Finding moments to express our creativity can be so refreshing and rewarding especially when we are bombarded on all sides for our attention. Here are three reasons why spending time with art supplies is a great way to enhance your life:
Boosts Mental Health and Well-being
Engaging in creative activities like drawing, painting, or sculpting can significantly improve your mental health. It provides a therapeutic outlet to release stress and express emotions. Studies have shown that art can reduce anxiety and depression, promoting a sense of calm and well-being.
Enhances Cognitive Abilities
Using art supplies stimulates the brain. Whether you're sketching a landscape or assembling a collage, the process challenges your mind to think creatively and explore new perspectives. This mental exercise can improve your overall cognitive flexibility, making you better able to tackle your everyday challenges with creative solutions.
Encourages Self-Expression and Personal Growth
Art is a powerful form of self-expression that allows you to express your thoughts, feelings, and ideas that might be difficult to articulate with words. It enables self-discovery and personal growth, helping you understand yourself better and communicate more authentically. As you experiment with different mediums and techniques, you also build confidence in your abilities and develop a unique artistic voice.
When you incorporate creative activities into your routine with your art supplies it not only enriches your life but also nurtures your mind and spirit. So, pick up those brushes, markers, or clay, and let your imagination soar!
Check out some of Artezas Art Supplies, and discounts on Amazon HERE
Arteza's Art Supplies
Join us HERE on Realityarts Academy for FREE art courses and resources.
Welcome to Material Musings, in this video I share some ways that I use fabric scraps and create mini projects. I show you some of the panels and wall hangings in progress, waiting for either some stitching, beading or to be added to another project.
I also share how I create these fun badges, they will either be placed on another project or can be used as a tag or in an art journal spread. I will be adding some more stitching to the pieces and maybe some beading to each of them.
How are you using your fabric scraps, or your supplies that you have neglected?
If you decide to create them, remember to share on IG and tag me @realityarts
Check in your own supplies to see what you have. Here are some of the additional supplies that I used:
Brads - https://amzn.to/3VsNA7c
Hot Glue Gun - https://amzn.to/3vtsb32
Embroidery Thead - https://amzn.to/3VsATJr
Ribbon - https://amzn.to/3PvE3Zh
Fabric panels (available in different colors) - https://amzn.to/495SutS and check out - https://amzn.to/3Tq9ghM
Have fun!
Before you go
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I am so glad that you could join me for in the studio. I am reviewing the book Treasured Notions, which is a lovely book especially for those of us who like to collect a range of materials and elements for our creative work. You can access the book on Amazon - https://amzn.to/3Enp4vE
I had a look through some of the things that I have collected and use in my fabric work and you can see a selection of the beads that I have in my collection. The beads which come in all shapes and sizes, you can make your own out of recycled material as well which can be great fun.
I have been using beads for years. These particular ones I brought around 20 years ago, which I think makes them Vintage! I used to wear my hair in plaits and would add the beads at the end - using the colors Red, Yellow and Green. I was rocking it back then:)
The beads are glass so quite a few of them over the years broke. I now use them in my mixed media stitched projects.
As well as purchasing the beads individually or in a set, you can sometimes find some great beads at the local charity store. At one point my local charity store was making bundles of unsold jewelry and beads, it was like a treasure hunt and you always came away with some amazing pieces, I had some great finds that are being prepped for many different projects.
One way to be creative if you don't have time to get on with a project is to maybe spend time sorting your supplies. You would be amazed at what 5 minutes create play can do when you try and fit it into your schedule.
Check out the Video Below that I shared as part of my Essential supplies series to get a better look.
Check out the Art Resource Hub for July and see some of the offers available and the Free Courses. You can click on the links below to go directly to the offers.
Three lucky winners will have a chance to win the entire Art Bundles for Good #6 including $5000 worth of art courses and other great resources. There are over 100 art resources from more than 85 of your favorite artists this year.
It doesn’t cost anything to enter, so don’t miss out. Enter HERE
The Art Bundle Giveaway only lasts for 1 week, starting today! The more you share, the more chances you have to win.
Art Bundle #6 is Coming on November 4th for 5 Days!
The sixth Art Bundles of Good is coming next week. This is the best deal in online art classes you will find. There are more than 85 artists contributing 100+ art courses and resources with a value of over $5000!
25% of the profits from the sale are going to Courageous Kitchen, a Bangkok based charity helping refugees. We’ve raised US$81,654 for charity so far.
