Goal 26 Accomplished: Take an Art Class

Art Class. A/k/a: Embracing Failure!



I walk across the Mall after work before each class. A good reminder of where I live!

I don't want to over state it, but it feels like reconnecting with my soul. With my inner child in the best way. I'm saying that despite feeling truly, deeply terrible at art.


Mixed Media is one of those rare worlds where perfectionists can let go. Or more like, have to let go. Where there's not really a wrong. Even if something is ugly, or terrible - it can be art. So there's no way to fail. It's a weird, uncomfortable concept - but so liberating at the same time.


I'm sitting next to people doing beautiful/museum level work. There are multiple professional artists in the class that just wanted experience in a different medium or wanted a way back to art after an absence. There's no way I can operate at their level, so there's almost nothing to do, but do what I can!




The Class.


There were about 12 of us in the class - ended with about 7 of us. Its down deep in the belly of one of the Smithsonian buildings. It's actually really fun - there's a side pavilion that we enter through and then climb down and down through a spiral staircase to the lowest level. At the bottom there is a hidden world of art classes. On Wednesday evenings, our class and others meet in these small classrooms. There's a drawing class, and a flower arranging class, for sure.





Week 1

Accordion booklet night. We were given long black construction paper, and a couple buckets of goodies to play with.


This is one of those times where the journey, not the destination, is what counts. I know that, and yet I feel more comfortable posting my work here because you can't see the other work that was produced in this class! The class art was amazing. Let me assure you it made me feel like an elementary kid in a college level class.

An accordion booklet was our first project.

The teacher came over during the first class and said, "Oh, I like the sequins" because there was nothing else to say after seeing all the other masterpieces. But you know what?  I loved it. The process, if not the result. It was freeing and calming.
Side note: Not sure the instructor ever had anything nice to say about my work. She gushed over other people's art. Other people really liked mine. But she was always seemed confused about my presence and my work. Oh well!


After a week of not seeing this, it seemed less like the Total Disaster I had remembered.



It reminded me of when I was in preschool. We used to play with shaving cream and draw and draw and then wipe away. It felt like that. it didn't matter what you did, it just mattered that you did something. Lesson one: embracing failure. Or really: Lesson one: There is no failure. It's not failure when you create; it's experience. At the very least, it's experimenting.

Week 2

I still feel very much that my creativity is at a different stage of unraveling than others' in the class, but I'm more content with week 2's end results!


Week two was a transparency project. We did the textured paint on one side and then did solid paint on the other side. (I should have taken a photo when it was still clear in the background, but my phone was put away for class!)

The background/backside. Acrylics on transparency.

Acrylics on transparency - used a textured tile, film strip, leaf, baby bok choy, and lace.

Side project of the day (strongly encouraged) on tar paper, oil pastels, and acrylics with a baby bok choy!

Weeks 3

Week 4: Jelly Plates!

My favorite week.

 the instructor made these "plates" made of gelatin - and we added paint, rolled it out - then added texture with random objections and printed it on paper - or transparencies, tar paper, whatever. Loved it. Fast and fun.

Weeks 5-7

We started doing less project based work - and just doing what we wanted.

There was another girl in the class (I think we were the youngest two, other than the class volunteer)- and we were probably the slowest. At everything. We were slowest to understand the lessons, start a project each time. So when we had to work on our own thing - I was so relieved that she uncontrollably asked in a fairly high pitched tone - "WHAT?! What do you mean?" "There's no assignment?"

Because of course that's what I felt. The creativity panic riding in on a wave. My mind usually goes completely blank and I have the equivalent of writer's block.

But thankfully, I'd already started a couple things - at the instructor's encouragement to have side projects every class. I finally had enough stuff to start putting things together. Phew! It was so satisfying. It felt like all the elements we'd been working on, all the art skills that felt a little silly - came together. Amazing.

The sheer amount of creativity pouring out of some of my classmates was breathtaking. The speed at which they created and developed things was astounding to me. But by the end of the class, I realized that (a) I tend to take the slow approach to new things and (b) many of them have not only been tapped into their creative juices for a long time, but they have more practice and experience. It was certainly easier by the end of class to come up with ideas then it was in the beginning. And that was true for my fellow reluctant art class participant as well.


Week 8: Encaustics
My other favorite week. This was working with a kind of wax to build layers - there's special paint that goes with it, and I have to say - in my dream art studio in my dream home - I am determined to have an encaustics space. I loved it so much.

I like this plain, early version better - without paint. but this was about learning!

In Conclusion: 

This was one of the most deeply satisfying 40 Before 40 goals accomplished to date. I feel like I broke down fears and barriers and gained skills, and had a new, unforgettable experience.

I'm seriously thinking about taking a drawing class or another art class of some kind soon. Sooner than later, I hope!





Life Lessons:
Let go of the fear of failure
Embrace experimentation - just try something!
Expression can be more fulfilling when you do it without words

Classic 16 of 40: The Little Prince

Why the Little Prince?

I first bought a copy of this book in French, back when I was studying in France. It came sealed with a cassette tape! And I never unsealed it. It must be in my mom's attic at this point. Which means, it's gone unread for ... 15 years. Woops. Such a little book. It's everywhere in France, little references - shops sell postcards with the art and quotes. I'm finally in on it!

Thoughts on the book:

This little book about a little prince and an aviator was lovely. It was short and playful. It made fun of seriousness and adulating in a big way, but also questioned some big life issues: what does it mean to own something? what does it mean to be a ruler or be ruled? what is love? it even seemed to tiptoe into some meaning of life questions. Some big topics for a tiny book with a tiny protagonist.

The plot existed - with a beginning, middle, and end - to be sure, but meandered here and there a long the way.

It's so little - and such a fun ride, I don't really want to give anything away if you haven't read it! I will say this - this is one of those books that you recall as time goes by. As in, "This is just like what happened in The Little Prince" - loss, grief, tyranny. It keeps popping up and feeling relevant to a surprising degree.

I was surprised that the author died so young. I hadn't realized that. Apparently he was a French pilot (travelling to Africa, which makes sense given the book takes place in Africa), and during the war escaped to the US where he wrote this and another book or two. But then went back to fight and went missing in action.

Recommended for:

All ages - parents & school kids might have fun with this together. Anyone else - feeling a little lost in the world and wanting a quick perspective check.




Added note:
A friend recommended that I watch the movie the Little Prince on Netflix - and I definitely recommend it. I don't think you need to read the book first - it references the book and uses it as a jumping off point. The book is reinterpreted into our modern world.