"Creativity is not a talent; its a way of operating" -John Cleese
I've always had creative fuel and have always found outlets for it: 4-H sewing projects, piano lessons, high school musical theater, making pies with my mom, and decades of art classes. The satisfaction that comes from creating something cannot be matched and the thrill of seeing finished results is addictive, whether for an adolescent or an adult. Just like anything else, the more you practice being creative, the better you are, and the more easily it comes to you. I still cook and bake, I sew and draft my own patterns, I draw for hours, and I always seek out new challenges for ways to combine the skills I possess with new ones.
While studying Art Education at the University of Illinois, I was particularly influenced by the Metalsmithing program: I had discovered a creative field in which I had no experience. So, I took more classes, I experimented, I researched and taught myself skills I wanted to learn, I asked questions of experienced metalworkers. Metalsmithing is ancient and modern at the same time; it has an extensive history, yet its tangible and fresh. When you meet a fellow metals artist, you share a common language, one that is foreign to many others. They understand the rush of wearing an object that exists purely because you created it. Best of all, there are continually new tools and methods with which to create.
I've always had creative fuel and have always found outlets for it: 4-H sewing projects, piano lessons, high school musical theater, making pies with my mom, and decades of art classes. The satisfaction that comes from creating something cannot be matched and the thrill of seeing finished results is addictive, whether for an adolescent or an adult. Just like anything else, the more you practice being creative, the better you are, and the more easily it comes to you. I still cook and bake, I sew and draft my own patterns, I draw for hours, and I always seek out new challenges for ways to combine the skills I possess with new ones.
While studying Art Education at the University of Illinois, I was particularly influenced by the Metalsmithing program: I had discovered a creative field in which I had no experience. So, I took more classes, I experimented, I researched and taught myself skills I wanted to learn, I asked questions of experienced metalworkers. Metalsmithing is ancient and modern at the same time; it has an extensive history, yet its tangible and fresh. When you meet a fellow metals artist, you share a common language, one that is foreign to many others. They understand the rush of wearing an object that exists purely because you created it. Best of all, there are continually new tools and methods with which to create.