Embrace the Artist In You: 5 Simple Activities to Give You Freedom to Explore Your Creative Side

1. Embrace the Artist in You: have you ever said? But I'm not an artist or I can't draw or have you ever created a piece of artwork? And then you looked at it and you had that stink and thinking or that critical eye that you're our work is no good or it's there's something wrong with it. Hi, my name's Shelly Hits. I'm an author and illustrator and it was just this past June 2016. I was saying those exact same things. I literally said, I am not an artist. I have not creative I could never do such and such when I would look at our work that I was visiting my sister in Florida and I wanted my nieces to create paintings for me that I could display in my home. And so we went to the store. We bought it some canvases for a couple dollars. Some paints for pretty inexpensive, and we found some things on Pinterest toe model after, and they created some amazing paintings for me nine and 10 years old, and these are the paintings that they created for me. What my nieces showed me that day is that art doesn't have to be hard It doesn't have to be complicated, and it's fun, and it doesn't have to be expensive, either. You can start with inexpensive materials, and it all of a sudden unlocked a creative side of me that had laid dormant for almost 30 years. You see, it's been since my junior high days that I really explored that artist inside of me. And so, in this training, embrace the artist in you. I want to take you through five simple activities to give you freedom to explore your creative side, the number one thing that will block our creativity, whether it's writing because I'm an author, coach and I work with a lot of writers or its art is up here, it's in our minds. It's the stinking thinking. It's those mindset issues the criticism, the perfectionism, the judgment and I have to tell you I have a controlling side of me. And so when I first started art, one of the very first things aren't taught me was toe let go of that control and to enjoy the process. And so what I did was in the very beginning of my art journey, I created something in my art notebook and it was five different affirmations that really set me free. So what we're gonna do is in each of the activities, Will will create something around these affirmations that you can then see you can repeat and they can help you explore that creative side inside of you. So let me show you what I created. This is my notebook. And this was the very first page that I was creating in this notebook. And I will share with you these affirmations that I wrote in my notebook. And now I want to share with you. The 1st 1 is create without judgment. That was really tough for me. The second learn toe. Relax. Sometimes we get so uptight we're gonna make a mistake and then weigh. Just need to relax. The 3rd 1 is Are is unique not perfect artists not intended to be a perfect computer generated image. It's meant to be unique. The 4th 1 is let go of performance and have fun. This was a big one for me because I can tend to be into performance. I'm a speaker. I do videos a lot in trainings, and it's really easy for me to get caught up in the performance of it instead of just Lango and having fun. And finally there is no right or wrong and art. And that was really hard for me because I felt like I'm not doing it right. I'm not doing a right. But you know what I waas Because every art piece is our own interpretation at that moment. And you know what? We will never grow as an artist unless we allow ourselves freedom to explore. Cannot wait to see the projects you create as we go through these five simple activities using these affirmations to help transform our mindsets around art. And I've seen in my life how, as I've embraced the artist in me, it has just exploded. A new side in me that brings me joy I now have in our studio in my home and I'm creating are on almost a daily basis. It's a form of self care that I've neglected for years because I've really struggled with workaholism and now it's just bursting forth within me and I want to share this with you, so click and roll and let's get started 2. Supplies Overview: in this video. I'm gonna go over the supplies that you need for this class. So basically, you just need some paper and some pans or markers or paints. Just use whatever you already have on hand so you can use a journal like this that has watercolor paper in it, which is thicker and can be used with water colors really easily. Or you could just get an inexpensive notebook like something like this that you can find at any store. If you get something like this, I do recommend getting a glue stick and gluing two of the pages together. I've done that in this book. Thes air, two pages blue together. It just makes a thicker page for your markers. Or, if you do want toe, do any water color or anything in here. This is just something that's for my eyes only. I don't show people inside this journal, but it's just something to explore in Cree, and that's what this class is all about. As faras pens and markers, you can use something as simple as a Sharpie pen. I really like the micron pens, but these are more expensive, and you don't have to invest in something like that for this class. Just use even a ballpoint pen that you might have laying around somewhere. Just use whatever you have on hand and this faras markers. You can use simple Crayola markers. You know, I think I got these packs of Crayola markers on sale for a dollar during back to school season. Or you can use something like the Tom Biomarkers. I love these for brush lettering, these air more expensive markers, and yet they're really great to use as well. If you want to get into a brush lettering. I also love watercolor, and this was my starter watercolor kit. It's from artist's loft at at Michael's, and you can get this particular kit for, like, watercolor pan set for $5. So it's really inexpensive. And then for water color, I like using the pen tell Ah, quash water pens. These are really simple. I like using this small because I can use that really well for lettering, but you can just create watercolor backgrounds or do you know, fill in things with watercolor. With one of these, you can also just use simple rushes that you get, you know at any store. Just use whatever you have on hand. Make sure that you do use of a variety of colors. I do want these projects to be full of some different colors, so grab something that will be colorful. Grab your notebook and let's get started. 