Be the Artist You Were Meant to Be

One of my favorite websites is http://www.textileartist.org/ because it is one of the best resources around for textile artists of every stripe. I love getting their newsletters and the most recent had a story that I had seen on television, but only the last part of it. Fortunately, the story in the newsletter was complete and I am just in awe of these two sisters. Born twins, one had Down's Syndrome, and was institutionalized for most of her life. Her sister, however, never stopped missing or thinking about her, and once grown and able, she found her and brought her home to live with her and her family. As it turns out, the missing sister had an absolutely amazing talent for mixed media fiber art! This is such an awesome story about how each of us are imbued with a talent of some kind, no matter our circumstances, and that the resilience of the human spirit is nothing short of miraculous. The link to the story is here and I hope you take a few minutes to read it. It truly is inspiring. Here is the link:

http://www.textileartist.org/textile-artist-judith-scott-uncovering-innate-talent/

Sometimes it is hard to find what your artistic niche is but I think Judith held the key to discovering it. You sit down and you do the work. You grab what you love whether it be yarn, strips of fabric, paint, or beads and you play with it. You roll it around, you wrap it, you fold it, you glue it, or stitch it. You tweak it, then tweak it some more. You add colors you love, textures you're crazy about, and perhaps a sparkle here or there. You change it, add to it, remove from it and start all over. You challenge yourself to not give up just yet, there are more than enough alternatives left. You smile at it, puzzle over it, and get frustrated because of it. You keep doing it, making it, creating it and finishing it. It is what you were born to do. And in the doing and all that it entails, you find that niche, that specialty that is yours and yours alone, and it feels fantastic.

Never give up on your dreams or your talent. Do what speaks to your heart, that makes you tingle with excitement and absolutely electrified. Go for it, no matter the negatives you may feel or hear, it is your destiny and creative soul at stake. Be content that you have realized it and that the work needs to begin. Own it, because it is yours.