Following Passions and Exploring New Art Forms
Curiosity Can Lead to Growth
A dear friend recently talked about entertaining curiosities while following your passion. This resonated with me as I recently entertained the idea of picking up a new art form and making a new daily practice. Was this going to be a true passion? Or a curiosity I needed to explore?
Even though I have been working on my fifth ukulele-themed children’s picture book, something sparked my interest in creating caricatures in the last few weeks. I love the varying line widths and creating a representation of someone, capturing their likeness and personality. I prefer a sketch style like my watercolor sketches from my books. Below is a watercolor sketch I created of Taimane Gardner from my book, “Famous Ukulele Musicians: Biographical Stories for Kids”.
I soaked up caricature tutorials on YouTube, found courses to put on my wish list, and even bought a few supplies. I practiced drawing myself and I drew a couple of friends. Digital caricature is common now, so I tried creating some in Procreate on my iPad. I found I prefer actual paper with markers. While drawing on the iPad is convenient and full of freedom, it didn’t feel comfortable. I could be more accurate on paper. And I enjoyed it more.
By the end of the week, I realized I didn’t want to pick up this new art form at the speed I was aiming for. This will take months and months of daily practice. I can’t be good instantly. I want to entertain this art form as a serious curiosity, but my passion, at least right now, is still creating books. It can seem a bit overwhelming when I think about all I need to learn, but my pure joy in drawing overrides that.
As I worked on my last couple of sketches, I realized I like realism far better than caricature. I still like using markers and varying line widths, but I don’t enjoy adding exaggeration. This was something I could only discover through exploring my curiosity with caricature.
When I get an idea to try something new, I can treat it like a curiosity and explore it, while still giving my attention to my passion. I believe it’s possible to do both. Learning to sketch portraits is a natural fit and I truly enjoy the craft.
I’m excited to see what other areas I explore in the coming months and years. How will I grow? There are many art forms I’m interested in. But I want to focus on one (maybe two) things at a time. I envision putting my (additional) curiosities on a shelf for safekeeping.
My background in Art Education has always appealed to me since you teach a little bit of everything. While I’m not in the classroom anymore, I can still teach others through art and writing. My ukulele-themed picture books help teach kids (and adults) about the ukulele in fun, engaging ways using art and storytelling. I always include supplemental material at the end of my picture books so they can learn more about the instrument.
The world of making art is so vast. I know now that I can follow my passion for creating ukulele-themed picture books while entertaining curiosities like sketching portraits and anything else my creative brain dreams up. I don’t have to be married to one art form. And that is an exciting thought.
As I mentioned, I have been working on my fifth ukulele-themed picture book. “Riley’s Time Travel Journey: Exploring Ukulele History” will be released soon! This is an exciting story about a bunny who travels through time to explore the history of the ukulele. I will be reviewing the final proof copy next week. If you want to learn more about my ukulele-themed picture books, you can find a list of my published books in the “Books” tab above.
Do you like being married to one idea or art form? Do you casually see other art forms and explore your curiosities? What challenges have you faced with your passions and curiosities? Have your curiosities led to growth? Comment below to spark a great conversation on the topic.