Visit the website to enter the Art Giveaway. Three lucky people will win the entire bundle of art resources!
Welcome to the Arts and Wellness Café - in todays episode the topic is the word 'Deep' and we look at the layers we can go within our creativity.
Are there layers to your work and have you been avoiding going 'deeper? I share an art journal page and review of Graphite Tint water-soluble pencils
You can check out the Graphite tints and other links below
Graphite Tints - https://amzn.to/3lvLyQ4
Podcast Video - https://youtu.be/RWVRyL5lr4s
Dover Stencils - https://bit.ly/DOVPAT21
Collage Lab Book - https://amzn.to/3kgY9aD
Have you found your style? It took me over a year with practice to get an idea at the kind of images I wanted to create, then I had to let go and see what wanted to be brought forth - If I listened what would I create?.
A combination of what was inspired and what was in my subconscious. It took a while before I felt comfortable and it still takes a while to understand the messages or stories that want to be told in the piece of work.
Art Journal Page using graphite tints - Treasure
Tip for the Week
In Tip for the Week I share what might happen if you ask yourself the question 'What if' If you followed it through where would it lead you. What if you could create anything you want or try any medium. How about applying for that opportunity and going for it even if you feel nervous or scared. The time is now to 'step out of the boat and soar'!
Question of the Week
I also ask in Question of the Week we think about the things that we have been hiding from ourselves. What is that for you?
Here is a short video in which I share with you painting on fabric. It is one of 3 short videos to get you inspired to creatively play with your supplies.
I think it is important to get a view of how things start their journey, usually at this stage as a piece of fabric that gets painted, then it is built upon.
It is great to experiment and find ways to either use the pieces as accents or main feature in a stitched piece. There are many fabrics that you can create different effects with using your art supplies.
I also have an Arts and Health NHS Network for information on activities and organisations working in the field. You are welcome to join, it is a FREE resource and if you have any activities or want to talk about your work you are welcome to send me the information and I will see that it gets uploaded. You can create your own profile on the network and connect with others who are passionate about the arts in health too.
When you are feeling stuck and not sure what to do creativity, just play with your supplies, check out my latest video of one of the ways in which I get myself back on my creative tract.
In this post I share with you a selection of product reviews as part of Inspirational Shorts, to share with you the way in which I use a range of supplies and also how I have found using them. I would love to hear what your experience of these supplies are. You can also check out my Amazon page to see other supplies and resources you will be able to see.
Conte Pastel Pencils
Bees Wax Review
Apple Barrel Review
You can also Listen to the Podcast to hear about the Inspirational Shorts reviews as well. Click on the link or the image.
Thank you for joining me, stay blessed and be a blessing
Welcome, today I will be sharing Episode 188 of Inspirational Shorts where I review the art supply Mod Podge sharing with you how I use it and other varieties of mod podge that has been created. The word for the day is Brave, so it is to also look at your creative life, or activities and see where you either have been brave or need to be brave
Listen to the Podcast
Watch the Video
We all need to step out of our comfort zones at times and try something new, or take our art into a different direction. Learn about a new artist or get some supplies in that you are new to.
Get out your art journal and maybe create a page that has tapped into the answers to some of the questions that you might be asking yourself as you decide where the next brave steps will lead you to.
Welcome to today's post, I am taking part in a 31 day blog challenge where I post everyday in October. I love creating challenges for myself and joining ones by others. My challenge for the rest of the month is to reflect on some of the series I created for myself and inspiration that I have taken away.
Listen to the Podcast
Today is the second part of the challenge that I did called 31 Art Studio Essentials. Yesterday I looked at the necessity for not only spending time everyday in an art practice but work with what you have and spend time getting to know your supplies.
For those people who are starting out you have to resist wanting to purchase every single art supply that you can get your hands on. It is tempting I know, I've done it, I used to get this inner urge that felt as if it were driving me and the feeling wouldn't stop until I had pressed buy now on Amazon. Once the item came there was some initial excitement, and then it left.
There are several things that you can do if you are on a budget:
One of the things that you can do is to swap with a fellow artist. They may have the supply you are thinking about buying and visa versa, you can try it out before you commit.
Also some companies give away samples, you could contact the company that makes the supply you want to purchase to see if they will send you a sample.
Is there a sale on where you can purchase the items at a discount - If you are in the states and shop at Michaels you may be able to use a Code to get a discount off your total spend.
