Fashion
I've become a lot more interested in fashion over the last year or so, although you probably wouldn't know it by looking at me. My wardrobe hasn't changed much, although the dress and skirt population in my closet has surely multiplied by about 75%.
As I browsed Stylelist today, I wondered why I was reading an article titled "Silicon Valley Style: An Eyesore for Fashionistas" and particularly why I wasn't stupendously annoyed by it, and I think I've got it. It's the only art form I can participate in these days. I haven't the time or the energy (or, alas, the inspiration) to do anything else creative. I haven't posted anything to devArt in almost a year. I have a doodle or two started in my recently recovered sketchbook (it was lost for months and months), but I can't be bothered to finish them. I haven't touched my beloved pastels in a couple of years now, and I haven't picked up my nice new (admittedly small) set of colored pencils since just after I bought them and vowed I'd learn how to use them properly. Blast.
Fashion is a sort of spectator art that I can indulge in almost constantly while expending almost zero effort. My tastes are probably a bit limited, maybe a little on the conservative side and almost definitely outdated. But since retro has been so trendy lately and I can't get me enough of the 50s and 60s, I feel like this is the right time to participate.
Also, in my defense--and I'm still compelled to defend the interest because it's often regarded as frivolous, but mostly because I've always been a tomboy and my childhood friends look aghast if I covet a dress, which makes me twitchy--I've been doing a bit more costuming since moving to Wisconsin. For Halloween primarily. It wasn't much of a jump to start noticing some of the prettier model dresses at JoAnn Fabrics and contemplating buying some patterns. (You know, the classic sundresses in beautiful flower print linen. Not the ones with weird embellishments that make me check the date and reassure myself that it's not the 90s.)
Anyway, it's a lot easier to waste time at work and during lazy evenings reading fashion blogs, and my other favorite time-waster, DIY/home decorating blogs, then wracking my brains for inspiration and picking up a pencil. This makes me a little sad, but at least I've realized that deep down I still have a passion for art. Textiles! Textures, shapes, colors! Shoes, glorious shoes! (I have always loved shoes, no matter what my thoughts on girly clothes may have been.)
And now, to read more about how to "put on some damn blush" while I lounge barefoot in my t-shirt and comfy cargo shorts. Maybe someday I'll get around to doing that drawing of my WoW characters. But I'll make sure to take some artistic license and correct the clashing colors on her tier PVE gear.
As I browsed Stylelist today, I wondered why I was reading an article titled "Silicon Valley Style: An Eyesore for Fashionistas" and particularly why I wasn't stupendously annoyed by it, and I think I've got it. It's the only art form I can participate in these days. I haven't the time or the energy (or, alas, the inspiration) to do anything else creative. I haven't posted anything to devArt in almost a year. I have a doodle or two started in my recently recovered sketchbook (it was lost for months and months), but I can't be bothered to finish them. I haven't touched my beloved pastels in a couple of years now, and I haven't picked up my nice new (admittedly small) set of colored pencils since just after I bought them and vowed I'd learn how to use them properly. Blast.
Fashion is a sort of spectator art that I can indulge in almost constantly while expending almost zero effort. My tastes are probably a bit limited, maybe a little on the conservative side and almost definitely outdated. But since retro has been so trendy lately and I can't get me enough of the 50s and 60s, I feel like this is the right time to participate.
Also, in my defense--and I'm still compelled to defend the interest because it's often regarded as frivolous, but mostly because I've always been a tomboy and my childhood friends look aghast if I covet a dress, which makes me twitchy--I've been doing a bit more costuming since moving to Wisconsin. For Halloween primarily. It wasn't much of a jump to start noticing some of the prettier model dresses at JoAnn Fabrics and contemplating buying some patterns. (You know, the classic sundresses in beautiful flower print linen. Not the ones with weird embellishments that make me check the date and reassure myself that it's not the 90s.)
Anyway, it's a lot easier to waste time at work and during lazy evenings reading fashion blogs, and my other favorite time-waster, DIY/home decorating blogs, then wracking my brains for inspiration and picking up a pencil. This makes me a little sad, but at least I've realized that deep down I still have a passion for art. Textiles! Textures, shapes, colors! Shoes, glorious shoes! (I have always loved shoes, no matter what my thoughts on girly clothes may have been.)
And now, to read more about how to "put on some damn blush" while I lounge barefoot in my t-shirt and comfy cargo shorts. Maybe someday I'll get around to doing that drawing of my WoW characters. But I'll make sure to take some artistic license and correct the clashing colors on her tier PVE gear.