My July project started out very simply – bring more creativity into my life. I thought I was going to spend July doing creative things, but somewhere along the way, creativity reminded me who I was.
I started by going to several art galleries each week. This wasn’t difficult with areas like Santa Fe, Madrid, and Old Town Albuquerque all less than an hour away. I’ve always loved eclectic art galleries, and I found plenty of them in this area.
Many of the galleries were small, independently owned spaces and I was able to meet and visit with the artist. It was so interesting to chat with them about their inspirations or how they got started in art. One watercolor artist I met had been an engineer for 30+ years and then started his second career as an artist. His work was so peaceful, with such a wonderful use of light.
One of my favorite art experiences by far was discovering “Origami in the Garden at Box Studios” on the Santa Fe end of the Turquoise Trail. It turned out that the artist, Kevin Box, was the same artist whose work had captivated me in Boulder, Colorado. I had first discovered his sculptures at a lovely gallery on a sunny afternoon at Pearl Street Mall, and I immediately felt a connection to his work—a permanent representation of the ephemeral art of paper folding. During my years in Japan, I had developed a deep appreciation for the delicate art of origami and absolutely fell in love with Kevin Box’s sculptures. So, to happen upon his work again after traveling all the way to New Mexico felt like such a serendipitous moment.
Besides wandering through art galleries, I began to sketch in my watercolor journal even if only for ten or fifteen minutes a day. It became such a fun little addition to my daily habits. I would sketch everything from flowers to adobe dwellings. I gave myself permission to just play and have fun with the paint without any expectations. I did for myself what I used to do for my art students – encouraged myself to just be okay with imperfection.
I also started reading The War of Art, a book recommended by an artist I met during my stay in Rockport, Texas, back in January. I had actually attended her workshop the previous fall, and when I visited her gallery during my time in Rockport, we talked about the creative process and her own leap of faith into pursuing art. I tucked her book recommendation away in my bin of books traveling with me, and July seemed like the perfect time to finally read it. Her story, along with the book’s exploration of the internal conflicts we face when we try to create, gave me even more to think about during those hot Albuquerque afternoons.
Somewhere along the way, I noticed something happening. The more time I spent wandering through art galleries, talking to artists, practicing art, or reading about creating, the more I wanted to create. I felt like I had found my way back to myself.
