The Art of Starting Something New
Katie Gebely Studio, Happy Day Beads
As my header on my home page says, “Making and Meandering through a Artful Life,” I am a bit of a meanderer. I think all of us artists are. We tinker and play and bounce around a bit. We love to experiment and try new things.
Even growing up, I played sports, was into cooking, art and piano. A lot of different things and I just couldn’t settle on one. I still can’t.
But you know what? That is ok. That’s just how I work, I just like to dabble.
When it comes to art, it’s no different. From creating art journals, to large and small paintings, line drawings, hand lettering and even a coloring book. A bit of ceramics, writing, photography, sewing and knitting too. I can’t claim that I became a master of any of it, but I sure enjoy the moments of learning and creating - no matter the medium. It’s all a part of why I choose to make art.
But that’s what a creative life is all about, right?
I am learning that different life stages bring about different needs as a maker. The time, the materials and the focus involved has to coordinate with our life happenings. And sometimes, big life changes means altering the way we work. My recent love for painting wood beads, for example, came from the lack of space and privacy in our small Chicago apartment. Once my daughter was able to reach and see things, she became curious and intrusive in my art space. I needed to downsize a bit with my materials and do something with easy set up and cleanup.
I adapted, because that’s what we do.
So I will end with this: Makers - do your thing. Even if it means jumping around a bit. Just because you try new things, doesn’t mean you failed at what you did previously. Instead, you just contributed another artful layer to your life journey.