I used to think that you had to be good at art for it to be worth creating.
I thought that everybody else would see my art in the same critical way that I did.
I would get mad if something didn't turn out just the way I had envisioned (because that made it 'bad').
I would compare my art to other art and mine would always come off as second-best.
I was aiming to create a type of art that isn't what wanted to come out of me.
Now, I realise that 'bad' art can be good, because bad art isn't bad at all. There is a definite charm to quirky, whimsical, abstract art. It has character.
Also, there is an audience for everything.
If some lady can sell vacuum dust and toenail clippings, then my art is surely going to appeal to somebody out there.
I don't make perfect art, I make real art. Like me, and you. Full of imperfections, but still beautiful and exactly as it should be.
I always wanted to be a writer, and I have always enjoyed painting. It would be a dream come true to be a writer and artist.
So why not?
Why the heck not? Why should I be scared of people criticising my art? I was scared of the same thing with my writing, but I did it anyway. So now, I'm sharing my art too.
You can check out the brand new little Art Shop tab on my website, where you can browse and buy my artwork - some of which you can see throughout this post.
At the moment, the art that I am creating is primarily in watercolour (it's a much easier clean-up with little ones) and fineliner (plus a little bit of dirt), but I am not going to pigeonhole myself. I might swap to acrylic, ash, makeup, rubbish, old teabags. Who knows?
What I do know is that I am no longer going to censor what wants to come out of me (creatively) because I am afraid that it is not good enough.
Maybe it's because I am approaching 40 and am starting to sense that time is slipping away. Maybe it's because I discovered SARK at just the right time (thank you SARK! - that's another blog post).
Whatever it is, here I am, sharing my art with the world. Marley Betts: writer, artist, and creative whim chaser. Look at me go!
I don't know what to expect so I am not going to stock my shop with 100 pictures just yet, but I am going to assume that people aren't going to criticize my art, but applaud my bravery. I want to be an example for my kids, and for you too. I don't want to be a hypocrite - I'm doing it scared, but I am also excited to be chasing dreams that I never thought possible.
What would you do if you weren't scared?
Time to go chase your dreams.
Much love,
Marley x
P.S. Click HERE to check out my little art shop (which is currently full of whimsical, wordy, watercolours).
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