3. Create Without Judgment: So in this first activity, I want you in your journal. Whatever journal you have chosen to create in, I want you to write out this phrase create without judgment. Now, I can just be as simple as just writing out with pen like I did or you can do block lettering. You can do folk Allegra fee. You can draw some things on your page. You can write it with different colors. I just want you to write out that phrase on a piece of paper. Now, I do want you just to decide. Are you gonna put all of your phrases, all of your activities on one paper, like I did, or you gonna put them on different pieces of paper? Now, this 1st 1 is probably the most important one. Create without judgment. If we're constantly judging ourselves, we're going to start to get paralyzed in fear of making a mistake or of not being good enough. And so I just want to show you a quick example by taking you through a few of my art pieces . So I like to create on smaller pieces of paper. I cut them up, and then that way I can practice, and I don't have to worry about it being some big to do. And if I like it, I can always re create it. But let me just show you an example of me going through and criticizing or judging my artwork. Oh, this is kind of fuzzy around here. I'm not sure if I like how it blended, like right in here, but I don't know. It's it's okay. This is kind of kind of more splotchy than I would have wanted it. My lettering sometimes blurred a little bit on the edges. I got a little close to the words right there. This kind of the marker blurred around the edges. And I don't know, I just I kind of messed it up on this letter and this this kind of got to thick on the downward there. I don't like how my lettering got in the way with up watercolor background, just too much of one color. The's letters are too thick, and they don't have enough thin strokes supposed tohave thick down and thin up. This is just and see, you know, some shakiness and my lettering. The shading here is not the greatest the shadow didn't work out Well, this just you can see some of the lettering didn't turn out smooth. I don't like again the lettering Seems a little, um, rough around the edges when I was just writing it Not, um, doing the brush lettering. I don't think I like how this watercolor went over the black. No, no. Just seems maybe there might be a little bit off balance with all those dots on that side. This kind of blurred on the just And I could go on and on and on. Can you see how When I do that, I can be If I could be very critical Now let me show you with another stack just so you can see some different things I've created And let me, you know, create without judgment. Oh, I like how that that leaf came out And that phrase just goes so well with that leave. You know what? I really learned something from this I It's nothing. I would post art show anyone because my my letters went over. But I learned how the lettering does not always go over that very well. But I love how I did thes these little water containers. I think that turned out well. I really like the fruit in this picture. And I like how I tried something new. I love butterflies, and I really like how the butterfly turned out in this one. I like the different lines that I put on here. That was kind of cool. So here I'm trying some bounce lettering. That was fun. I just love this message of shine on. The different colors in this were so cool. I just alternated them. I love that pallet. This isn't really pretty wreath, but so I could keep going on and on, but I have so many more. But can you see the difference? You can either look at your art with an open mind and creating without judgment. Or you can always have that stinking thinking that critical nous that just bashes your stuff and it will just squelch your creativity. So this 1st 1 create without judgment, create without judgment. Just keep repeating that with me, create without judgment. Now, I want you to create your own words in your notebook and post them in the project section of this class 4. Learn to Relax: the second activity is toe. Learn to relax. So again, I want you to add those words. If you're doing one page, you can add it to your page. Or you can just put it on a separate page and do it differently, learning to relax instead of being uptight. So what I want you to think about right now as you're creating this, how are your shoulders? Are they clenched up in tight or they relax? Just relax your shoulders. How are your your hands? When I first started, I was like I was like, you know, just clenching the pens and holding so tight and it's like I just need to relax and learn to relax. So go ahead and write that on your paper for your next activity and posted in the project area. 5. Art is Unique, Not Perfect: your third activity is with the phrase are is unique, not perfect again. I want you to add these words either to your page or to a new page and a new project that you're creating. One of my favorite things to do is to create watercolor backgrounds so you can see these are different colors that are kind of correspond with each other. And that's a background show you. I think I showed you some of this was kind of a fun background where it just has the watercolor in the middle. This has kind of like circles and splatters. This is more of like a tie dye effect. I love those watercolor backgrounds, so if that's something you want to do that something fun to experiment with, and it's really easy to create. But go ahead and write out. Art is unique, not perfect. We're not meant to create perfect, computer generated art. That's the beauty of art. It's different. It's, you know, we're making it by hand, so it's not going to be an absolute perfect line. But that's the beauty of art. It's unique and not perfect. 