Posted by Gracie2 on January 19, 2002, at 22:31:18
Before my, uh, breakdown, I was a semi-professional artist. I sold acrylics on canvas and did murals for freinds and in my own house. I was also hired to do murals at a children's hospital and a high school. After starting high doses of psychiatric drugs, however, I lost every creative urge. I replaced the time I had previously spent painting by sitting in front of the television and watching mindless shows like Jenny Jones, Ricki Lake and Jerry Springer (definately the worst). It amused me to see that there were people out there who were even more screwed up than myself.In the meantime, a good friend of mine in Pennsylvania
has opened her own store in the Poconos to sell the painted ceramics she makes. The store is a success and she is now working on her own website to sell more ceramics. The interesting thing about this is, my friend never showed an iota of artistic talent during the first 40 years of her life. Her story is worth telling in full, I believe.My friend, who is known as Cleo, does not act particularly macho or anything, but she's a tough cookie. We met when we were both stationed in a MASH
(field) unit in Germany. She became famous on post during a drinking contest when we were stationed out in the field with our German sister unit. She out-drank all the Germans in the contest, a thing unheard of for the German soldiers. They were appalled to be beaten by - not only an American (beer is much stronger there than it is in the US) -but a female as well.Born and raised in Yonkers, she got out of the Army and returned to New York City. She worked as a city paramedic while she finished her RN training. She eventually worked as the charge nurse at the ER in Bellevue hospital, which is not a job for the weak or faint of heart. One night after work, she was unlocking her car when a mugger ran up and tried to snatch her purse. She returned with a round-house that broke the guy's nose and a bone in her own hand. They were able to catch the mugger by following the trail of blood to an alley where he was hiding.
The fracture in her hand was severely displaced and had to be reduced (pushed back into alignment). Because of the physical demands of her job, she was taken off work for weeks. Not used to being at home and bored and somewhat disabled, she went wild with boredom. One day, her husband brought home an unfinished ceramic piece and some paints, just to give her something to do. And an artist was born.
The going was hard at first with a cast on her hand and no real interest on her part. But her talent evolved with her interest, and she continued to paint ceramics after she returned to work. Eventually she became more interested in painting than nursing, and she cut down her work at the hospital to devote more time to her hobby. After a few years, she teamed up with another local artist and they opened a small shop, which does especially well with the tourists there in the Poconos.
So I got to thinking. I was no longer capable of producing whole works of art on canvas, but I thought I could handle something small that didn't require the thought and talent necessary for painting freehand. So I bought a little wooden box at the crafts store and some acrylic paints, and...very slowly...I became devoted to painting these little boxes. I paint and sand and paint and sand and cover these boxes with all kinds of designs and patterns, and they're very good quality. They are my art therapy, and I've had two offers to sell them at stores.
I can't say that they are my reason for living, but they certainly supply a purpose that I didn't have before. Finishing and selling a box provides satisfaction and a goal, which has been quite therapeutic for me. It is necessary for me to leave the house for supplies, research and sketch drawings, organize myself, learn new painting techniques, interact with strangers (something I normally shy away from)and might even prove profitable in the long run,
although that was never a consideration at first.I recommend art therapy to anyone whether it's painting, knitting, pottery, woodwork, glass, photograpy, music, gardening, etc...even if you don't feel that you're normally creatively inclined, like my friend Cleo. The most important aspect of concentrating on your artwork is that is can derail the destructive train of thought normally occupying your mind, at least for awhile. And that's a blessing.
-Gracie
poster:Gracie2
thread:16995
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20020112/msgs/16995.html