Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Talent

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This page is from my Altered Book of Me that I’ve been sharing.  Again, I want to thank Tam for providing such an awesome class for free!  I may be slow in getting through the projects, but they have all been wonderful to work on. 

This spread is all about using my talents.  I was a very shy child.  It was hard for me to make friends because of this.  I loved music because I could express myself without stumbling over words or feeling awkward.  When I sat down at the piano, my insecurities lessened and I let the music absorb my overthinking mind and just let my emotions flow out of me in the music I played.  Having that form of expression available to me growing up really helped me cope through troubling times.  I still use playing as a sort of therapy.  If something is troubling me I can sit down and play.  Sometimes I play notes off of the page and just get absorbed into the feelings that the music seems to project.  A lot of the time now, I’ll just sit down and make up things.  I think this impromptu creating of my own music has been the most amazing way to express emotions that I cant seem to voice any other way. 

I also have loved to draw since I was very little.  I grew up being the “musical” one and my brother was the “artist”.  It kinda pisses me off that we were labeled as such because I think it limited both of us.  I didn’t fully embraced my artist side until well into my 30’s.  That’s a lot of years that I could have used to further develop my skills.  I also could have used art as another form of self-expression and self-discovery that would have been quite useful in my teens and twenties.  I let someone else’s idea of who I was shape what I did.  Thankfully, I have grown into some self confidence, and lots of stubborness, so I will never again let someone else’s ideas limit me from who I really am.  It seems as time passes I let what others think of me impact me less and less.  Its a very freeing aspect of aging that no one ever tells you about.  I may not enjoy my body growing older and developing aches and wrinkles, but I love that at this age, I can do what I want without worries that others will think I’m crazy, or weird.  I am a little weird and crazy and I love who I am. 

So, that’s how I use my talents.  I express myself in a way that I’ve never been able to with spoken or written words.  It soothes me and allows me an outlet for my over emotional self.  How do you use your talents?

4 comments:

  1. I love your page..and your thoughts on it... this is so true..I was pegged the artsy one but music was so much more important in our house and my sister was much better at that...lol.. I have downloaded that class but still haven't had a chance to look at it.. this weekend.. can hardly wait.
    Kath

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  2. That's one of the classes I'm behind on! :D (Oh blimey that makes it actually 4! Eek!)

    I know what you mean. My sister was labelled the artist and I the reader... and later the one that kept having babies ;) I always loved to draw but always felt she was the better at it. In the end it's me that has ended up so deeply involved in arty stuff and she turned her attentions to a different kind - 3D digital design. We shouldn't put labels on our kids - we might figure out who we are that little bit sooner.

    Love your journal - haven't got to the altered book yet.

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  3. Great post! I love how honest you were and that your music is so freeing for you! As a child, I too was labeled; as an artist, also as a "loner" and "not good at math" isn't funny how we let these labels define ourselves? I'm glad that my labels included art, but I'll always wonder what other things I might have been good at, if only I'd ventured out of the safety of my label....As a Mom, I'm very careful to never label my children, and I try to not let them label themselves.....of course society can laways be counted on for some labels too:)
    Thanks for your thoughful insights, really hit home for me!

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  4. Love the page and all of the emotion and thought behind it. Art has always been my therapy too. I noticed how calm and focused I become when I have a paintbrush in my hand a long time ago - probabaly around age 14. I am always grateful for that creative and health outlet !
    Cheers !

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