Beginnings

How to get started in art on a shoestring, heal your life, and change the world.

Hello, and welcome to the first update. I wanted to explain why it is taking me so long to get started with this new venture, what I have been doing and my plans, and I wanted to apologise for taking so long to do my first update.

First, I wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone that has subscribed, it means a lot to me and has given me the encouragement to get going. When we're starting out in art, we often have 'that voice', the voice of part of us that is saying "Why are you doing art? You're no good! Everyone will see and laugh!" and it tries it's best to put us off from even starting, even though we realise that everyone has to start somewhere. That voice is the reason that I've taken so long to get to my first post here. There was a part of me that was saying "Don't do it, why do you think you have the right to tell others how to do art, you're terrible!" - even though I know that the voice was wrong. I do know a lot about painting, drawing, materials, techniques, you name it. But the voice just sneaked in there for a while and made me doubt myself. And this brings me to the reason I started this thing in the first place.

A watercolour and gouache painting of Batson Creek near Salcombe.

Firstly, I passionately believe that making art, be it painting, drawing, sketching, sculpture, collage, digital drawing, whatever, can make you into a better, happier, healthier person. And it can transform your life, and the lives of other people around you, in ways that you can't always first appreciate. Making art is a positive and constructive way to spend your time, unlike spending hours on social media getting depressed at the state of the world, art allows you to make stuff that improves this world, allows you an escape, improves your mental health, and improves your creativity. Many studies have shown that people who make art have less stress and anxiety, and it can help you to cope when times are bad, such as dealing with loss. The act of making art gives you time to think, to ponder, to make connections, to listen to music. To grow. And heal.

Sketch done at Crook’s Peak in my tiny sketchbook.

Secondly, making art can transform your world. Every time we make art and share it (or sell it, if you want to do so) we change the lives of people that see your art, even slightly. Art can improve our environment, sometimes just by being a nice picture on a wall, sometimes by being about a subject that invites discussion, such as environmental issues or things that are happening in society. Either way, the art changes the world in many subtle ways.

A pencil sketch done at Stockhill wood of a path leading up a small hill into the distance.

And lastly, making art is just, well, fun. It’s an enjoyable way of spending your time. Even drawing in a sketchbook or doodling in meetings or while watching TV is great fun and whenever I do this and then look back on my sketchbooks later, I can remember what I was doing and feel something of what was happening at the time.

I have many plans for how I can help you on this journey of discovery. First there is this mini blog and mailing list, where I will post regular updates, tips and boosts to help you get started on your art journey or improve if you have already started. I am hoping we will learn together, and as I learn new things; I will share them with you. You will find as an artist that you are always learning something new! I certainly am.

I am also in the early stage of preparing to start a YouTube channel, so I can share videos that can inspire, help you get moving, and show longer form videos where I will paint, and you can watch. I also want to show a wide range of techniques and styles, from sketching, to painting, realistic work and more abstract work too.

In the new year I want to start offering some art courses, which eventually will be a paid course, but in the first instance I will need volunteers to do the course first - free of charge of course - who will be my guinea pigs and help me iron out the bugs. If you want to be one of the 'beta testers' then let me know asap.

I have called this project 'The Shoestring Artist' mainly because I am starting this on a shoestring, and because like you I don't have a fortune to spend on art supplies and so I wanted to show you how you can get going for as little money as possible. I originally wanted to call it 'The Bootstrap Artist', as in pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. However, that term isn't widely used in the UK, plus it always seems to me that it implies that if you aren't doing your utmost at succeeding you are somehow a failure, and that goes against everything we are aiming for here. We are in the business here of spreading a healing, supportive atmosphere, not beating ourselves up for things we think we should be doing.

This also pulls through into a crucial point that I think is worth making clear at the start. We create art for ourselves. As an artist the best art that I make is when I create something that makes me happy and proud of what I have made. We don't have to, ever, think about "well would people buy this?" or "nobody will like this". We have been so conditioned by capitalism and big tech and social media that we think we always must be making art for others, or for sale, or to get likes, when that simply isn't true. We make art for ourselves, for our benefit, and it doesn't have to be seen by anyone else or sold or put online for likes. I want you to remember that as you do a sketch or a painting or whatever. You are doing it for you.

Again, thanks for subscribing, and welcome to the start of this great adventure. I hope to get the next update out soon so watch this space.