30 days of creativity, day 1

I love a good challenge! I freakin adore challenges that stretch my creativity.

Whimsy and Zen is hosting a 30 day creative challenge. Typically I do these type of challenges on Instagram, but I thought this time, I should share here.

If you would like to join, here is the link.

http://whimsyandzen.blogspot.com/2014/06/kellys-30-day-creative-challenge-starts.html?showComment=1401712831463&m=1#c5034997030771483570

I live a creative life, which means I am constantly creating. It will be fun to give a 30 day peek into my life.

Day one was yesterday, I had Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) to draw for my Swapbot and Grumbacher trades.

I love drawing and trading ATCs! I have a bunch going out in the next few days.

Art show

About two months ago I saw a call for artists with disabilities. An organization called The Whole Person is putting on an art show and needed artisits.

I really struggled with "should I apply" or "should I not." In addition to the usual self doubts about the quality of my art I had to really think about if it would be acceptable to use my "disability" to be included in a show.

To me, I am just me. I do not consider myself suffering from a disability. The truth is, I do struggle at times, but everyone struggles. I am no different. So, why would I apply for a show for people with disabilities if I do not consider myself disabled?

The answer is very simple. When I was young, autism did not exist. I was told by people I was cold hearted, aloof, crazy, psychotic all kinds of lables that did not fit. When I was 29 and recieved my diagnosis, the world made sense. All of the negative lables that had been thrown at me disapeared. I could dismiss every hurtful name as an inability on behalf of the speaker to relate.

It did not take long to realize that my postitive view of autism was not universal. I see so many parents devastated that their children have Aspergers.

I use my art as a bridge between myself and other people. If there is a chance for my art and sucess as an artist to show someone that autism does not mean a person is doomed to fail, then it is worth it.

So, May 2nd I will be featured in a gallery show. I will be extremely busy preparing art for this show but I am excited to be apart of showing invisable disabilities in a positive light.

Here is the link to the show.

http://www.thewholeperson.org/news-events/events/event-calendar

I have to get back to creating. I have precious little time to pull this off.

:-)

Passport to India

Yesterday was the Passport to India event at the Nelson Atkins. I was honored to be asked to go and teach and talk about henna again.

This is an incredible event!

I was not doing henna so I actually got to talk to people, which is very unusual. Typically my head is down, I am working and I usually miss everything going on around me.

I met so many amazing people. So many who were interested in trying the art form.

My reply to anyone wanting to play with henna is, DO IT! 

I am always extremely honest when it comes to henna as a business, there is no money in it in the Midwest. If you think henna would be a good way to earn some money, it really is not. I earn enough to cover my expenses, pay taxes and help with groceries in the summer.

I do henna because I love it! Because it makes people happy. It gives me a place in a society that I normally would not fit into.

I know it look like I have a website and blogs and a facebook and blah blah blah business. ... but it really is not. It is my heart.

The last several years many people have contacted me trying to exploit my knowledge and skill to make them money. It has left me quite jaded. 

I am super protective of henna. It really is like a child to me. I am deeply connected to it and people who see it as a money maker piss me off. There is no other way to phrase it, it pisses me off!

BUT, the people that have passion for it, the people that are interested because it pulls at them in that mysterious way only henna can; I have endless time for those people!

Yesterday I had a room full of people and a couple of girls and their mom sat down. Mom told them to use the provided markers to "draw a nice little flower, do it nice, make it look good." Wha what?

Henna is not about aesthetics. Did she have any idea how many years of practice it takes to draw a  "nice flower."

I flipped my hand over and showed the girls the henna scribbles I have from my daughter. Right now I am covered in fine detailed bridal henna.... and it means nothing to me. But, where my son tipped my fingers, where my daughter scribbled on my fingers. THAT is my favorite henna! THAT is what it is about!

That mom was rather perturbed. I told her kids that a nice designs means little compared to the heart and intention you put into a design, but oh well. Little old rebel me, bad influence.  Ya know, corrupting the youth with creativity. Hmmmmmmm. I like that!

