I think so much it makes me crazy... but although there are a zillion things I could be doing - other areas I could be focusing on - I KNOW I am on the right track, and here's my thoughts why:
A Little Creative is about EDUCATION - it is about inspiring and enabling people of all ages to practice and develop their creative interests, to ENJOY being creative, and to trust that they can be and deserve to be a creative person. Writing this and thinking about this just brings tears to my eyes - and that is how I KNOW that I am completely doing what I believe in, and what I should be doing above all else.
I am a creative person. I always have been and I always will be. Growing up as a child I would have LOVED more than anything to have been able to go to the creative classes that I am now providing to other children. If A Little Creative had existed 30 years ago you can bet that my parents would have enrolled me in it.. but it didn't exist. I always enjoyed doing art as a child - I was always good at it, but I didn't have any creative role models or sources for inspiration whom I SO wish I had been exposed to and influenced by.
In high-school I dropped my art subjects when they became an 'elective' subject and when school was getting 'serious' - which was year 10, I believe. I have always regretted that - always felt disappointed that no-one encouraged me to stick with what I was passionate about and talented at... The problem was that I was a 'smart' student. Easily achieved 'straight A's - and knew that I could/should be aiming at any of the 'elite' academic fields: i.e. medicine, law, engineering.
Despite 'dropping art' from my school studies - I started doing art outside of school in year ten along with a few friends who had made the same choice as I... but unfortunately the teacher that we had ( a teacher from our high-school) didn't actually teach us much - so I suggested we ditch the class and gather around at each other's house each week and just DO art - instead of paying a teacher who wasn't really teaching us anything - so that's what we did: I organised my first art group!
Really though, I am PISSED OFF that the message to me (and my other intelligent friends) was that art wasn't really a valid career choice. We were encouraged into the fields of maths and science instead.. (how BORING!)
I never, ever 'dropped art' completely - I was always actively involved in painting set designs for school productions, designing final year t-shirts - anything extra-curricular that was creative I would be involved.
I realise now that when I became an Art/Media teacher - and became employed by my old high-school - I returned there with quite a 'chip on my shoulder' - or at least a woman on a mission! To teach in a school where 3/4 of the staff taught you, is quite a weird thing! The art department had not changed very much - and I desperately wanted to make some massive changes! - I left there quite dejected and disappointed 2 years later...
Now, as A Little Creative is growing into the successful business that I dreamed of - I can see that this business is MY CALLING. I am such a passionate person, such a creative person - to create a business that SHARES my passion with others and involves them and teaches them and inspires them to love and appreciate their creativity - is just an amazing achievement.. it is WHY I became a teacher!
My business is heading towards it's first 'birthday' (the first A Little Creative classes were held in the September school holidays 2011) - and I couldn't be prouder with what I have achieved already!
This blog has seen a fair amount of my angst and uncertainty, as it has been a very difficult battle to get where I am right now - but I can see now that it is absolutely the RIGHT thing for me to be doing.
There never are any easy answers. The way forward has to be mapped out every step of the way. Right now I have BIG plans to grow A Little Creative to be a lot more than just me, and in many more locations, and of course I have fears and doubts... but the direction is not really an issue - more so, whether I should choose to push things now.. or hold off a bit longer... We'll see... But it's great to know where I am headed and why... even if the timing is still being decided.
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| Me doing potato-printing on fabric - a passion discovered a few years back now... I would LOVE to one day sell my fabric-print designs - but for now they are on the back-burner.. and I appreciate that screen-printing is a heck of a lot faster than potato-printing! |
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| Me doing oil-painting in the studio - I need to find a bit more time to do more of my paintings.. |
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| A Little Creative's recent birthday party for 8 year-old girls - painting and decorating custom-printed cupcakes on aprons. |
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| How A Little Creative studio looks now! - I'm so glad I didn't give up using this studio space - though it was very uncertain for quite a while there... (read this post from last year!) |
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| The studio last year before any classes had started... |
