Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Tuesday Took-It: "Begin at the Beginning"

This is Week 1 of the "new year" of the 52 Photos Project, an online prompted photo sharing project I became involved with in January. The lovely and talented hostess of the project, Bella Cirovic, posts different weekly prompts as well as shares interesting  interviews with inspiring photographers she knows, admires and meets along the way in this journey.

This week, we
 BEGIN at the BEGINNING
What are you beginning right now?
A garden project?
A photo project?
A new book, new art,
new life in a new home or city?
Capture your beginning, however that may look.
If you aren't beginning, share what you just finished.


I am always beginning something new: I devour weekly stacks of new books from the library, I try a new recipe or food on about a weekly basis, I thrift store shop a lot and find new treasures, clothes and whatnots to incoporate into my life and art, I begin different swaps several times a week, I discover new and interesting local places I either visit or put on my list of places to visit, I often write new poems and of course, I begin planning and incoporating ideas about how I would love for our currently-under-remodeling home to eventually look! Much of what I begin on a daily basis is a new art creation or project, but usually finish within a day or so. But I am seeing this prompt challenge as being more about sharing an image which represents the beginning of a more long-term type project, something with a beginning as well as a definite middle and ultimately, an end!
So here is what I decided to share for this first weeks prompt: Some of you who "follow" me on my 
may already be aware of something huge (to me at least!) which I just began a week ago.
Here is the info I put on my FB page about theself-driven drawing challenge I am calling
"Project *Doll*Face*"
"I am so super swoony over illustrated glam/doll/baby/cutesy faces ala Tamara LaPorte, Natasha May
Jane Davenport Traci Bautista, Suzi Blu,, Kelly Rae Roberts, Effy Wild, ,etc., that I decided to stop being envious and give it a go myself...regarldess of the fact that I have not had a single moment of instruction in facial drawing
 of ANY kind (cutesy or realistic) since probably 4th grade...ie: a helluva long time ago! But I am detrermined to think/get outta that little box of a viewfinder my (beloved) camera has had me stuck in for 30 something years and spread my (tightly folded to protect my fragile ego) wings and just let me creative freak flag fly! So I am embarking on the adventure of PROJECT *DOLL*FACE*-creating A FACE A DAY FOR A YEAR! (by which my pretty girlz will no longer look like a fun house mirror reflection!) No MIND YOU-my desire is NOT to create "normal" real-life faces,
but rather glammy, glitzy, fantasy, fun, sweet, child-like, whimsical personalities!
(and to HAVE FUN while learning how to create something that makes my heart happy!)" 

SO...today is Day 7 of my Project. I wish I were further along so I could have some perspective of comparison (ie: show some improvement, lol!). I am sharing this journey with photos of each days illustration on the above mentioned Facebook page, if you'd like to follow my (hopeful) "advancement of technique", I'd welcome your feedback (and rah-rah's especially!). While this may seem frivilous and whats-the-big deal-ish to some, let me assure you that it is indeed a VERY big dea lto me. I don't draw. Never have and was pretty much resigned to the fact that I never will.  Yet the "dream" wouldn't go away, wouldn't stop whipering, nudging and finally screeching in my head and heart! It can get a little annoying and tiresome to deal with non-stop inner yelling, plus it just seemed plain rude to deny myself the chance to even TRY, right? It is a universal struggle we wage with ourselves, isn't it? This "I wanna do that!/You cannot possibly do that!"  dialog that each of us experiences in some form, about some thing(s) or another. Well, I recently decided, basically, I'm getting too old for that shi*! If I wanna try something, do something, see if I even CAN or CANNOT pull it off, it better be sooner than later. Basically I finally GOT the saying "If not now, when?"Along with my new favorite mantra "WHY NOT?!"
I know little to nothing about the supplies I drool over and hoarde and eventually use almost everyday...but that is usually how I am with everything-I see it, I like it, I wanna do it, so I get the stuff, I stare at it horrified for awhile and then I just shrug and think, well, what's the worst that can happen? I have an eraser and a sense of humor, which are both saving graces in this adventure! I am not a very patient person, I want it YESTERDAY and although I do utilize reams of online information, eventually I get overwhelmed or bored or just too terrified to do anything but GO FOR IT! Writing this blog has opened my eyes to a lot of realizations too, which I have been dealing with for years in showing & sharing my photography and now my words and art. I have always been a people pleaser-I want and care about people liking me, liking what I do, what I say, what I think and what I create, and basically who I am-as an artist & a person...until recently. I realized that a true artist (which I still have trouble identifying myself as) and a true to themsleves authentic person in general, does what they do, says what they say, thinks what they think, makes what they make, and creates what they create, for no one but themselves. From THEIR heart FOR their heart.
Not for anyone elses approval or compensation or enjoyment (although that is a fond hope of mine where my artwork is concerned, but no longer a crucial or even necesssary element ).

SO-long story, well, long (!),  here I am, attempting something , which for me, would seem a laughable endevour...if only it didn't make me so happy to even have gotten to the point of
BEGINNING...


Project *Doll*Face*    Day 7    April 24, 2012

I know I have a long way to go, but I also know already that I have improved and learned a lot since just one week ago. I have not even gotten into specific features such as (obviously!) noses, and shading is a non-existant technique to me thus far, but hey, this is light years from the *ahem* somewhat disfigured looking faces I was drawing just a few weeks ago!  Hey!Will ya look at that!
 I am DRAWING!
I'm a DRAWER! (hee-hee!)
I CAN (sorta) DRAW!

Aren't beginnings exciting?

Happy Me-Laurie Z!




12 comments:

  1. I love where you are beginning. I also like whimsy. We should meet up. I live in Bellingham.

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  2. a lovely beginning.
    thank you for linking up this week :)

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  3. She is lovely ~ what a wonderful beginning ~ thanks, namaste, ^_^

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  4. Look at that cute pic of you! And I love dollface......you're inspiring me to do art :)

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  5. I love the picture, and well done! I am just about to start a drawing e-course, having never really drawn before, it's scary but I am really looking forward to the challenge!

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  6. yes, you are a draw-er! yay for you!
    such a wonderful beginning...

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  7. I love it. You are definetely a draw-er!!
    Great beginning! I'm linking up too. :)

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  8. Great blog! And great drawing!! :) well done! Hurrah from the side-lines :) you go girl zx I also am not so patient and love the motto 'why not' ! I love following my hearts callings and inspiring others to follow theirs.. My newest beginning would probably either be a new song I'm working on.. Or this new blogging thing too!! I have started writing about my musical touring adventures here if you wanna have a looki ;) www.blogspot.prita.co.uk

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  9. Congratulations on being brave!

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  10. just catching up from 52 photos, i love this post, i love your enthusiasm and i love what you DREW!!

    keep talking yourself into it!!!

    we need to talk to ourselves like this more often, don't we.

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