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This article was written by Anjuli Johnson
I remember clearly my first scrapbook. I was almost 12 years old, and my mother helped me cover a basic three ring binder with fabric and lace. I used plastic sleeves to hold all my paper treasures- school awards and church certificates, hand-outs with quotes, pictures of friends and all different kinds of ephemera from my middle school days and on into high school. When I was in college, I quickly became enamored of the scrapbooking craze, which seemed especially strong in the Northern Utah town where I ended up. I spent a little too much on classes and supplies, but I justified myself by the reminder that it was all for preserving memories and having a way (a very fun, rather expensive way) of cataloging my life and being able to share it and pass it on. As years passed and my talent improved, I began to see the work of other artists whose work was not the result of cataloging memories, yet appealed very strongly to me.
I began to have this strong desire to use my artistic talents in other ways, but I couldn’t get past my old justification. If I was spending money with a purpose, like preserving memories and photos, I was ok. I just didn’t see the purpose in the lovely, amazing creations I was seeing around me. And I was intimidated by the creative thinking, care, and time that was so obviously a huge part of the work that I was seeing. As long as I could tell myself that what I was creating had a purpose, I could make something that wasn’t quite up to standards and still find value in it. The pictures and memories were still meaningful, even if my layout didn’t turn out quite the way I wanted, and if I couldn’t get my layouts to turn out the way I wanted, even after years of scrapbooking, how could I possibly think I’d be able to make anything else well? It wasn’t until I moved out east, and left all of my art supplies in storage (unwilling) for two years that my thinking began to change. I missed my engagement in the creative process. I missed working with my hands. I missed the satisfaction I felt in finishing a piece and I missed most of all the clarity and balance that spending time at my craft table brought to me. At one point, I started learning an entirely new hobby- working with polymer clay- as a way to get back some of what I was missing so much.
Then came the blessed day all of my long lost supplies and books were returned to me. I began to create again, and that time of fasting did for me what I couldn’t have done on my own- it gave me the courage and determination to finally jump into mixed media art- to create without a purpose. I began buying new supplies, but I also used so many of my old supplies I was surprised. Old paper I’d been collecting, old tools, old embellishments, and old ideas I recycled into new creations. I even used some polymer clay in my new pieces, and as I began to work every day, I realized that I was creating with a purpose. I was focusing my thoughts and learning more about my beliefs as I worked to incorporate meaning and symbolism in my pieces. My talents were developing and ideas were flowing more regularly. I was learning discipline and patience as I struggled with new supplies and techniques. As I started a blog and began to share my pieces, I saw others find meaning and understanding in what they saw in my work, and I was likewise moved and inspired when I began to learn about the effort and meaning in the work of other artists. It’s been amazing to realize how important and sacred the act of creation is. As we create, we become. We become better artists, but even more than that, we can become better people, and we help others do the same. It’s become a defining lesson; understanding that the process of creating is just as important, if not more important, than the final result of each piece.
I am still intimidated by the awesome art I see around me, but I no longer feel that my scrapbooks are the only valuable art I create. I have grown in courage and my comfort zone is getting bigger and bigger. So whether you are a full-time artist making millions of dollars, or a beginner full of self doubt and fear, let’s get creating and let the process refine us. It will- I guarantee it.
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Anjuli Johnson is a Mixed Media Artist from Raleigh, NC. She began her art career as a scrapbooker, and it’s been an evolutionary process every since. She loves all things mixed media- paper, glue, paint, canvas, pens, wire, gears… the list goes on and on. She is constantly trying to push through her fears to discover and develop her talents, meet new people, and learn from those around her. You can see more of Anjuli’s work on her Facebook page or Website – the Far Pavilion
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