Some time back, I wrote an article about how I was really struggling to produce original work, here: https://allsortsartbyali.blogspot.com/2018/02/i-dont-know-why-its-challenge.html
I felt like I was squandering my abilities and also wasting an opportunity to practice and improve them.
Fortunately, while cruising www.meetup.com for interesting groups, I happened upon something that helped a great deal: a local art meetup group that had just formed! Remembering how much my mom, also an artist, had enjoyed participating in her local art alliance, forging lasting friendships and producing amazing public artwork, I smashed that Join button like Wonder Woman punching a Nazi.
The meetup migrated to become a Facebook group, and we had events that ended up in my meeting members of another Facebook group of artists and joining that one, as well. Both groups would meet regularly at coffee shops or brewhouses to enjoy a beverage and work on art projects. I don't attend every meetup, but when I do show up, I enjoy it immensely. There is a lot to be said for sitting with creative people, enjoying each other's company and creative vibes, just chatting, sipping, and sketching.
This has helped me become more productive even when I'm not with the groups, as well, as we frequently post our work on the groups' Facebook pages for each other to enjoy and be inspired by. I have made good friends in the groups, and that also inspires me to create for them (and prods me to work on things so that I will feel like I am “keeping up”, at least a little.
My participation in the group is what improved my participation in Inktober, for example. I knew about Inktober before joining the groups, but I had only managed to put one or two drawings out in the initial years, as can be seen here: https://allsortsartbyali.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-little-backstory-on-inktober.html
However, the members of my drawing group are very enthusiastic about participating in Inktober, and I get swept up in it, too. The weekly drawing meetups are a great opportunity to work on the Inktober drawings, and it's always inspiring to see what my friends are producing for each prompt. I've enjoyed sharing my work on Facebook with them and have even joined a few online art groups to show off my stuff. There are so many fantastic artists whose work moves and inspires me! I'm in a much better place than before, and I'm grateful to Meetup, Facebook, and my artistic friends for the support and inspiration.
Image: My drawing of Imperator Furiosa from Mad Max: Fury Road. It's not a great likeness, but I did it in fifteen minutes. It was a blitz challenge to produce as many drawings from friends' suggestions as I could until I exhausted myself. I did SIX before I hit the wall!
For regular shenanigans, please follow my Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/allsortsofart
