There! I said it!
Maybe you remember what I wrote in a post a few days ago:
“I am reflecting and thinking over the art I made up ’till now.
What I like, what I don’t like (anymore) and which way I want my art to go… ”
One of the things I was not happy with was the shallowness of my art lately.
Not the ideas behind the layouts were shallow, not at all, but in the back of
my mind I always knew “I keep something behind”.
I don’t do that when it comes to scrapping “general matters” (like this layout)
but when it comes to personal, very personal journaling, I like to keep it
in general. I don’t speak my true mind easily – I’m always aware of the fact
that I put my works on the Internet and a lot of people can see and read it.
Although most people find me very open, there has always been some
reticence in the way I express myself…
Up ’till now that is, because I decided to (try to) let that go, and show
(more of) myself. To go a little further and be a bit more personal in doing that.
To prevent myself from chickening out at the last moment, I made this page
for the Lotus Paperie challenge. That way I would be forced to put it here
on my blog (after all, it is on the Lotus blog too!)
OK, no further delay… I opened up and spit something out.
Something to myself. Something I must tell myself more often.
Something I must face…
I’m the woman who sits in a corner, a bit aggrieved that nobody
notices her. I See things, hear things and I think “I can do that too” or
“I want that too” but I stay put in my corner, sulking over the fact that
no one recognises my talent.
I wish for some one to ring my doorbell and say:
“Hey, you’re that woman we need to help us out/publish a layout/
teach a workshop…” but that’s not going to happen, is it?
How should they know you can do all those things, when you never
tell them you can! So I made this page filled with (Dutch) journaling
in which I tell myself:
“Why do you think ‘they’ will find you arrogant if you say
you can do something? And if they find so, does that really matter?
Stop being afraid to show yourself or your art – do it!
Don’t expect ‘them’ to smell you can teach workshops – you even have
a teachers degree, go tell them! When you send a layout to a magazine
and you get back a rejection – don’t grumble and back off -just try again!
Don’t hide in your little corner, step into the light!
If you want something: GO GET IT!”
Detail
Detail
Challenge #141 over at Lotus
Paperie is to handcut printed
paper and use as embellies.
I found all the little arms on
“Freubel Art”
That’s a website and blog run
by Rian – a real nice Dutch lady
who makes digital art.
She has some beautiful images
on her website, and she invites
everyone who wants to use it
to download those freebies
(for personal use only!)
And so I did! These arms and
grabbing hands were just what
I needed.Thanks Rian!!!
And now, this layout is published and I said it…
in public.
It scares the shit out of me.
But I showed myself – more.
I wanted to do that in my art.
This is me.
Have a nice weekend.
Je t’embrasse.
September 11th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Really beautiful and inspirational page! Your journaling is so heart-felt and the reaching hands images are perfect for the theme. thanks for sharing – I will heading over to Lotuspaperie to see the challenge
September 11th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
En die zit Marit !!
Ik heb je journal, nadat ik eerst je blog gelezen had), gelijk even vergroot !
Wie had ooit kunnen vermoeden dat ‘mijn’ armpjes je zouden ‘helpen’ om je hart eens goed te luchten.
Publiekelijk nog wel !
En daarom heb ik er maar
September 11th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
i love it Marit…i truly do and funny enough i had a feeling that was what you were all about..i have a bit of the same thing in me! …i say go for it also…you are right Marit…you have to go and get it! just so you know i support you and love your art!!!
September 11th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
OK Marit this will be a long post. I want to share one of my favorite all time quotes with you by Marianne Williamson:
September 11th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Oh Marit – I can SOOO relate to what you say! I am that way too! Thank you for sharing – your page is beautiful!
September 11th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Er is niks mis mee om je gevoelens op het internet te zetten! De positieve reacties kunnen alleen maar je geloof in jezelf aansterken, en de negatieve … wel, als je die al krijgt (en dat zou me sterk verbazen), je zegt het zelf al in je journaling, doet het er echt toe? Mensen hebben je maar te aanvaarden zoals je bent. Ik heb het al lang opgegeven om te zijn zoals anderen dat willen, ik heb spijtig genoeg geleerd dat je niet voor iedereen kan goed doen. Hoe hard je ook probeert, er zullen altijd mensen zijn die je niet moeten of die je bij het eerste beste “gebrek” dat je vertoont je links te laten liggen. Ach wat, soms is het gewoon de manier waarop je lacht dat de mensen niet aanstaat! Het beste dat je kan doen in mijn ogen is jezelf blijven, en zoals je in deze LO doet trouw aan jezelf blijven en daar ook openlijk voor uitkomen. Diegenen die je graag hebben zullen appreci
September 11th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Marit, I have always found you inspirational in your work and today I found you inspiration in your words. I takes a lot to put it out there. Take that chance. You are a talented artist, and an intelligent person. People need to hear from people like you. If you put your mind and heart to it, you can and will be heard.
