I’ve been thinking about doing something creative for a while, but I tend to get caught up in the busyness of life and prioritize my to do list over doing something creative. I have a list of creative things I’d like to do and classes I’d like to take but I wasn’t in action about doing them. It sure is easy to talk about things and make lists. It feels a lot better to do those fun things!
When my friend invited me to an art class, I was a resounding “Yes!” I had no clue what an altered book creation was, but it didn’t matter. I was finally going to do something creative. As an adult I often feel intimidated to create art. I see all the creations my friends are sharing on social media and drool over their masterpieces – watercolor, acrylic, crochet, needlefelt, mosaic, scrapbooks, and the list goes on. People are so incredibly talented.
I remember being a little girl and loving art projects at school with no feelings of it not being good enough. It just was. Everyone was unique and so was their artwork. As an adult I enjoyed doing art projects at home with kids. Nothing elaborate – leaf rubbing and making paper snowflakes. There’s something special about sitting around a table and chatting with those you love and making something originally your own.
My friend and I arrived at the art studio to make an altered book and learned from the instructor we would start by choosing a book and then pretty much we’d do anything we wanted to it. She showed us an example of what she’d done and familiarized us with the bins of paper and collections of supplies that were at our disposal. I sifted through the bins and chose colors, textures, and items that spoke to me with no idea of what I was going to create. We had a limited amount of time, and I said to myself “Just do what comes.” Usually, I’d want to take time to plot out my plan (I’m such a planner), but not this time. It felt so good to let all that go! It was like my life at the time. I was holding on to things I really needed to let go. I can’t control people and/or outcomes of situations. I can only control my reactions to them. That night my attitude was lighthearted, fun, but also focused on the task at hand.
The altered book creation ended up being a cathartic experience and a bigger life reminder of letting go. At the end of class, we shared our books and our experiences while creating them. I so enjoyed seeing what others had made and learning more about their journey while creating.
Lori Koidahl 