do the work! {gelli prints & more}

my plethora of gelli prints have been the focus for my creativity lately.  they are so much fun to make, especially when you are a “color junkie” like i am!!  so i desired to ‘do more’ with them, and this post shows the results and in doing so, i also am sharing some of the thoughts i have about it all!    

i’m not sure i’ve achieved the results i was hopeful for.  heck, i’m not entirely sure what I was looking for to begin with!  and all of that is really okay. 

just begin.  that’s what ya gotta being willing to do.  all too often, it’s far too easy  for me to just tidy up, and tuck things away.  afraid to begin the next step {just a little bit} because i don’t want to ‘mess things up’ as i really love my gelli prints! in fact, it reminds me of the parable of talents in the bible where the one dude hides his money in a hole! {well… that hole could be my studio} ~ lol!  

sometimes, when people look at my art, many have said to me, “oh, you’re just naturally talented.”  but that isn’t the whole truth.  it’s not naturally easy… although it is naturally fun for me.  i do love to play with color.  with that said… 

it really amounts to work.  now there is work we enjoy… and some we don’t!  {like cleaning up our studios?} and whether quilting, buying fabric, judging color, using different art mediums, or learning about yourself ~ much of it comes with work… and walking by faith! yess… it can be overwhelming.  all of it.  but one must begin…

and sometimes i do get lost.  really, i do. 

in the color, ideas, contrasts and textures. overwhelming possibilities. and execution of all of them! trying not to be put expectations where they ought not to be. 

expectations have been defined as this:  “a pre-determined decision for a future disappointment.”

think about that.  in life, with people; your family, relationships, work, and art.   

it’s certainly not always pretty.  definitely not perfect.  and i can own that… in my art, and in my life.

while it’s not always a feel-good thing  it is a process. in order to get cleaned up, you may find it’s got to be “messed up.”  after all, when i look at some of the things i create, i realize it’s the ‘mess’ that helps me determine what not to do in the future.

i also want to share a quote with you all.  i really appreciated this remark from roben marie which i heard while watching a video in her online class:
“if you want to achieve depth, layering, visual interest… you have to do the work.”  

{i agree}  no matter what it may be in life… you have to do the work.  take the time.  think about where you’ve been… where you want {or need} to go.  how you might get there.  explore.  think some more!  study. {and i pray}… i’m learning to listen {better i hope}.  pay attention.  just like most everything. whether in a job… your health… growing up, to spiritual maturity. your life.

just do the work!

be real with yourself.  get uncomfortable. accept who are. own it.  decide.  choose.  and move forward.

it’s okay to be uncomfortable.  that’s much like our faith walk. many times things have to get ugly and uncomfortable before we’re willing to see. 

so ~ do the work. take what you have – begin! accept where you are.  open up.  leave the expectations in the dust!  wait.  contemplate. step back.  look deeper. look again ~ begin again… be brave, and move onward and upward!

do you have some thoughts you’d like to share?  i’d love to hear! 

thanks so much for listening to my ramblings…
xo
leslie {aka braveheart artist}