Just a quick update because I’ve challenged myself to post every Monday, Wednesday & Friday. What I really want to do is settle in and watch Roman Holiday which is about to come on Turner Classic Movies :).

Over at Inspire Me Thursday the theme for this week is Crayons, which inspired me to go out and buy my first box of 64 crayons in about 25 years. I also picked up a coloring book. As soon as I cracked open the box of crayons I was transported back to the age of 5. I absolutely loved the smell of crayons as a child. I spent a lot of time drawing & painting pictures of ladies in big flowered muumuu dresses (based on my grandmother I think) usually in gardens of tall flowers. I could spend all my time creating “art” and I didn’t limit myself to just crayons. I remember getting some inexpensive finger paints as a gift from one of my uncles when I was about 4 and loving it more than any of my other gifts. Sadly, around the time I went to school I lost my passion for drawing. I realized that I was drawing the same things over and over again and got dissatisfied. I had reached the limits of what I could figure out how to draw on my own and no one thought to try and teach me ways to create new things. I also began comparing my art to other peoples and I found mine lacking. Since I couldn’t figure out how to create the beautiful things I saw all around me and I felt that my creations weren’t as good as everyone elses anyway, I stopped drawing and painting. Around that same time I also learned to read and had a whole new love, this time for stories, and creating art fell by the wayside. Looking back, I’m sad that I never allowed myself to develop or explore my artistic side. I suppose that’s what I’m working on doing now. So anyway, thanks to Inspire Me Thursday, I bought a box of crayons and a coloring book and I colored a picture. About5 minutes into coloring I remembered another reason I stopped making art as a kid. I don’t actually like working with crayons. They never gave me the look I wanted. I like using paints, markers, & colored pencils much more. I also don’t particularly like coloring in other peoples drawings. Coloring books bored me. I did manage to force myself to finish the coloring page and then I decided to have some real fun and do something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid and accidentally left my crayons in the sun. I melted my crayons. Well actually I first shredded the prettiest blue crayons in the box, threw in a dash of silver, and then melted them. The resulting slab of wax is lovely and I did have a great deal of fun making it. I’m not quite sure yet what I will use it for, maybe I’ll cut it into a pretty shape or frame it or something. Haven’t decided yet. I did learn something from this exercise (besides that I don’t like coloring inside the lines). I want to branch out in my attempts at artistry. I want to try all the different kinds of art supplies. I want to play around and find what I enjoy making. And this time I’m not going to compare myself to others. I’m just going to enjoy the process.

My little creations with crayons, so far (may edit this tomorrow if I think of something else to try):

My attempt at coloring within the lines

Shredded crayons

Ocean Reverie, my melted crayon creation

Now I’m off to watch Audrey Hepburn charm Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday. Such a lovely movie!