A while back, Red Coat Studio asked me to guest post for them. They asked me how living abroad has changed my art work. It took me quite some time to figure out the post for them. But I think what I came up with was pretty good, and I wanted to share it with you!Tamara and James are the great bloggers and artists over at Red Coat Studio and they have been blogging since Dec. 2012. They're just now really getting their feet in the door of blogging, and you should totally go check them out!
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Tamara and James asked me, "How did/does living in a new country affect your artwork?".
They asked me a while ago, but... It just took me a long time to think about, and decide how on earth DID it really affect me and my artistic abilities? Or did it? Right now, I still don't know. What I do know is, every time we move somewhere... I feel like a different person. Someone who has to recreate themselves and the way that they turn to their artwork.
When I moved to Korea, I went through a long period of when I didn't create anything at all. This was unfortunate, really, because there were so many places to buy really cute, really affordable art supplies. I was only there for six months, but I did end up finally doing something, I did some scrapbooking, photography, mixed media journaling, and watercolor.
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| Check out the original post for this photo, here. |
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| Check out the original post for this photo, here. |
However, none of these things at the time were really speaking to me. They weren't making me happy, and I didn't know what exactly was wrong with me. But then it hit me. I was really depressed when I was living in Korea. The fact that I was living away from friends and family, all that I had ever known... It was a really expensive 15+hour flight away. It was all too much. Also, knowing that I had only 6 months time in Korea... It wasn't permanent. I felt like I was in limbo... Maybe that's why I was so depressed.
It seemed like, as soon as we got there, we had news that we were traveling to Germany for husband's next duty station. I was really excited about this because I knew we were going to be there for at least 3 years. Something more HOME-like.
When we first got here to Germany, I was really into Photography. Like, really. But I always felt so much pressure from other people with my DSLR, so I turned to my iPhone. This is the first time I had such a device, and it was MAGNIFICENT. So easy to just tote this around, instead of my bulky DSLR, which most of the time, I made my husband carry, because I hated carrying the dern thing! I am taking way more photos now with my iPhone than I ever did with my DSLR. The best thing about that, is that there is no pressure from other people! I like to share my photos, but I HATE it when people are asking me to "take photos of me", "can you do a family photo shoot?", "how much do you charge?". I knew that if I took that step, photography wouldn't be fun for me any more. Something I am not sure I would have learned if I didn't move here to Germany.
Now that I am two years into my living in Germany. I've rediscovered art and watercolor. It really began for me when I bought my Bamboo Tablet. I drew every day with it, for at least a month or more.
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| My dog, Koodge. Read the original post for this photo here. |
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| My first finished digital painting. Read more about this photo in it's original post. |
Then, something shifted... I kind of stopped using it a bit, and rediscovered my super cheap watercolor tubes from Korea. Also, under the influence of Tracey Fletcher King's blog... I suddenly felt inspired. I felt like I wanted to re-learn, and really learn how exactly to use this wonky medium.
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| The first painting I did after I found my watercolors. Read the original post here. |
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| So I painted my own header for my blog. |
I've decided to take things into a not-so-new artsy point of view. Thinking about having my own Etsy shop, and really taking this talent that I seem to have to another level. I don't think I would have ever come to this stage without moving to the places that I have, or without having gone through the struggles with my art.
All in all, I could see that this post is slightly confusing and going every which way possible, but, that's how it is in my head. I know that everything happens to help you get to where you are today. And that's how I feel about how living in different countries has affected me and my art. It's kind of round'a'bout, but it's there... Somewhere in my jumble of words.
Mostly, what I want to leave you with is -- Artistic ability is not blessed to those few and far between. It is something everyone and you, yourself are born with.
Mostly, what I want to leave you with is -- Artistic ability is not blessed to those few and far between. It is something everyone and you, yourself are born with.
Now, the question is, are you going to reign it in, practice and develop your ability?
Because YOU CAN.
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