrote Eat Pray Love. Though that's her most well known book, she's also written two novels (her newest, The Signature of All Things is brilliant), a biography, another memoir, a collection of short stories, and countless articles and essays. Her books have been best-sellers, she has won numerous awards, and Eat Pray Love was turned into a movie starring Julia Roberts
When I was 11 years old, I started a "Things to do when bored" list. It had suggestions like: write letters, work on alien photo album, put on a show, make puppets, puzzles, skulptures, beads, baking, watercolours, design clothes... etc.Many of the things on that list (which I still have) are things that I would like to spend my time doing now (even 'phone Eryn' is something I wish I did more often), and though I rarely slow down enough to feel bored, I do occasionally get stuck doing the same things over and over again and feel a need for inspiration.
Since I've been practising DSLR photography, I really wanted to bring my camera on our trip to Turkey, Egypt, and the UAE. We were both a bit nervous about having it with us because we'd be very sad if it were lost or stolen, but I figured it was worth the risk. It's not every day that I get to practice taking photos in cities other than my own, never mind on the other side of the world.
One of my favourite parts about travelling is opening up my suitcase when I get home and pulling out all the treasures that I brought home. Gifts for friends, decorations for my home, edible treats and more spill out and remind me of all that I've seen and experienced. Of course, it’s not just physical objects that I bring home but memories, experiences, and plenty of inspiration. In Turkey, Egypt, and the UAE we saw so much and my heart is overflowing with the magic of it all. Here are some of the things I brought home from my trip, both the tangible and the ephemeral.
If you're like me, you've already started to see your New Years resolutions slip away from you. Things aren't going quite the way you imagined they would and you're starting to wonder if you'll ever make it work. I find that I need to remind myself of what I know to be true regularly to keep me on track. Thinking about these things reminds me of how far I've come and gives me confidence to push forward.
