Hello everyone,

As far as I can remember back in my younger days of school. I was not really interested in Art and Crafts it was not until I became an Adult that I started to look at textures of tree trunks, the patterns of leaves, stone formations. I started experiment with colours learning what colour would become if I mixed them. You could pretty much say I self taught myself. I started to find out what type of Arts and Crafts was I to have a purpose in. I started doing pottery classes. Most of the class were on the wheel even though I could do the wheel in pottery. I got more fun in hand forming and creating pieces. They do say Artists are they worse critics, I remember everyone saying my work was really great yet I lacked the confidence. My Pottery Teacher suggested I put my pieces in the Easter Show. Which I did and end up going this 3 years in a row and selling each of my two entries I was allowed to submit at the time.

Looking back at my pottery pieces I showed a lot of creativity and using different tools to form those exciting patterns that were around me. I travelled the USA and lived there for 10 Years and returned back to Australia and went back into Arts and Crafts again. The big decision for me was do I try something new or keep doing what I know. I was always up for a challenge so I went into step by step diamond painting. I did a few nice pieces but I felt like I was lacking the spark of being me and expressing myself.

I brought a canvas board, a few small paints and paintbrush and studied pictures of what I was going to paint. I could look at the picture and draw it maybe not as good as the person who originally done it.

I had my own little features that represented what I saw and started to paint using different textures like a sponge in the background, ruler to help with horizon with a sunset, mixed my colours and gave my paintings away to family and friends. I knew that painting was one of my gifts so was decorating. I started to decorate boxes with ribbons and lace and different little things around the home and found the true enjoyment. I was able to add my painting. People were starting to notice my talents and I so much wanted to express my creativity of feelings going along my way to the art journey.

Some people do not become Artists overnight, some have a talent within themselves. Some can only do stick people and feel they are unable to do it. I feel that everyone has a creative side of themselves, it is up to the individual to tune in to themselves, do not be scared to challenge yourself to learn new things. Go to Art classes with groups and learn and interact with others and watch their styles and see what suits you. There are so many different types of Arts and Crafts places to explore. I feel if you do a piece of art and you really love what you did. Display it. Enjoy what you did , learn from it and keep experimenting that may become like a tree that branches into little different things and take you down to a path of the unknown to something you really enjoy doing.

Creativity is expressing yourself and Arts and Crafts is one of those wonderful things you can do it in.

There are some wonderful books that you can also obtain either online or the local library and study the pictures and let your mind and body talk to you on what you feel about it. Listen to yourself and adventure. I remember a quote if you fall off a horse, get back up and ride it again. This goes for anything in life for me. It's a learning process to success.