September 11th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
AWESOME! I agree, I finally decided to “go get it” too and just shake off those people who don’t like what I do and create. You create for YOU and your family and in the end it’s you that matters.
September 11th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Another beautfiul page ….. Just so you know, I am always in awe of your work and talent, you are a inspiration to me … i wish i could create art like you do. 🙂 I truly believe that you can do anything you set your mind to do. 🙂 🙂
September 12th, 2009 at 1:10 am
Amazing!! I totally understand how you have felt and have struggled through so many of the same feelings in my life. I truly believe that anything you can think you can achieve. I also believe that our experiences are exactly what we want and “need” them to be at that moment. We draw in exactly what we feel comfortable with, what makes us feel safe. Is it possible that part of you doesn’t want more recognition or more requirements placed on you? Maybe you are afraid of what “success” will look like? My point is that if and when you really want it, there is no question what will happen…anything you want. You have talent. BTW thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving nice words! You do beautiful work!
September 12th, 2009 at 5:43 am
Yay!!! Look at you, you did it!! I used to feel the same way and then I finally said F**k it! I am an open person and I want to be open in my art, I want to be able to look back and remember how I was feeling, what I was feeling. I don’t care if people judge me because I am who I am and people are fooling themselves if they don’t wish they could do the exact same thing – be honest and open. Love this page and love that you shared yourself. It will get easier and then there is no looking back. There is a freedom in it!!! As Braveheart yelled “Freedom!” haha
September 12th, 2009 at 7:27 am
Ik ben niet zo van veel woorden Marit. Maar een ding weet ik wel: Bij jouw eerste workshop sta ik voor in de rij! Gewoon omdat ik veel van jou zou kunnen en willen leren! Goed om voor deze gevoelens uit te komen!
Fijn weekend, Ang
September 12th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Als eerste wil ik tegen je zeggen dat je weer een prachtige LO hebt gemaakt, ik hou van ‘echte journaling’ en deze heb je mooi verwerkt in je werk 🙂
Wij scrappers hebben allemaal verschillende stijlen en het ‘ene’ werk zal je meer aanspreken dan het ‘andere’, dat zal ook altijd zo blijven.
De kunst is in je eigen werk en stijl te blijven geloven, en dat zie ik altijd terug in jouw werk Marit!
Zolang je dit blijft doen zullen al die wensen die je hier boven beschreef waarheid worden.
En ik sta samen met mijn moeder vooraan in de rij, zeker weten 😉
September 12th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!!! You know your art is fabulous. you know you rock. Journaling is in all of us, but we have to let it out. I too am “embarassed” (for lack of a better word) to write how I really feel, but I have no problem making my art meaningful.
But you did a great job!! Good for you!!!
September 12th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Hooray for you Marit!
Quote: Liever spijt van iets wat je gedaan hebt dan spijt van iets wat je niet gedaan hebt.
September 12th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
Prachtig zoals je je gevoelens onder woorden hebt gebracht! Ik kan mezelf wel een beetje terug vinden in jouw verhaal. De layouts die ik laat zien in het openbaar laten eigenlijk weinig zien van mijn echte ik. Ik maak wel degelijk layouts met mijn gevoelens maar die houd ik voor mezelf.
Blijf vooral geloven in jezelf en blijf dingen maken die jij mooi vindt. De magazines zijn vaak afhankelijk van sponsers en bepaalde onderwerpen en je werk moet er maar net tussen passen. Als je werk afgewezen wordt wil dat nog niet zeggen dat het niet mooi is, het past alleen op dat moment niet bij wat zij willen of kunnen plaatsen.
Zoals iedereen hierboven al zegt, jouw werk is prachtig en origineel. Dus gewoon blijven doen waar je veel plezier in hebt!!!!!
Dikke kus!
xxxx
Chimene
September 13th, 2009 at 1:39 am
So rude of me!! I forgot to answer you about the ATC’s. I would be happy to give you one of these, and make new one’s too. I am going to be making new Halloween ones. Do you want to make Halloween? If not, you pick the theme and let me know. I love making them.
email me and tell me, or write on my blog.
HUGS
September 15th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Well that’s a fab page, Marit, and it’s really great that you said what you wanted to say. And it’s absolutely right as well, you should go for it and not worry. You know, I’ve submitted pages for commissions, when I thought I was almost certain to have them published – or why would they have asked me in the first place?? But of course they asked lots of people, and when the article comes out (after I’ve heard nothing!) the LOs they choose are more appropriate than the one I sent. And you should definitely go after some workshop teaching, I’d love to go to a workshop taught by you! x
September 19th, 2009 at 3:32 am
Ahhh, this is very beautiful and inspiring. Great work.
When it comes to journaling for me, I’ve started putting more honest stuff just right on the back of my pages. I write a general something or another or just sentence or two on the actual layout and then spill my guts on the back. This way I feel like I said what I needed to, but can still share and enjoy my layout (because sometimes I have a whole LOT to say, lol!).