I love seeing the pallet! And I totally agree on the commission feelings. Also I don't want a niche. I love exploring ideas and doing lots of different things. Finding my niche/style is one of the biggest reasons that I would stop creating art. I may never "get my art out there", I may never "become an artist" in the aspect that I'll make consistent sales. But at this stage in my life all I want is to create art, to get better and better, to learn all that I can....that is what makes me an artist.
As for me the purpose of art is to be ourself, so you have to follow what and how you feel: you own rythm, your own inner voice, your own rules. The connection to your soul. Artistic community imposes often some rules, like create everyday, but finally, everyone should make as they feel. It's not artistic community, followers or others that should define yourself and your way to create. It's not easy to find our truth in all that. But A pause is important in art, because it create a passive energy, that help to recharge our battery and imagination, because we assimilate all that on the spiritual/soul level. While constant action could be a pressure and make us forget to listen to our intuitive part. Intuitivity is the key of art. So yes, it's important to understand what we want beyond others :)
Alison, it's always a joy to me to hear of your journey as you navigate the world of an artist... I'm on the other end of the spectrum (age-wise), and your words bring back many emotions and feelings I had along the way. You are blessed to have the support of a loving family-although my parents loved me, I was not supported in my desire to go into art (back in the late 70s), as not only were artists "starving," but being a woman made it even worse. HOWEVER, I pushed forward anyway and although I had no college, I took the long road in the field by working at newspapers and printing firms, ending up at a graphics agency as an illustrator and designer. I will tell you, it may not have killed my love of art, but it certainly maimed it a lot! As the Bible tells us, we will "toil by the sweat of our brow," and many a day I did not feel like creating an advertisement for a tire company or a logo for a mall, only to switch gears the next hour to create an invitation for a lady's luncheon on the ritzy side of town or illustrate an ice cream carton for a local manufacturer. But that was the job. I finally realized I had to engage each day by praying for a Godly attitude, counting my blessings, and doing my best for each client for God's glory-not my need for satisfaction. By being thankful I could work in this field-especially when others thought I'd never make it-and by realizing these talents and skills we have been given can bless others and provide a paycheck at the same time. It did help me (most of the time, although it was harder with the ornery client). I also took time to create my own art when I had the time and wasn't too tired (I could REALLY relate to you there, for sure!), but my personal art wasn't enough at that time to live on. However, that "creative discipline" kept the heartlight alive 😉. Over the years when I married and had children, I became a homeschool mom and wound up in a position I never thought I would-the honor of developing and publishing illustrated educational materials that would bless many thousands of children over the course of decades. FINALLY, I was able to do something that met my heart's desire! But it took years in doing what I had done before to get there... Today, things are different with internet connectivity and much more of an ability to promote yourself online than they were when I was your age in the field. I'm sure you've had to learn to wear many hats aside from your art skills: developing a TH-cam channel, understanding technology for both filming and preparing your art for print, marketing, and teaching. It can get exhausting and you can hit road blocks, but remember, all these areas may not always be "fun," but the idea that "you'll never work again a day in your life" is not really the truth. I'm glad to hear you share that with your audience. But the good news is, those are the times when we grow the most! I can say that as now I'm in the stage of life where I can paint what I want and don't have to worry about it supporting me, but I wish I knew more of what I'd encounter back then. Believe it or not, I see the honing and refining that took place due to times of toil, anxiety, pressure, and stress-those were definitely times of growth and assessment. You are SO right-there's no one right answer, and there will be many twists and turns to navigate in this crazy life as an artist, but the blessings are SOOO worth it... ❤
Thank you so, so much for taking the time to share your story with me! You are absolutely right; we have to choose to find the joy in our work and glorify Christ with the gifts He gives us. 💛 Your educational materials sound absolutely incredible! Could I ask what they are? I'd love to take a look at them! As a former homeschooled kid, I always enjoyed the beautifully illustrated curriculums much more than the "boring" ones. 😅 We most definitely grow the most in the hardest seasons! I like to think of them as "hard blessings"; God giving us something so good even amidst our biggest challenges. Thank you again for sharing your story of perseverance and joy! You are truly an inspiration 💛
@@allisonaletha I like that- "hard blessings"… I’ll have to remember that! Yes, I’d be happy to share! Our family-run business is “Home School in the Woods.” We began in 2002 when I illustrated our first timeline figures. Other companies came to us asking if we could collaborate to meet their curriculum needs. If you’ve used Sonlight/Bookshark (which we also created lapbooks for), The Mystery of History, Veritas Press, My Father’s World, Heart of Dakota (there were a handful of others I can’t recall at the moment), they still use our timeline figures. We also began creating illustrated history studies from 2005-2018, but I’ve only created sporadic content since then. Just about all of my illustrations were ink drawings for both printing purposes for educators, as well as an opportunity for children to color them in. Our business was physical with a warehouse attached to our home, but in Jan. 2022, we went all digital. Our kids were grown and living their own lives, and our “family team” went from six down to three: my husband (our primary administrator), our daughter (our office manager while homeschooling her own four kids), and me (social media marketer). Our younger two sons were part of fulfillment years ago, and they traveled the