New Year, New You? New Artist?
New Year, New You? New Artist? My life took a bit of a turn when I signed up for a three-day workshop at the arts center where I spent some time this summer. Why? I’m not sure, but I was itching for a new challenge and thought picking up a paint brush, which I haven’t done since high school, would be fun. How did it change my life? Well, I’m writing this blog post and I’m starting a podcast to talk about what happened to me: The space it created in my brain for new things to happen. If you want to find a place where you can experiment, here are some places to try:
Neighborhood art centers: I googled “art center near me” and I found one I didn’t know about, only 20 minutes away. You may think they only have classes for kids, but they may have just the type of activity that sounds intriguing.
Writing centers and workshops: One local college near me has well-regarded writing workshops for community members. There is also an independent Writer’s Center with a wide range of workshop offerings, from beginners to nearly-there novelists.
Community Colleges: We got a Community Education catalog in the mail from our community college, and it is filled with a range of classes from instrumental instruction,, dance, photography, painting, and writing.
Local Libraries: What is offered at your library? A writer’s group? A book club? An art history class?
Online Communities: Of course, in the wake of the pandemic, online courses, groups, workshops, etc. have made collaboration and learning a truly global experience. A friend starting working in collage, and now she is part of an on-line group that shares their work, techniques, resources, and prompts and challenges that get the creative juices flowing.
What might there be in your community to help you along your creative journey?
