"Writing is easy:
all you have to do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forehead."
- Gene Fowler
a blank moleskin journal for your thoughts and visions
Everyone knows the feelings of a "first love" - You begin with a vision of already loving, of yourself being in love and suddenly your every thought becomes consumed with that love til you meet it head on and realize how scary that is. For me, it most certainly began with the love of imagination and the blank page. My first love, a blank journal.
I have quite a collection of these journals with notes, thoughts and plans for my love. It all began when I was a little girl growing up in a large family and feeling that this journal could take me to a private place, a diary of sorts. Each and every time, I face the blank page with a bit of fear yet I am seduced by the potential to imagine and to execute my vision onto paper.
pve design, a "doodle" on a page in my journal
Do you remember learning to drive and the anticipation of the open road and going places.
That is exactly what art feels like to me. The key is my pen or paint brush, the journal is my car and the gas is in my head. I need to fuel my tank by looking out, thinking within and bringing the vision to paper. Then there is a traffic jam, a red light, an accident or some sort of engine failure and I am suddenly stuck or on empty. I forge ahead and soon things come back to me, and that of my first love which is the act of making art.
This applies to each of you, ponder your fears and how to over-come what is stopping you and your great idea, and how to keep driving through the traffic in your head. Do you realize the potential of your first love. The answers you get, depend on the questions you ask. That said, ask yourself, why not start with a blank journal and ask yourself about your first love. Memories will come flooding back and provide you with a map or directions, full of ideas and places and first loves.
13 comments:
You are such an inspiration!!!
cc-
hope you are inspired to create an artful life with what you love.
pve
Lovely. You must here the song First Love from Adele. I love a new journal. All the possibilities. That quote is perfect.
Beautiful... You my friend are not only a very talented artist (I LOVE, LOVE your illustrations they are so free and happy), but a special person to convey what the heart says with just the right words.
Have you ever consider writing a book with your drawings and wisdom of words?
Have a golden day!
in college it was required that all architects keep a sketchbook like this. I always hated that it was required and have since fallen away from even keeping one. This is a habit I really want to start up again - I think that will be my next new years resolution! This past year was to blog daily and thaat worked out!
What's holding me back? Well, it's perfectionism. It's fun to pretend to be Martha for a while--then it get's to be too much. I had a hard time in art classes because I couldn't just "let my pen/brush/etc. go". The solution: life. It won't allow perfectionism. Thank goodness! Another great post. Thanks!
Brilliant!
An excellent encouragement to self-expression through art! Well done, Patricia!
A very lovely post. Blank pages are always so full of possibility, aren't they?
I love this post...It makes me want to start a journal. I have come close in the past...sometimes I feel as if I may be scared of what I would have to say...does that make sense? Once again, I treasure this post...
oh, this quote is wonderful. 'drips of blood' -- couldn't say it better. i completely relate to your deep love of the blank page and that very first 'kiss' of pen to paper. i, however, am often paralyzed by it and have several deliciously new blank journals. i want to scribble and jot but i stare endlessly instead...
Great post Patricia, and I just love the opening quote! Ha!
What a great post. Love the example of the car and driving. The sketch is awesome, too. I agree with Joyce, these tidbits of inspiration along with some pencil drawings would make a lovely book.
I love those journals. I also go for the top-bound ones.
I just write until the ideas flow. Sometimes free association is the only way to get that stuff to come out.
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