KC Henna Corrupting the youth with Creativity. I see a new motto in my future.

Anyhow. I met so many wonderful people. It was such a great time. I dearly hope I am invited back!

The room leaders hung up my practice work on the walls, which is just crazy to me! Funny to think my artwork hung in the Nelson Atkins. *phloof mind blown.* (even if it was only for a few hours, in a classroom, for an event.... it still counts right? Ha ha)

It was amazing to see people taking pictures of my practice sheets and all of the compliments.  It was so wild. I am still processing it.

I am still unsure how to convey my deep appreciation for all of the compliments.  It is so foreign to me. In my eyes my work it still the scribbles of a new henna artist. It is hard for me to digest it is something. :)

Thank you to everyone that came out. Thank you to the Nelson Atkins and the India Association of Kansas City for hosting.

Thank you guys so much.

It's henna season! WHOOOOOOOT!

I am so glad! I do not know why winter seemed so long this year, but it did.

I love winter, I love the snow, I love the cold but cold and henna just do not mix.

Now, it is spring and henna season is gearing up.

Tomarrow will be paste making day! Whoot! The first one of the season.

There are lots of things going on this year. Holi is Sunday at the Hindu Temple. March 30th is India fest at the Nelson Atkins. The Cass County libraries are working with me to put on more "think before you ink" programs. Applications have been submitted for Makers Faire and a couple of other events.

It is going to be a wonderful year!

How it started.

Just some thoughts.....

I guess I was born seeing things a little differently.  I look for patterns and repetition. 

I remember in second grade  the teacher teaching us about patterns in school. My brain opened up and I felt a warm comfort like I had been there before. The problem was, patterns were part of math class and since then my math pages were covered in doodles of repeating patterns.

The concept of numbers was largely lost, but I remember all of the paterns.

One teacher ( I beilive 6th grade) thought graph paper might help me line up my numbers so I could perform the problems easier. Oh, what a world that opened up! All of that structure just waiting to be developed with my squiggles.

I never got better at math, but I did grow as an artist.

Which brings me to my point.

Much of creativity and being interested in something starts with an accidental  spark. But, being good, becoming "great", that is pure practice.

Intentional practice or accidental practice. Did I know when I was 7 my doodles would benefit me in life? Nope. I did it because it calmed me, helped make the world a safer place for my brain to exist in.

It all started with a pattern..... triangle. .. circle.... triangle.... circle... what comes next......

A lull in the henna world?

It is blog day.... again, nothing is going on worth blogging about in the Henna world.

I would assume in the thousands of years henna has been used there have been lulls like this. Nothing new, nothing worth blogging about.

I was discussing the lull in Henna with some other artists. I can not decided if henna has peeked in popularity or if it is so common now, skilled artists are just not as needed. The fear is, artists will lose much needed income for their families.

I understand this fear. We live in extremely scarey times financially. 

But; I also understand with the drop off in popularity the cultural and historical significance will start to come back.

In this, SKILLED artists will outshine and be needed.

To me, it will be very interesting to see what happens as popularity wanes.

It is true, anyone can do henna. It is also true that to be a true professional, you must really dedicate yourself to all facets of the art. An artist who can draw but can not mix paste, or roll cones, or understand safe henna practices,  is not a henna artist. They are someone who can draw with henna.

Will the drawers become bored when the money and willing skin slow down?

It will be very interesting to see what happens.  How henna will evolve. How the sacred will helpfully come back. How even more people will offer me their hands wanting traditional patterns and artist's choice designs because THAT is what henna is.

One artist, one living canvas,  and an ancient plant paste making hopefully happy memories. :)

Happy Inktober!

It is Inktober! Whoooooot!

In addition to henna, I draw. Well, I try to draw. It looks more like scribbles but oh well.

Inktober is a celebration of ink drawings.  All month long artists from all over the world try to create one ink drawing a day.

If you love art, do a search on twitter or instagram for #inktober.

Personally I use instagram. I hear twitter is popular too. Instagram is all pictures and video. If you are a visual person I can not recomend instagram enough!

Off to draw! Errr doodle...