When I was 13 years old, living in South Africa, I had to do an art exam. The theme was to create a poster for a veld (pronounced “felt”) fire, commonly known in Australia as a bush fire.
I sat at my easel frozen.
My classmates stood around me, furiously slopping paint onto the page, and yet, still, I remained frozen.
I couldn’t draw. I had no imagination for it. I painted with words, not with paint.
I ended up smearing red, orange and yellow paint all over the page followed by drawing what was meant to be a black, charred tree, but which in reality looked like a cross between a stick and a blob. It was a mess. I knew it. And my marks reflected it – I got 48%. The lowest mark I had ever received for anything.
Later that year, at Parent/Teachers evening, my parents were asked by my Art Teacher to allow me to drop art if I wished. And I most definitely wished. I was no artist. At all. And she clearly saw no potential. My view of me as artist was sealed.
Yet, art, colour, design, all run in my veins. My brother, sister and father all draw well. I always knew my sister was artistic, but it isn’t until recently that I found out about my dad and brother. This, I admit, came as quite a shock.
I am drawn to art materials like the proverbial moth to a flame.
I used to love those projects at school that required drawing pictures and colouring them in (long before the advent of computers I am afraid). Despite my art ineptitude, I couldn’t help but be drawn to it.
I love art galleries. Once, at the National Gallery of Victoria, I got into trouble for explaining a painting of Salvador Dali’s to a group of people who couldn’t see the two images in the same painting. This was made worse by offering my own interpretation of what I think he was saying. Security came up to me and told me to allow people to “see” the painting for themselves. I felt reasonably chastised, and let’s be honest, an art critic I am not, so I slunk away. However, people did start following me as I continued round, speaking to my husband about what I saw in each painting.
When I had my mental breakdown, one of the things that was recommended was to explore that artistic side of me. I had always shied away from it because, frankly, I truly believed I didn’t have an artistic bone in my body, and secondly, I was afraid of ridicule. I was afraid someone would say “HA! That’s not art. That’s crap!” I think my biggest fear ever is to be discovered as a fraud, that the space I occupy, be it as a writer or anything else, is null and void.
Art does not come naturally to me. Words are my thing. And I do love words. But there is a certain peace I get when I doodle draw and colour in.
I have scaled back enormously on my social media interaction. I was in that place where despite being involved in a few groups, I had never felt more isolated and disconnected. I needed to get off the computer and into living life again. But I didn’t know how, exactly. Online life is very seductive. It draws you in and soon enough you are suffering from a serious case of FOMO (fear of missing out). Honestly, I am still in that place. Even though I have recently experienced some online bullying, and it is very much in my best interest to be offline, I feel the tug of the online life. It’s truly like a drug.
I had to fill that online void with something.
And so, looking at my copious supply of largely unused art materials, I decided to put them to use. I threw out my preconceived notions of what art is, and just let my hand wander across the page.
I recently came across Lori Portka, who is an artist, a beautiful artist, that started life as a teacher, and counsellor, but who surrendered to her latent desire to do art. Her story, and the ethos of her art, really spoke to me.
Through her, I found Hayley Bartholomew of 365Grateful fame, and again, I was touched by her story and those stories that she has on her blog. I was touched by the art of gratitude and what it can achieve. I was touched by how people became transformed out of enormous grief. And by god, I am grieving and I absolutely need a transformation right now.
I knew I had to release my fear. I knew that although I may not be considered an artist in the conventional sense of the word, art was inside of me and whatever it was, it needed to come out of me.
And so I drew, and painted, and created. I let my soul speak.
I allowed myself to see how art can heal the soul.
Yep, it’s a work in progress.
It’s a good question, don’t you think – to ponder about what constitutes art. What is good for you is likely not to be good for me. But does it matter? As long as what we create is authentic and comes from that place within us that can be said to be our true soul, does it really matter?
I hope you make art today. In whatever form brings peace to your soul. I’m going to continue down this path for a while. I like where it’s taking me.
Much love, until next time,
love your work. love the colors. I’m no artist but find sketching very therapeutic and like writing I never know where it comes from and what will come out…
Great post as always Sarah. xx
Thank you very much Tamzen. I am finding this process challenging, but peaceful too. xx
It’s lovely that you’re having a go at art. There’s a cave painting in all of us so don’t ever compare your work to anything! No wrong or right, just right for you at that moment!
For me life is all about balance. If you can find something that fills up the good side of feelings, then it gives the bad side time to drain. D’ya get me?
Keep smiling and I luv ur pics! Xxx
Hey Tania, Thank you for your beautiful comment and yes, I get ya!! Love Sarah xx
I read a book called “creative you” a couple of years ago, about how the MBTI personalities “do” creativity. It was amazing to see that it wasn’t that I’m “not creative”, it’s that my personality type created in a particular way. Once I discovered that, it was ok to create that way (following instructions without any change is the main one)
Hi Cate. I may have to get that book to read, it sounds really interesting. Thank you for stopping by xx
Oh Sarah, I think you may have been mistaken about not having any artistic talents!
You’re a natural. These are so lovely . Keep playing and exploring.
I’m so sorry to hear you’ve had troubles online, boo to those numbskulls.
The “best” art is the stuff we free ourselves to create.
Thank you, Annette, for your beautiful words. I really do appreciate it and it means a lot to me. xx
Wonderful words… I hate that people are so keen to tell you what you’re bad at….
Me too Fiona, I just wish we could all get along 🙂
Oh Sarah so sorry to hear about online bullying. We live in a very judgmental world and some people need to “walk in another’s shoes.”
Everyone deserves to be creative. My drawing is that of a 12 year old (when you look at ,marking “art”) but, I love it. So soothing for mental health too.
Your art is beautiful. Zoe xx
Thank you very much for your lovely kind words Zoe. xx