I discovered Seths’ blog The Altered Page over a year ago, and he still
inspires me a lot! Last year, I collaborated in his “buried treasure project”
– which was all about digging up an old blogpost and re-posting it. Was that
really a year ago??? It was, ’cause I received an e-mail from Seth that he is
doing it again and he asked if I would participate in it once again…
“While many blog readers will enjoy seeing your favorites all on one day,
I think this also very enjoyable for us bloggers. It gives us a reason to look
back through our own archives, see what we have done and how we have
grown as artists, and chose a post (or posts) that for us is very meaningful!”
Of course I’m in Seth! If only to show that a lot of things can happen in a year!
I dug up a meaningful post which was the early beginning of me to “go for it”
Since that post, I build my own website with an online community and taught
two online workshops already! I’m happy to say it was and is a success!!!
It’s special to re-publish the post witch made me come out and start showing
and doing what I really want: teaching (online) art journal workshops in my
own community! (for you who haven’t seen it yet: Marit’s Paper World)
And here’s my old post from September 2009…
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There, I said it!
“I am reflecting and thinking over the art I made ’till now.
What I like, what I don’t like (anymore) and which way I want my art to go… ”
One of the things is I am not happy with the shallowness of my art lately.
Not the ideas behind the layouts are shallow, not at all, but in the back of
my mind I always know “I keep something behind”.
I don’t do that when it comes to scrapping “general matters” 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
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Detail
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!!!
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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.
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This was my old post… for me it is a very special post! There’s a list
with all the other buried treasure collaborateurs on The Altered Page
Thanks Seth, for giving me the opportunity to re-post this again.
Thanks, blog readers and friends, you made my website and
online workshops become a great success!!!
Hope to see you at one of the next workshops after the Summer.
This one starts September 6 – look here for more info.
Je t’embrasse.