U.S. to various conventions. Our oldest son also manned those teams, but his primary job was as an author for most of our history studies and a marketer for us for years, until 2018. He has since gone on to develop his own business as a successful writer for larger publications, and we’re lucky if we can get on his schedule when we need his advice for business! Lol! Now that we’re done creating new content, I get to paint what I like to my heart’s content. The fine art that I did 30+ years ago consisted mainly of watercolor and acrylic. Since I began again pulling out the fine art supplies a couple of years ago, I began getting interested in more mediums. I started using pastels, and this year have added gouache, casein, and water-mixable oils to the arsenal. Also, having been more of a realist painter in the past, I’ve been doing more with impressionism, which is totally out of my comfort zone, but I’m loving it! With all these exciting new experiences, I feel like a kid in a candy store! If you want to see some of my mish-mash of art pieces (some from as early as high school!), I have an Instagram page: instagram.com/amy.pak.art/
@@amypak Ahhh your business sounds AMAZING!! I used some of The Mystery of History curriculum growing up! I love that your whole family was involved (and some of them still are!) with this. What a beautiful picture! It must've been such a wonderful blessing to have your favorite people at the core of your business. I'm so glad that you get to paint whatever you'd like now. It's such a blessing to have creative freedom. And you make SUCH beautiful artwork! I took a peak at your Instagram page, and I'm absolutely in awe of your art! Your color and light sensibilities are out of this world! 💛
Thank you for doing this challenge and sharing your thoughts and feelings on your creative practice with us. As someone who tried to have an art career young and followed all of the advice too I completely agree that it can be damaging. My creative practice was harmed for years and is only starting to come back this year, and a part of that was learning how to use gouache through your videos and from your excitement. I can tell it's your work no matter the medium you try because there are things that quintessentially your art, so please don't feel limited and thank you again for inspiring others ❤
Great video as usual :). I actually just wanted to tell you I found out Chris Hong came up with her own set of brushes with Craftamo. They come out October 17th. I know you love her just as much as I do. So I figured I'd let you know. Also I'm so excited about her new book! Are you planning on getting it as well?
![ปฏิเสธไม่ไหว (Crush on you) - LIPTA feat. No One Else [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/NBw1jF342vw/mqdefault.jpg)
I like the pallet view combination.
I love seeing the pallet! And I totally agree on the commission feelings. Also I don't want a niche. I love exploring ideas and doing lots of different things. Finding my niche/style is one of the biggest reasons that I would stop creating art. I may never "get my art out there", I may never "become an artist" in the aspect that I'll make consistent sales. But at this stage in my life all I want is to create art, to get better and better, to learn all that I can....that is what makes me an artist.
Yayyy, I’m SO GLAD that you’ve chosen to let exploration into your creative practice!! 💛
I enjoy the palette in the shot helps me as I am going through some color theory lessons
Yay, I’m so glad it’s helpful for you!!
As for me the purpose of art is to be ourself, so you have to follow what and how you feel: you own rythm, your own inner voice, your own rules. The connection to your soul. Artistic community imposes often some rules, like create everyday, but finally, everyone should make as they feel. It's not artistic community, followers or others that should define yourself and your way to create. It's not easy to find our truth in all that. But A pause is important in art, because it create a passive energy, that help to recharge our battery and imagination, because we assimilate all that on the spiritual/soul level. While constant action could be a pressure and make us forget to listen to our intuitive part. Intuitivity is the key of art. So yes, it's important to understand what we want beyond others :)
Yesssss, intuition is KEY!! We have to learn our own personal rhythms and follow them 💛
Alison, it's always a joy to me to hear of your journey as you navigate the world of an artist... I'm on the other end of the spectrum (age-wise), and your words bring back many emotions and feelings I had along the way. You are blessed to have the support of a loving family-although my parents loved me, I was not supported in my desire to go into art (back in the late 70s), as not only were artists "starving," but being a woman made it even worse. HOWEVER, I pushed forward anyway and although I had no college, I took the long road in the field by working at newspapers and printing firms, ending up at a graphics agency as an illustrator and designer. I will tell you, it may not have killed my love of art, but it certainly maimed it a lot! As the Bible tells us, we will "toil by the sweat of our brow," and many a day I did not feel like creating an advertisement for a tire company or a logo for a mall, only to switch gears the next hour to create an invitation for a lady's luncheon on the ritzy side of town or illustrate an ice cream carton for a local manufacturer. But that was the job. I finally realized I had to engage each day by praying for a Godly attitude, counting my blessings, and doing my best for each client for God's glory-not my need for satisfaction. By being thankful I could work in this field-especially when others thought I'd never make it-and by realizing these talents and skills we have been given can bless others and provide a paycheck at the same time. It did help me (most of the time, although it was harder with the ornery client). I also took time to create my own art when I had the time and wasn't too tired (I could REALLY relate to you there, for sure!), but my personal art wasn't enough at that time to live on. However, that "creative discipline" kept the heartlight alive 😉. Over the years when I married and had children, I became a homeschool mom and wound up in a position I never thought I would-the honor of developing and publishing illustrated educational materials that would bless many thousands of children over the course of decades. FINALLY, I was able to do something that met my heart's desire! But it took years in doing what I had done before to get there...
