The need to be a great artist makes it hard to be an artist. The need to produce a great work of art makes it hard to produce any art at all--Julia Cameron

I love handmade cards.  I never was terribly artistic, but I always loved things that were unique.  When we moved to Forsyth, my lack of a social life resulted in a creative surge and I found myself developing a paper obsession—unique wrapping paper, recycled cards. Then I bought myself a pack of pastels and gave drawing (pasteling—is that a word?) a chance.  One look at this blog indicates my lack of ability in that department, but I found myself enjoying the process so much that I didn’t care.
 

Growing up I sang and acted but never really enjoyed doing either.  I guess I held myself to a high standard and eventually a few bad performances crushed my confidence.  But not a few bad pastels.  I’ve never been an artist, so what the heck?  I have nothing to lose! Birth announcements, thank you notes, Christmas cards . . . when I don’t have time to create cards with scrapbook paper and cutouts, I bring out the chalks, slap them onto some paper, download them to Shutterfly, and voila! Instant personal art cards. 

In her fabulous book The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron personifies the great enemy of creativity as the Censor.  Our Censor chides our feeble attempts with wicked taunts, “You call that art?  You have got to be kidding me! You actually think you’re a writer/performer/painter?  You’re terrible!”  I envy those people who are free from “censorship,” and they are few and far between. Most of us find ourselves full of self-doubt when it comes to our own ability to create or perform.  So why not recognize that evil taunter for what he is and create away—the good, the bad, and the ugly?