AUTHORS AND THEIR ART

My Journey by G. Claire

I came into this world with a small, expandable suitcase packed full of troubles. True story. The problem was, it was invisible, so no one could toss it in the trash. Which was too bad. Throughout my difficult years growing up, I camped out in my imagination when things got to be too much.

Throughout my early school time, my mother often got notes from my teachers saying: “Claire is in a world of her own. She daydreams. She must start paying attention. She must learn to focus . . . Fortunately, I didn’t pay much attention to that and found ways to listen and draw (doodle) at the same time, so my entire school career wasn’t a wasteland. At home I found sanctuary in my bedroom to draw, read and dream… my happy place. This will sound familiar to many creatives. You’ve had a similar experience or have a child with a similar bent. If the former, my heart goes out to you; if the latter, I hope you have found ways to encourage and nurture this gift in your child. I found my way through school and went to college as an art major. Writing was a personal joy to me at that time, but not something I imagined I would pursue as a career. I graduated, became an artist/illustrator/teacher and later sold my paintings to private and corporate collectors. Later, in my final years as an art teacher, a story began to form in my heart. As it grew, I overcame my own thoughts about my limitations and began to write the story. In the years to come, the story ripened and changed. It became: Dreaming in a Time of Dragons, a story about discovering your truest self and having the courage to embrace the adventure of your life. The illustrations were a lot of fun to do. I conscripted family, friends and their children as models. My iPhone camera came in handy for grabbing shots of landscapes & buildings for source photos.

My creative journey comes from a place deep within. It was not easy making the leap from artist/art teacher to author. The first hurdle I had to get past was limiting self-talk. (You’re an artist, not a writer.)

Then, educating myself on the craft of writing. . . all the while feeling the story growing inside.

If I could give any advice, it would be this: If you are feeling a new creative direction or season growing in your life, explore the possibilities. Don’t do what I did and spend years talking yourself out of it. Because we are not just one thing. We have so many facets. Life can turn in new directions. Be bold and brave, even if you have not been that way before. This world needs exactly what you, and only you, can bring.

If I could sum up what my creative works are about it would be this:

Explore the unknown.