Creative License

Even the most brilliant artists sometimes doubt themselves.

I am in no way brilliant and I constantly dabble in different mediums without being an expert at anything. But I’ve grown. I remember a time when I wouldn’t hang any of my artwork on a wall. I was much too critical, much too worried about what others might think, worried to really apply myself because I might fail. Even though I had a fine arts degree under my belt, it took me many years to feel okay just simply trying and putting myself out there. I had to love myself enough to invest in my creative self.

This is what handing out creative licenses is all about. The concept came from our board president Deanne Beausoleil. We created mini creative challenges for participants to preform (tell a story, sculpt, sing a song, draw a self portrait, etc) and when the challenge was complete, they earned their creative license. We set up shop on a cold, wet First Wednesday to encourage others to take some risks. The foot traffic was slow due to the weather, but we connected with a few brave souls. I heard a story about how grandparents had met over a flip of a coin, saw a zombie ear getting sculpted, and heard a rocking 80’s tune getting performed. We enjoyed ourselves so much, we will certainly do it again.

But here’s a little secret. You don’t have to wait for us to get started.

Do you have a project that frightens you a bit? Do you have your own painted canvases waiting to be hung? Or possibly a song that is itching to be shared? Let me encourage you to be your own cheerleader and do it! A little bit of courage is all that separates the doers and the spectators. I believe in you, and you should too!