The urge that just won’t go away: art and design

Welcome to my blog. A new year and reinvention in the air, I’ve decided to finally join in with so many others who write about what interests them online, taking the opportunity to use this venue to explore interests in art and design. 

The story of the journey

By the time I finished high school I was looking forward to college and the courses leading to an art major. Yet hit by a variety of factors I lost my way and set off in another direction – a long route around as it turned out.

So after more years than I’d like to say I found myself in the mid 1990s feeling like something in my life was missing. I did a one day retreat with myself using a book called Wild Heart Dancing: A Personal, One-Day Quest to Liberate the Artist and Lover within by Elliot Sobel. That was a great day and very helpful!

And within that experience I found the answer – the something that would satisfy this particular need was to find something arty I could really get into.

I looked at some options however there wasn’t a wide range to choose from in my town (just because I was going to be an art major doesn’t mean I believed I could draw or paint, so both of those options were out – found out later I’m a designer but more about all that another time).

Then I remembered there was a stained glass studio near me and the owner also offered lessons in the evening. I went in to check it out and signed up on the spot. Three years later he had moved out of the area and I was running the studio, giving lessons, selling supplies and showing and selling my work in local art shows.

Fast forward another few years and I’d moved to London – not something I ever thought was even possible! So with such a variety of learning opportunities available practically on my doorstep, I set about learning the ropes of schools and courses to taking advantage of the opportunity.

After a few more years I completed a City and Guilds certificate in stained glass and am on the last leg of a two-year evening art and design course. There have been some other courses mixed in too. Later this year I will start another programme – this time a part time degree programme which will lead to a regular university degree if I choose.

So here I am now, full circle after such a long time. It would be easy to become overwhelmed with regret if I let myself do that – but I refuse to go there. All the years of my life that have passed and the experience and learning they contain provide a wealth of material to inform my art. Regret would be what I’d have if I just ignored the pull to seek out my art and didn’t explore where I can take this. So there it is.

At this crossroad I expect to write about the journey and what I discover along the way – various art and design interests and projects. I hope you’ll find things here that are interesting and even helpful. If you find some inspiration for your own artistic journey then please know I am very happy for you and am cheering you on as well!