Pep Talk
we all need one once in a while
This video was created over a decade ago, but it still rings true.
Quotes of the Week + a Bonus
I was waiting for something extraordinary to happen but as the years wasted on nothing ever did unless I caused it.
Charles Bukowski
The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.
Mary Oliver
..creativity doesn’t have an expiration date and that continuing a creative practice in any form can bring inner peace and satisfaction.
Ann Newdigate
Oh, you made a difference in my life today! Thank you!
You know what? Yeah, that's what! What you described is how I feel except I found out something about myself: I follow the beat of my own drummer. People always asked me, "So, what kind of art do you do?" I would always reply, "Uh, yeah, I am that guy you call a "utility artist; a little bit of this or that." I spent 30 years or so teaching kids in my town how to find their "Artist Within" through the "Charvet Way" of how artists think. I could go on and on, but lately after retiring I have so much to clean, fix, paint, take care of aging parents I feel so guilty if I take "quiet time" to sit around and "make art." I don't even know if anyone wants my art, but at the end of the day, I sure enjoy playing in my world when I do create. I find my inspiration in found objects; I always ask myself, "Rick what do you think this looks like or could be?" And the best part is while cleaning out my parent's garage, I found old paintings and things I refurbished. Those paintings/prints have been around for 60 years. Oh, the joy I found in understanding the history. I refurbished a Moses Soyer Dancers #114 and loved it. I found an old broken panel of silk Chinese paper dolls only to find out they were the "Eight Immortals." I find things in my yard or repair broken masks (more from my parent's garage) -- turned out to be an African Lega Tribe (Congo) mask -- I reimagined it and mounted it on a piece of old redwood that I used the claw hammer to bang out a textured pattern. I just picked up an old piece of metal that reminded me of a fetal position that looks interesting. In sum, not totally there with my easel and studio, but rather doing "art stuff" at my work bench while I clean the yard. The best thing is I can start something and stare out it for weeks until I make my next move. And I am more into mythical creatures I create rather than reality. Like you said, I thought I had to be like everyone else and at such a higher level. In fact, I just started incorporating paper cache into some projects. For me, mixed media is so much fun. Yes, I am a big weirdo, but I love the fact I inspire others to gain a different perspective on our world. Thank you for this venue to express my art feelings!