Why did I decide to do the Strange Birds, and why on Earth would I call myself one?
I did my best to answer that in this week’s art chat. Unfortunately, the audio and video didn’t work that well. I tried a new piece of software called BeLive to broadcast from my computer, and it didn’t work that well. At least not this time. So I’m writing it here instead.
What inspired the Strange Birds series of paintings?
I wanted to do a series of birds in watercolour and I wanted it to be playful, different and a creative challenge both for me and the viewer. So I decided to call the series Strange Birds since they were meant to be just that, strange. I had just finished the 100 Sacred Symbols and knew I wouldn’t want it to be that long, so I listed 15 European birds that I would do for the series. This is number 13, by the way. The Confident Carrot-Top Cygnet. I’ll talk more about that when I put it up in the shop.
Is there a Strange Bird hiding in you?
If there is, are you letting it out to play, or are you hiding it?
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Why would I call myself a Strange Bird?
The idea actually came from one of the buyers of the paintings. She said “You’re a pretty strange bird yourself”, meaning it in a positive way 🙂 I could only say “Yes I am”.
What makes this true these days is:
- I’m a multi-passionate, variety-loving creative and owning it.
- I have my own take on spirituality and I’m not afraid to share it.
- I use my intuition for my decisions but I also use my intellectual reasoning.
- My attitude towards living with chronic pain
- My way of running a business (cookie-cutter free)
- My approach to doing art (including my intuition, spirituality, and other interests)
- Having a huge comfort zone (haven’t fond the edge yet)
- …and a number of other things
So you see, it does fit 🙂
I’ve been living my life on the outside of the mainstream for most of my life. These days, I like being different, although it wasn’t always that way. I have not desire to be like any other artist. I want to do things my own way. That includes not only my art but also how I choose to market my art. How I write about it, what kind of art I do, what I blog and talk about. As well as how I connect to people.
I’d say I’m definitely strange as well! I have no wish to “automise” my business and “stop doing 1-on-1 coaching” because that’s what I thrive on. So, I don’t fit most of the “how to get rich” formulas offered by gurus on the web, haha!
Fittingly, my coaching is also aimed at people who would like to break out of standards and do their own thing.
Strange is more fun. Normal is boring 🙂 Those cookie-cutter strategies make me cringe. It’s like my intuition is screaming “Don’t do that!”.