Sometimes creative freedom is a bold statement you declare to the world. LOOK! I MADE THIS — AND I THINK IT’S WONDERFUL!
And sometimes creative freedom is a wonky little project you made in pottery class.
I made this wonky little project in my pottery class.
It’s a bell. (Obviously.) 🙂
And like the famous Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, this wonky little pottery class bell is a powerful symbol of freedom for me.
Creative Freedom
For starters, this bell represents the freedom to try something new. I’ve been taking pottery classes off and on (mostly off) for years now. My work barely seems to improve. But I keep signing up for more classes because I like the way the clay feels in my hands and I’m delighted that I can now throw a bowl big enough to eat cereal out of it.
The bell wasn’t thrown on a pottery wheel. My teacher demonstrated a new-to-me hand-building technique and I tried it. Trying new things doesn’t always come naturally to me. Normally, I would have waited.
And waited some more.
I’m not good enough on the pottery wheel yet. I need to work on that some more before I try a new technique. I probably won’t be good at that either so why bother?
Creative freedom begins when you allow yourself the freedom to try something new.
But it doesn’t end there.
My Creative Freedom Bill of Rights
The freedom to make things happily and imperfectly is the second amendment on my Creative Freedom Bill of Rights. This bell is a perfect example of making things happily and imperfectly. It isn’t a refined piece of art that will be displayed in a museum or sold to the highest bidder at an auction.
For a long, long time, I believed the only things worth making were things that could be sold at my mom’s shop. If it wasn’t good enough to sell, then what’s the point?
The point is I like making things. All kinds of things. Some things turn out really awesome like my grandma’s hutch I recently repainted.
Most of the things I make are imperfect. Like my bell. And this stack of watercolor sunshines I painted over the summer as part of a wonderful online class by artist Dana daPonte. I want to bind my happy little sunshines into a book. But I don’t know how to do that … yet.
Some days I have to remind myself that it’s not a waste of time.
It’s how I choose to invest my time.
And the return on that investment is me.
I learn new skills — like bell making and book binding. But more importantly, I feel happy when I’m making art whether it’s clay bells or watercolor sunshines or painting furniture. It’s just good for my overall mental health and well-being to give myself the time and space to make things, even imperfect things.
A Creative Skill I’m Still Working On
The freedom to make decisions is one I still struggle with an emerging skill for me. I had to make a lot of little decisions to bring this bell into creation. I realized a while ago that I’m very good at weeding out bad choices. But when it comes to choosing between two (or more!) good things? I become paralyzed.
Rummaging through a bag of beads from my Cosmic Smashbook Book Club supplies, I realized how fun it is to discover new things. Then immediately became overwhelmed by all of the options. I liked the copper beads AND the turquoise beads AND the silver ones.
Which ones are the best ones to choose?
I am learning that when I have a decision narrowed down to two or three things — and they are all good things — then it really doesn’t matter which one I choose.
Seriously. Doesn’t matter.
There’s no need to feel overwhelmed. Just close your eyes, pick one and keep moving forward.
That’s easy to say, harder for me to do. But I find that the more I practice this new-to-me skill — just choosing something and going with it — the easier it gets.
The Freedom To Enjoy What You Create
Finally, this bell represents the freedom to enjoy what I have created.
Whether I’m creating a wonky pottery class project or creating a life I love to live in, it’s my creation and I’m not ashamed to enjoy it. There is SO MUCH freedom in claiming that — for your art and for your life!
It has taken me a long time to get to the point where I can honestly say:
I really like the wonky little things I create.
And guess what else I can finally say?
I really like my life right now too.
Do you want to know my favorite thing about my bell?
It rings.
Loud. Clear. Joyfully.
So in a way, this wonky little pottery class project does make a bold, clanging statement to the world.
Me too. Here’s my statement:
LOOK! I MADE THIS! IT’S A CREATIVE FREEDOM BELL – AND I THINK IT’S WONDERFUL!
💖 Courtney
Looking for a way to express your creative freedom? Check out my free online course: How To Make A Cosmic Smashbook