What am I doing opening an art studio?!

What am I doing opening an art studio?!  (And, by "I", I mean my sister and me.)

I'm an attorney.  My brother and sister are the artists in my family.  People have always asked me if I can draw like my brother or paint like my sister.  I usually just shrug and tell them, "I didn't get that gene."

I always thought of art as creating something in perfect scale, with perfect color, and with some perfect meaning.

Well, I've since had kids. 

Now, on a daily basis, I color, I dance, I draw, I paint, I write, I tell stories, I build with blocks, I sing, I take pictures, and on and on.  I've realized I can do art.  It doesn't have to be perfect.  No one ever has to see.  But, importantly, it is fun.  It is relaxing.  It is the opposite of my day job. 

So, maybe I didn't get "the artist gene," if that is such a thing, but why put the idea of "art" in such a rigid mold?  Why not just enjoy the process? 

My three year old agrees.  She joins me in it all.  I love that she feels free to create.  That she can sit for hours with glue and scissors and paper and create her "cuttings."  It is fun to watch.  It is inspiring. 

Is she a prodigy? Probably not or maybe so - who knows?  But that is not my concern - she loves it.  She is using her own creativity to express herself in her own way.  She does not put herself in any mold. 

My one hang up - the mess. 

And here in lies the reason for this studio. 

I want kids to have a creative outlet.  I want parents/grandparents/aunts/uncles to feel free to join in (or not). I want a fun, enriching and judgment-free place.  And, (the added bonus) the mess stays at the studio. 

Post by: Anna Vergos Blair