Today, things are different with internet connectivity and much more of an ability to promote yourself online than they were when I was your age in the field. I'm sure you've had to learn to wear many hats aside from your art skills: developing a TH-cam channel, understanding technology for both filming and preparing your art for print, marketing, and teaching. It can get exhausting and you can hit road blocks, but remember, all these areas may not always be "fun," but the idea that "you'll never work again a day in your life" is not really the truth. I'm glad to hear you share that with your audience. But the good news is, those are the times when we grow the most! I can say that as now I'm in the stage of life where I can paint what I want and don't have to worry about it supporting me, but I wish I knew more of what I'd encounter back then. Believe it or not, I see the honing and refining that took place due to times of toil, anxiety, pressure, and stress-those were definitely times of growth and assessment. You are SO right-there's no one right answer, and there will be many twists and turns to navigate in this crazy life as an artist, but the blessings are SOOO worth it... ❤
Thank you so, so much for taking the time to share your story with me! You are absolutely right; we have to choose to find the joy in our work and glorify Christ with the gifts He gives us. 💛
Your educational materials sound absolutely incredible! Could I ask what they are? I'd love to take a look at them! As a former homeschooled kid, I always enjoyed the beautifully illustrated curriculums much more than the "boring" ones. 😅
We most definitely grow the most in the hardest seasons! I like to think of them as "hard blessings"; God giving us something so good even amidst our biggest challenges. Thank you again for sharing your story of perseverance and joy! You are truly an inspiration 💛
@@allisonaletha I like that- "hard blessings"… I’ll have to remember that!
Yes, I’d be happy to share! Our family-run business is “Home School in the Woods.” We began in 2002 when I illustrated our first timeline figures. Other companies came to us asking if we could collaborate to meet their curriculum needs. If you’ve used Sonlight/Bookshark (which we also created lapbooks for), The Mystery of History, Veritas Press, My Father’s World, Heart of Dakota (there were a handful of others I can’t recall at the moment), they still use our timeline figures. We also began creating illustrated history studies from 2005-2018, but I’ve only created sporadic content since then. Just about all of my illustrations were ink drawings for both printing purposes for educators, as well as an opportunity for children to color them in. Our business was physical with a warehouse attached to our home, but in Jan. 2022, we went all digital.
Our kids were grown and living their own lives, and our “family team” went from six down to three: my husband (our primary administrator), our daughter (our office manager while homeschooling her own four kids), and me (social media marketer). Our younger two sons were part of fulfillment years ago, and they traveled the U.S. to various conventions. Our oldest son also manned those teams, but his primary job was as an author for most of our history studies and a marketer for us for years, until 2018. He has since gone on to develop his own business as a successful writer for larger publications, and we’re lucky if we can get on his schedule when we need his advice for business! Lol! Now that we’re done creating new content, I get to paint what I like to my heart’s content.
The fine art that I did 30+ years ago consisted mainly of watercolor and acrylic. Since I began again pulling out the fine art supplies a couple of years ago, I began getting interested in more mediums. I started using pastels, and this year have added gouache, casein, and water-mixable oils to the arsenal. Also, having been more of a realist painter in the past, I’ve been doing more with impressionism, which is totally out of my comfort zone, but I’m loving it! With all these exciting new experiences, I feel like a kid in a candy store! If you want to see some of my mish-mash of art pieces (some from as early as high school!), I have an Instagram page: instagram.com/amy.pak.art/
@@amypak Ahhh your business sounds AMAZING!! I used some of The Mystery of History curriculum growing up!
I love that your whole family was involved (and some of them still are!) with this. What a beautiful picture! It must've been such a wonderful blessing to have your favorite people at the core of your business.
I'm so glad that you get to paint whatever you'd like now. It's such a blessing to have creative freedom. And you make SUCH beautiful artwork! I took a peak at your Instagram page, and I'm absolutely in awe of your art! Your color and light sensibilities are out of this world! 💛
Thank you for doing this challenge and sharing your thoughts and feelings on your creative practice with us. As someone who tried to have an art career young and followed all of the advice too I completely agree that it can be damaging. My creative practice was harmed for years and is only starting to come back this year, and a part of that was learning how to use gouache through your videos and from your excitement. I can tell it's your work no matter the medium you try because there are things that quintessentially your art, so please don't feel limited and thank you again for inspiring others ❤
Thank you so, so much for watching and coming along this journey with me!! I’m so glad to hear that you’re coming back to your creative practice. 💛
This is so cute, I love them all ☺☺
Awww thank you so much!! 🥰
You are my therapist
Bahaha I love that 😂💛
Great video as usual :).
I actually just wanted to tell you I found out Chris Hong came up with her own set of brushes with Craftamo. They come out October 17th. I know you love her just as much as I do. So I figured I'd let you know.
Also I'm so excited about her new book! Are you planning on getting it as well?
Ooooo that’s so exciting!! I hadn’t heard about the brushes!! I’ll definitely try to get her book too 😁