I wish I could _______

One day I will! That is the universal excuse we use to shelf things which we most long to do. And, some of us do eventually find the time to tackle our creative passions, but sadly a lot don’t.

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From the book “I Wish I Could Draw” by Cary Fagan.

I want to draw.

I want to write my children’s book.

I wish I had time to paint. (Yes, I even have a painting set all ready to go!)

I want to….I want to….I want to!

 

But as Yoda said, “Do or do not, there is no try!”

What we need is a whack on the side of the head to stop making excuses and get started. After all, what do we have to lose?

Wasn’t it Malcolm Gladwell who postulated the secret to genius-level excellence was 10000 hours of practice? So, why would we be afraid to get started? After all, aren’t these things that really fuel our passion!

My inspired whack came last night when I was haunted by a line from Cary Fagan’s new book, I Wish I could Draw.

“Hmmmm, they’re not too bad. It does help to draw something I like.”

And if it hadn’t hit me before, now it did.

JUST GET STARTED!

And once do, you’ll get this negative thinking out of your life for good.

“I really, really wish I could draw.
But I don’t think I can. I think I stink at drawing.”

AND SECONDLY, START WITH SOMETHING YOU LIKE.

“So if I really like to draw, does that make me an artist? What if some day my self-portrait hangs in a big museum?

“Well, it’s fun to imagine.
Mostly though, it’s fun to draw 
all these stinky pictures!”

ThinkBLink by Shilpa Raikar.

Book-Cover-I-Wish-I-Could-Draw_medium

 

I wish I could Draw by Cary Fagan, is published by Groundwood Books / House of Anansi Press.


PURCHASE THE BOOK

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Guerilla Art for everyone?

Should art only be accessible to the select few who can afford it? Should creative expression be hidden away in an art gallery?

photo (6)Creativity inspires us. Art evokes emotion and makes us #ThinkBlink. It engages us to challenge the status quo. So, why should art be relegated to just a gallery?

There is a growing trend to take art to the streets. Guerilla art can invigorate a public space that is soulless. Adding art to a bland wall sparks some character into a neighbourhood. And if done well, that expression can leave a lasting thought-provoking legacy that will haunt your thoughts for a long while.

It’s no wonder that some artists are motivated to take art out of galleries and into the hands of the public. But how does it happen? Especially since, most guerilla artists prefer to stay in the shadows. After all, it is considered by some to be an act of vandalism.

But major cities around the world are recognizing the value to of graffiti art, and Toronto is no exception. StreetARToronto or StART is a pro-active program that aims to develop, support, promote and increase awareness of street art and its indispensable role in adding beauty and character to neighbourhoods across Toronto, while counteracting graffiti vandalism and its harmful effect on communities.

photo (8)Keri Smith’s book The Guerilla Art Kit, gives you some insight into what you need to know before putting your message out into the world.

Becoming a guerilla artist is one way of embodying the famous Gandhi quote, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Now we don’t advocate going on and destroying your environment, but perhaps this book will give a bit of insight into guerilla art and serve as a launching pad into your own ideas and methods. Try out some of the exercises intended as a prelude to a specific medium. It will inspire some great campaign ideas for your advertising initiatives.

Self expression is a good thing. Finding out what you want to say and being able to stay it with panache is an art in itself.

PURCHASE THE BOOK
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amazon.ca

Guerilla Art kit by Keri Smith, is published by Princeton Architectural Press and distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books.