Happy Anniversary: 30 Years of Card Making; 30 Years an Artist

 HAND DRAWN AND PAINTED

 RUBBER STAMP AND PAINTED

WASHI TAPE CANDLES

 

 

February 14, 1984 I began a journey that has spanned 30 years.  The magnitude of which did not really hit me until this week.  Because of my dear friend and co-worker GeeGee Black I started making handmade greeting cards.

 

I wrote poetry and had been doing so since around 1965.  Most of it was kept private, but a few were shown to friends.  Anyway GeeGee asked me to write a Valentine's poem for her good friend and I said that I would.  She was also a great promoter of my talent so she solicited other customers and told them I could make a card to go with the poems.   Huh????? I had never made a card in my life.  To the rescue my other friend and co-worker Sue Karam.  Sue went to the Grosse Pointe Park Library and got a book on making cards for me to review.  It seems that the first greeting cards were made using paper doilies.  That was interesting, but I still did not know what to do.  As Valentine's day fast approached, I became more and more worried.  I decided that the best thing I could do was to write out some instructions and follow that plan.....

 

 I still have the book with the original orders along with the type of poem they wanted.  I developed 4 styles of cards using paper doilies and went to work.  It was fun but let me tell you those cards were not masterpieces; however, they were made with love.

 

ABSTRACT FLOWERS

 

 

Over the years I have made hundreds of cards for family and friends as well as designed my own cards for Christmas, Birthdays, Mother's day, etc. most for free or at little cost.  The amazing thing is that I never considered it art or myself an artist.  Truthfully, not even a poet.  I just did not embrace my talent and that is a shame.  But, but, but......it is never too late.  My last post was about my attendance at An Artful Journey and the paintings I conceived while there.  I returned home with a different mindset.  Not one of ego, but one of appreciation.  Appreciation for the fact that I was able to dig deep within and realize that I had been hiding my talents, just doing enough but not really exploring the depths of my being and getting to the core, the essence of what I can really do.  I mostly used my talents to help others.  I have a friend who got into nursing school partly on the essay I wrote on why she wanted to be a nurse.  The advisor said anyone who wants to be a nurse this bad should be in the program.

 

I have written a couple of  written Masters Thesis' for friends; college papers for friends and a document that allowed a friend to get 2 years of college credit using her life as a housewife to show how each task could be equated to a college course for credit.  It was so much fun helping friends and more or less honing my skills.

 

Now, I am at a stage in my life where I want to just be open and explore, Make my cards, paint my pictures, start to write poems again and just enjoy the artistic me.  I have always been good at promoting the gifts of others; but never myself.

 

I want to shout from the rooftops I AM AN ARTIST.....  Today I say Happy Anniversary to Me.  30 years of making art, here's to many more.  Thanks GeeGee for seeing in me what I did not see in myself.

 

until next time.....pilgrim