About the Art of Perfection

I've been working constantly for the last few weeks to open my Etsy shop {Fashionista} Rewind. It's only very recently that I've gained enough confidence in my art to, well, even call it art let alone try to sell it to people. 

I guess it's been a journey. I've created art of one kind or another most of my life. My family and friends have been amazingly supportive. They constantly tell me how cool my pieces are or how talented I am, especially the sweet man in my life, D. But ya know, they love me. They're supposed to say nice things about my art, right? Right. Before Christmas I got all in the mood and starting creating both for gifts, myself, and maybe, just maybe things to sell. I started taking before and after pics as refashioning, repurposing, upcycling is my medium. At lunch I showed some of my things especially the way cool side table I recently created, and people were amazingly awed! These people don't know me that well really. I only started my job here in Kansas City in August. They were soooo receptive, so my confidence grew a little bit.

I created a before/after photo album on Facebook and was overwhelmed with the positive reception I was getting. Then, as sweet D raved on and on about how talented I am and how it kicks ass that I'm talented, I thought, "What the hell Q! What have you really got to lose. Violla! {Fashionista} Rewind was born. I opened up the shop on Saturday proud to have about 11 pieces to list. It electrified me! I've been going like a crazy person ever since!

Last night I felt the urge to paint. I had a couple of 16 x 20 canvases I had bought at Goodwill. I'd Gesso'd them but really didn't know what I wanted to do with them. Then it hit me! I love, love, love Pink's music. A bonus track on her new cd The Truth About Love , "Chaos & Piss," speaks to me. As I began to paint, I continued to think about the lyrics of this amazing song. It speaks to the storms in our lives but also the beauty in both the storms and in life. Suddenly, I was inspired and turned out my favorite painting to date! In honor of my muse, Pink, I decided to do a series titled after that amazing bonus track. The first one is done and can be seen on Etsy here. The second in the series is almost finished and will be listed by Wednesday! 

I realized something else as I painted last night. I thought about the personal storms in my life. There have been many. That, my friends, is not a complaint. No. I love the journey my life has taken me on because it brought me here...to where I am today. I've tried along the way, in both life and art, to be perfect. Haha! I know! It really is laughable, but I totally felt that way. Here's what I learned on my life's journey though. I'm not supposed to be perfect! I'm just supposed to be me! Period. The end. Last night while painting, I realized that my art doesn't have to be perfect either! Nope! It damn sure doesn't! It needs to speak to me and hopefully to others. It needs to satisfy my creative urges and help me bring myself to life in my work. WOW! I don't know if I can even tell you how liberating that was! 

My pieces come from secondhand, unwanted items. I completely relate to that! Think Matchbox Twenty's "Hand Me Down" on their More Than You Think You Are  album. It always seemed written for me. But bringing the beauty out of secondhand, repurposed items breathes new life into them...much the way I have refashioned and repurposed my own life. You know that light bulb moment? Yep. That's what I had. It gave me calm after the storm and a reason to share my art.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

lisaq