EmKay Arts is on Facebook!

I just added a Facebook profile page for EmKay Arts and I find it interesting that given the selections available to choose from, EmKay Arts is listed under the "Arts/Entertainment/Nightlight" theme. Not that these three areas are unrelated, I just find it interesting that my art business can be linked to a person's nightlife.

Arts:
Yes, EmKay Arts is art related through and through. Art has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, as it is ingrained so much in my soul that it will be with me until the day I move on to the next worldly journey. I've dabbled in many mediums, spent many hours in classrooms and studios, and have had several nights of insomnia while my brain cannot seem to shut off the blur of color combinations, potential patterns, and insightful inspirations. My experiments in various art forms have led me to textile designing and I absolutely love the never-ending possibilities that await my explorations.

I never get tired of the thrill the dyed results.

Entertainment:
Well, not that I can't find my quilting a form of entertainment for the person looking or using it but I find it thoroughly entertaining to design the quilt, dye the fabrics, cut and piece the quilt top, and then quilt stitch the project to completion. In examining the idea of "entertainment" I dye silk scarves that can make evening outfit to dinner, theater, or even to an art exhibit opening, hopefully mine someday, fun and unique.

This cotton circle scarf is a nice way to jazz up a plain sweater.

Nightlife:
And speaking of evening attire, yes, the nightlife can be adorned by silk scarves, but perhaps some might use the silk accessories in the bedroom. This won't be addressed here but feel free to let your wild adult imagination take you on a 10-minute daydream adventure.

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Pretty in pink.

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Blue is always delightful.

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Or perhaps a black silk scarf is best.

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Has it been 10 minutes yet? More than 10 minutes? Good for you. Anyway, if you're on Facebook, come on by and visit my page. "Like" it if you will, I certainly do.

A Creative Life

The path to a creative life isn’t as easy or seamless as one might think. Okay, there was a moment where I thought if I could just win the lottery, inspiration came at a snap of a finger, and everyone loved my work then all would be great but that daydream could be filed away under “Never Going to Happen”. Responsibilities such as earning a bill-paying paycheck and keeping an orderly house as well as necessities like sleeping and exercising, which are not optional as my insomnia and body aches might like to disagree, tend to interfere at the most crucial creative times.

Who will help me bag up all these leaves?

When the moment of creative inspiration hits and I’m not fortunate to be in my home studio, I am grateful to have my artist journal in my possession. Yes, this might weigh down my purse and gradually move my spine out of alignment, but I’ll deal with that every time I stretch after my exercising. This is a needed item in my possession just like my wallet and when I’m without it, it feels as if I’m missing a part of me.

No small purses for me.

When I’m working in my journal, the world around me disappears and nothing exists except what is brewing in my mind and how I’m going to interpret it first into a drawing concept and then to an actual tangible object. I love my journals not just because of all my thoughts, inspirations, and ideas captured but mainly because I made the journals.

Just a few more pages and this one will be full.

My first concentration was bookmaking and while I honed my skills with binding and book design I also began to quilt. Eventually these two adventures combined and then diverted but being a “surface designer” is something I can be proud of in both arenas. I then developed a particular need for the kind of papers I desired in my journals. I needed graph paper along with my blank pages. I thought long and hard, oh say about 1 minute, whether to include lined paper sheets for writing and decided a blank page gave me more freedom of my ramblings and I’ve never looked back.

There’s a vibe of exciting possibility on every page.

So this creative life of mine isn’t well defined, presented on a silver platter with collegiate degrees, or a cookie cutter resembling anyone else I know. It is as unique as I am and I plan to utilize this to the best of my ability.

The path of possibilities can be a fun one.

It’s been over a year since I last wrote here and although I feel bad about loosing my way for a bit, I’m excited to be here again to re-establish my creative blog. I just started an online course, “Flying Lessons: Tips + Tricks to Help Your Creative Biz Soar” by Kelly Rae Roberts and after the first week of five I’m thrilled to be back to Artistic Thoughts and Creations and let this be an rebirth of an extension of my art discovery.

My journey of art discovery has not been an easy one. I was easily distracted as I began to collect drawing pencils, charcoal and crayon bits, photography developing tools, ceramic/pottery tools, fabric stashes for quilting, hoarding paper for bookmaking, jewelry beading, fabric dyes and chemicals, and yes, even the fun scrapbooking toys, and in my little studio, a small open space den in my house, I was lost amid all the creative implements pleading for my attention. I felt like I had some sort of creative ADHD where as soon as a project was just about to be completed, I move on to an entirely new project and medium. I was lost in a sea of limitless artistic creativity.

I knew I couldn’t do this forever, believe me, I tried to somehow tie every niche together into some sculptural entity to prove I could utilize everything in my studio but it didn’t work. I needed focus. I needed a concentration. I needed help. I knew I wanted to live a creative life and through a moment of clarity, to be further detailed in another post, and Kelly Rae’s help, I’m happy to say I am on the path to a happier creative life.