Featured artist: Modern Gypsy.

Modern Gypsy: early trial and error period

As far back as I can remember, I have had a connection with art. As a child, when I used to daydream about what I would do when I was older, I always thought I’d be an artist and exhibit my work at a gallery.

I’m not sure where this dream came from, considering that I lost my creative spark very early in life.

In fact, my mom used to do most of my biology drawings for school. And when I did try, hesitatingly to draw amoeba – those blobs that could be of any shape and size – I spent hours agonizing over how it didn’t “look right.”

And still, that dream of being an Artist never faded.

It wasn’t until I was around 23 that I had my first brush with art - via altered books. I quickly ordered a bunch of how-to books, and joined some Yahoo Groups. Within a year, I had another meltdown.

When I compared my work was terrible compared to what I was seeing from other artists in the community.  I couldn’t find most of the art materials locally, and ordering them from the US proved to be prohibitively expensive.

So I packed up my art materials and turned my back on that silly childhood dream.

This time, I stayed away for a decade.

Reigniting earlier art dreams

I found my way to art again around 2013, when I was going through an identity crisis and a search for meaning and purpose.

During that quest, I stumbled upon Brave Girls Club, started by sisters Melody Ross and Kathy Wilkins. A whole lot of journaling and soul searching, combined with very simple collage, helped me to put the pieces of my life back together and reignited my art dreams. But when I went looking for altered books, I found that people had moved on to a different format. This time, I found myself in the world of art journals. And there was no looking back.

Access to art materials in my country, India, had exploded.

People were sharing art journaling videos and techniques on YouTube. And there were a multitude of online courses available in all sorts of styles and mediums, including “live” courses, where teachers were available to address student questions and concerns for a certain time frame.

This time, I also knew better than to compare my work with anyone else’s.

In the initial years, I took a number of courses from Willowing, Ivy Newport, and Effy Wild, among others. These classes helped me to experiment with a variety of materials and techniques, and to eventually find my own voice and style.

Modern Gypsy finds healing in art

Over the years, art has become central to my life.

As I enhanced my artistic skills, I also discovered the healing power of art, and how it ties in to living a deeply spiritual, mindful, and grounded life. Of course, I have my share of fears and anxieties, but by bringing them to the page, I am able to work through them with words and paints, to use written journaling and tarot as portals to art, healing, and transformation.

I truly believe that a regular art practice is transformative.

Combining spiritual and mindful exercises with art unlocks a deeper, ancient knowing that is encoded in our very DNA. Drawing, after all, was our very first form of communication; we are all of us natural artists. We just forget it along the way.

Goals for the future

Having spent years as a tortured artist, I am now on a mission to help people overcome their fear of paint. I share process videos on YouTube and offer art + soul ecourses, which combine various tools such as meditation, journaling, and other self-development practices, with art journaling.

As a next step, I want to start showing my art at local art galleries and offer selected pieces for sale. That childhood dream, maybe it’s been my guiding light all along!

You can connect with my via my website {from where you can download my signature Art Journaling 101 ebook for free} or Instagram, and subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Website: https://moderngypsy.in

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/moderngypsy.in

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiixxFtW1ym2O1p-xHX6lXw

Thank you Modern Gypsy for sharing your story with my readers.

 

The next year, 2020, will be the third year that I am privileged to share the beautiful and inspiring work of artists from around the world.

 

If you would like to share your artistic/creative journey with my readers, please contact me. I will be delighted to send you the information letter I send to all my guest artists/creatives. Essentially, a minimum of 300 words in your text, and a few photos of your own creative work is all that is needed. I edit the text and make suggestions where and if needed. I hope to hear from you soon!