What is good about the new year is that it gives a feeling we can start over with a clean slate.
Last year, I got about four adult coloring books and a few pens and paper for calligraphy. I told myself I would inject a few hours each day to at least paint and practice lettering.
Sadly, the year is about to end and I have touched one of the books only once. And so the other day, I made an effort to clean and organize my things. I also displayed my coloring books near my workstation. They should be visible in order for me to use them. If they are kept in my storage box, they will remain there forever.
So what am I driving at?
Calligraphy, drawing, and painting are self-expression. I always believe each piece has a life of its own. It mirrors our soul, and even our state of being – happy, gloomy, or ecstatic. The same manner that it becomes instrumental for us to release our emotions to welcome a new and hopefully, a richer and more positive one.
I would like to share with you then a few tips on how to give art some time from our busy lives.
Find your spot
This is your preferred place for relaxation, and most probably the same place you would like to sketch, draw or doodle. It is the place that calms you down and makes you feel so relaxed.
Do not overthink
Often, we overthink that even a supposedly relaxed task becomes scarier than it actually is. Our aim to inject art into our lives is to relax and not stress us. Do not worry about color coordination and pattern and structure. Be free, bold, and expressive. Art is about expression, in the first place, and not perfection.
Get inspiration
There is this quote I once read and I often recite it to myself whenever I feel too negative.
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The world around us is full of inspiration and beautiful things. We just need to appreciate them. Sometimes when we can’t find an inspiration, we can hunt it down. Because once we’ve searched for inspiration, it will certainly boost our enthusiasm and spark creativity.
Always be prepared
Perhaps you’re at the peak of a mountain and you’ve thought of something worth writing or drawing. Don’t hesitate to put it into an art then. Take advantage of the view and that force pushing you to doddle, write, or draw. However, you should always be prepared. If you could always bring even a compact doodle book or your coloring book. Sometimes, you never know when an inspiration strikes.
Watch tutorials
What is nice about our world today is technology. Take advantage of it then. Watch tutorials on the internet. You may also opt to attend online classes. These tutorials and classes are what would further enhance your talent. From there, you could learn new tricks or tips perhaps to save on ink, for instance, when you do calligraphy.
Be bold
Be daring and brave. Do not be afraid to commit a mistake. Art is self-expression and in self-expression, there is no right and wrong.
Don’t hold back as well. Do not be afraid that others would disapprove your work. It’s only yourself being your worst critic. Again, be bold. Be free. And be yourself.
Yes, art is a form of self-expression and must not be ignored. Also, so happy for you that you took out the adult coloring books and start practicing calligraphy! Even if we do a lot of things, we also need to allot time for ourselves in order for us to grow. Hope you have a prosperous and artsy new year!
Yeah! Happy 2018! Bravo to your awesome planning to start your 2018! Love your ideas! Am gonna start enrolling to caligraphy class soon as I have been wanted to sign up but yet to do so…always only admiring people with good caligraphy though, Cheers, siennylovesdrawing
My creative side is something I need to improve and explore. Mas magaling pa mag-drawing sa akin yung daughter ko :p
I need to brush up on my calligraphy! I learned calligraphy when I was in grade school, but my skills are now pretty rusty after years of not practicing it.
How I wish we were taught in school, too. That would have pushed me more to learn calligraphy. Nway, now I am hoping to continue this enthusiasm.
Very inspiring! Thank you so much for sharing, Mommy Berlin! I have been thinking about learning calligraphy ever since. I haven’t done anything about it, though, heehee! Maybe it’s time to do it now. 🙂
Hhahaha. Me too. I am really pushing to do this na tlaaga. And hey. nice to hear from you again. Happy new year and hope to see you soonest.
Love it! Jealous of your set of colouring pens (or are those brush pens?), too! Personally, I find brush lettering/ calligraphy as well as planning on paper very relaxing. I need to step away from the black screen after spending the whole day working!
They are coloring pens. Now, the boys use them more than I do. Yes, I agree. I also find calligraphy very relaxing. I am doing some planning and orgaizing to really squeeze those sa oras ko.
Live creatively! I love this post! I am a crafty mama and love DIYs pero ang pangit ng penmanship ko. One of my bucket list is to learn calligraphy para naman di masyadong effort sa scarapbook at planner. Love your artwork, gotta practice my artsy skills again esp. that I have more time now.
Yes,being artsy sometimes require time. Glad that you have the extra time. You could also apply your love sa arts sa cookies mo.
If there’s one thing that helped me with depression, it’s calligraphy (okay, journaling din so dalawa na LOL). It allowed me to have some alone time, which is a big plus 🙂 My unsolicited advice, don’t compare your work with other people 🙂
Thank you. Yes, no comparing. You will end up frustrated if you find your work ugly or too mayabang if mas maganda ung sayo. I also find journaling very relaxing.
Like you, I do also love art but as far as the coloring, scrapbooking, journaling etcetera, I already refrain from indulging myself, because they can require time and money. What I do is I try to learn art that I can use at home, like in baking, cooking, photography, or digital arts.
I agree. Sarap maraming pera para bumili at mag invest sa mga coloring books, etc. I love spending time baking, doing photography and cooking too. Yes, another form of art.
I attended a calligraphy class once and I enjoyed it. Nakakarelax talaga siya. I used to have a good penmanship when I was in highschool, kaso I don’t know what happened, everytime I hold a pen parang lagi na siyang nagmamadali sa pagsusulat hehehe. Naging sulat doctor na lols.
Hahhahaa. ako rin. feeling ko maganda ako magsulat dati. at ang ayos ayos ng gamit ko. ngayon, parang laging nagmamadali. ehehehe.