6. Let Go of Performance and Have Fun: the next activity is to write out the phrase Let go of performance and have fun. Like I said in the introduction video, this was a really tough one for me because I can really get caught up in performing and everything's about achieving. I've taken the strength finders test and my one of my top strength is achieving, and so that really puts me in a mindset of I have to do it right then I have to do it right the first time I have to get this right, but I just encourage you just tow, let go of the performance, you know, have your notebooks like I do this notebook here that no one will ever see what's inside of it. I just gave you a quick little peak, but I don't really want to show you what's inside there, because that's just for my eyes only. So if you need to have a notebook like that where you just create and not worry about anyone ever seeing it, do it create without judgment, learn to relax. Our is unique, not perfect. And now let's let go of performance and have fun. So go ahead and create that you can use the faux calligraphy like I did. Here. You can use block letters. You can use brush lettering. However you want to create these letters, just create in your own personal, unique style. 7. There is No Right or Wrong in Art: and finally, the last one is There is no right or wrong in art. Oh, can we just take a big sigh, Take a big breath? Oh, there's no right or wrong in art. You know, there are different techniques that you can study and that you can become better at. I have been reading a lot of water color books. I've been taking a lot of classes here on skill share and elsewhere have been following a lot of artists on instagram and learning from them. But what happens is you're going to create your own style. You're gonna find your own next, you're gonna find what brings you joy and what you love to dio. For me, it's watercolor. I love, love, love, watercolor and I Love Inc. I love the ink and watercolor combination. I love the lettering. It's so fun. I love exploring. I love trying different things. I don't want to just do the same thing every day. I love trying to everything. So find what it is for you, that that's your style that you like and be willing at this point just to try a bunch of different things to really find out But But remember, there is no right or wrong and art Go ahead and write that out. I liked using arrows because it's almost like right is up Wrong is down. So if you want to copy what I did here, feel free to do that. Use the block lettering and the faux calligraphy and just remind yourself that your style is your style and create without judgment. Create in your art journal that no one will see until you start to feel comfortable with your style and what you see emerging. But don't let that stop you. Get out the colors, Get out the markers, Start adding more color to your world. And again, I'm just gonna review We're creating without judgment, learning to relax, knowing that art is unique, not perfect. We're letting go of performance and having fun and knowing there is no right or wrong in art. So thank you so much for joining me in these five simple activities. I would love to see what you've created, whether it's one cohesive page or if it's five different projects you created with these phrases, let me know. Was there any ah ha moments or anything that really stood out to you as you went through these activities. What other phrases inspire you when it comes to art? Share in the discussion area and I look forward to hearing from you. 8. Next Steps: Congratulations. You did it. You finished the five simple activities to give you freedom to explore your creative site. Now I will tell you this is just the beginning, not the end. So I encourage you to place these affirmations somewhere in your home that you can see every day and then keep repeating them to yourselves. And when you when you feel yourself getting back into that self criticism, the doubt the judgment, go back to these affirmations to these projects. Repeat them out loud. If you need Teoh and keep creating, the only way that will get better is by practice. Practice makes progress. You know, we all have our pieces that we never show. Anyone else that's part of being an artist is having that ability to create without having to always post or perform or show. But I do encourage you to post your artwork in this class. I would love to see your projects that you created if you want. Just choose one of them, the one that you really love the most. But I would love to see them all. Just place them in the project area of this class and I look forward to seeing what you created. If you enjoy this class, I would really appreciate you simply taking a moment to post your review here on skill share. There should be a pop up at the top of your screen that says, Would you recommend this class to other students? Simply click yes and post a sentence or two about what you learned, what you appreciated or what you've gained from this class, and it would mean the world to me. It also helps to reach more people with his training. And so I appreciate you taking a moment to do that. Thank you again for joining me on this journey again. My name's Shelly hits. I encourage you to keep creating and I'll see you in the next class.