Are there things around your home can double up as art supplies? You might be able to save some money by say making your own journals, stencils, stamps. In one of my videos I spoke about how you can make your own art journals by making your own from directories - the department store directories are made with quite nice paper as well.
It has taken me a while to know the different mediums I like and I realized over the years that I had many favorite mediums and through experimenting became confident in using a variety of them together.
I also go through phases when I only want to use just one particular medium, but end up combining it with other things say clay with textiles, and jewelry embellishment. When you experiment you come up with some exciting surprises and combinations that just fit together.
Working on the challenge enabled me to look at my materials in a different way that has worked for me. It is vital that you give yourself time with your supplies and get to know them. I discovered with supplies that I had brought, I didn't do any of the points such as check to see if a friend has pastels I can try out I just went and brought them.
They were quite pricey and for some reason I had to have them I should have started out with a cheap set or a smaller set but once I had brought them I realized that I disliked the dust and getting my hands dirty, the feel was uncomfortable and they just stayed in a draw for the longest. I didn't play around with them, but because of the cost I didn't want to let go of them either. Years later I saw an artist use them with gesso - which is one of my favorite supplies to use in an art journal and when I tried it it worked for me and I was able to give my pastels new life.
Day 4 Insights
Some of my favorite supplies are jewelry pieces that I use with some textiles, I love collecting different supplies but they all tie in together and can be used interchangeably. You don't have to spend a fortune, you can find jewelry at the thrift or charity store, or you may have some that you don't wear that you can re-purpose.
I also enjoy creating moulds to use with clay work. Some of the store brought moulds can be expensive, but you can make your own You can also find unique molds that you can create your own embellishments.
What has your approach been to your supplies? Do you have some that are just hanging around waiting for a new home or could you breath new life into them? Why not combine them with other supplies and give them a new lease of life.
Tomorrow I will share snippets from my Tropical Garden Series. I hope during this month you find some time to challenge, be creative and stretch yourself.
Why not join me each day for the rest of October as we dive into to some exciting challenges and look at ways in which they can impact on your own life.
I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, it is never too late to start! The main thing is to take one step at a time and do something that you find interesting.
Stay blessed and be a blessing.
Ps: If you would like to check out some art supplies and materials at a discounted price, check out one of the links below:
Check out this video on some of the stamps in my supplies
Thank you for joining me in my studio for the Art Studio Essentials Daily Series.
I had hoped to have finished at the end of January, but you are in for a treat as it will go on for a couple more weeks into February. I hope that throughout the series you have felt that this has been a way to kick start your creativity as you check out some supplies that I have and sort through ones that you have in your stash.
Today I will sharing with you my Stamp supply, ones that have been brought, free gifts and then ones I started making. They come in all designs and sizes.
It is quite easy to get sucked into purchasing lots of supplies and then you end up only using a few because you realize that you just don't need quite so many - you can't use them all at once.
We all have 5 minutes that we can give to creative play, why not see how you can fit creativity into your every day, and dig out those stamps you may have and see what you can do with them!
Handmade Stamps and Embossing Powder
If you are just starting out and on a budget I would suggest you think about what projects you might need to use the Stamps for and how else you might be able to use them - with Mixed Media the ideas are endless! Some stamps work good on their own but equally as part of a background, you can get great patterns from the whole stamp or use just a part of it. You can also use a variety of other things like embossing powder as above, on fabric, there is no limit to what you could try.
You can check out discount stores that may have a good supply, I have listed some below, and also check out my Resources page, for current discounts. You can also get free stamps on some of the Craft Magazines on sale, so it is a good idea to have a look in some of these.
If you are researching how to be more creative on YouTube then check out the tips and advice on ways to be Creative and regaining your Creative spark, sign up to my Mailing list and receive the publication 25 Ways to fit Art and Creativity into your day!
I am also Teaching on the BADASS Art Journal Course which started on the 5th February, so you can still sign up. I am giving away this Bonus when you sign up - Check it out HERE
Stay blessed and be a blessing!
Check out some of these Craft/Magazine and Book resources below. There are some discounts available on each, and also check out the Resources page for updated discounts.
Realityarts - Creativity Book Shop - Some really great titles for you to dive in
Creative Resources
Affiliate Links
Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you purchase a product after clicking an affiliate link, I receive a small percentage of the sale for referring you. I only have links to products that I would buy myself. Purchasing through affiliate links is an easy, painless way to help out your favorite artists/bloggers at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
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