No Fear

This collage illustration is very personal to me. A struggle with fear stunts growth in my life and work.  In the last year, I came to realize just how all of my fears were holding me back. I have been afraid of what people think, making decisions, creating art, letting my art be personal, including human characters in my art and even talking with others about my work. And these are just the fears on my list that pertain to my art!  Creating this piece is part of the effort to cast away my fears so that I can move forward.

Truth be told, our fears hold us back, whether you are aware of any fear you might have, large or small.  Whatever negativity you hold inside of you will hold you back from being more amazing than you already are.  It is important to acknowledge those concerns and find ways to overcome them if you want to grow in your life. Identify your fears, think of a way that you might work to overcome them, and take action. You don’t have to take giant leaps, like jumping out of an airplane. What you are trying to accomplish may require smaller steps that build towards an end goal over time. Adding a small habit to your daily routine, such as a prayer in the morning, or writing in a journal at night can be a wonderful way to slowly work on overcoming your fears. For me, making this piece of artwork was attacking much of the problem in one project, but I have many techniques that I use on a daily and weekly basis that address my fears step by step.

The process of creating this has been cathartic. I forced myself to make decisions in the composition and color palette. I chose the subject of water, because it is one of my favorite things, adding a layer of comfort to the idea of facing fears.  My fears tend to go away when there is a sense of adventure and exploration to be had. This piece embodies the essence of that enchantment in the natural world–my favorite place!  Just imagine everything that is possible when you let go of fear!

This illustration is on masonite and has an acrylic paint base. Ink, cut paper, colored pencil and watercolor on paper are added. The goggles are sewn onto the character’s face.

This piece was promptly sold following this blog post :)