Do you think you can learn to be artistic?

[LisaR]

I think I'm having a midlife crisis. I've come to the unfortunate realization that I have to give up playing sports. I love playing just about anything (softball, volleyball, racquetball, basketball, etc) but I've discovered that my body doesn't like it anymore. The recovery after a game is very difficult and lasting longer and longer. I had a lot of injuries as a young athlete that never healed properly and they are coming back to bite me. I need a new hobby.

I think I am a very creative person, but I am not at all artistic. I can't draw or paint and I've never done anything like pottery, glass blowing, mosaics, etc. I have avoided anything artistic because I hold the belief that I suck! I'd love to learn, but I kind of feel this is something you either have in you or you don't. Am I wrong?

On top of that, I don't know where to even start. While laying on the sofa recovering from my sports injuries this weekend, I searched for hours for any kind of beginner classes in my area and came up empty. I found a lot of "all levels welcome" but I find that rather intimidating. I need someone to actually teach me.

The best I found was a place that teaches stained glass. That looks really cool and it is for beginners, but that seems like an extremely expensive hobby. The class is a couple hundred bucks and then you need some kit that is $450. That's a lot to invest in something that I don't even know if I'll like.

So as I lay here in pain still, I am having a little pity party for myself. I can't figure out what I want to do next and the one thing that seems fun is something I think I would be terrible at. Whoa is me!

 

[bjscheel]

Have you ever sewn? Maybe quilting would work. It is creative and artistic, yet you can follow a pattern and basically sew in straight lines with a simple pattern. It involves purchasing a machine and fabric though, unless you can find a class where the machine is provided. You can get an inexpensive machine at Walmart too.

 

[lizabu]

I absolutely think you can learn to be artistic. I would start with a more inexpensive class. Most craft shops offer classes. If you find classes intimidating maybe buy a book which shows you how to do something and then do the craft. There's a website called instructables as well. They have hundreds of projects. Start small with something like a wreath or a flower arrangement or any project that seems interesting to you.

 

[LisaR]

Have you ever sewn? Maybe quilting would work. It is creative and artistic, yet you can follow a pattern and basically sew in straight lines with a simple pattern. It involves purchasing a machine and fabric though, unless you can find a class where the machine is provided. You can get an inexpensive machine at Walmart too.

No I haven't and I blame my mom! lol My mom loved to sew and she taught my sister who then taught her daughter. But I was left handed and it drove my mom crazy when she tried to teach me to sew, knit, or even cut with scissors! I have a friend who started sewing classes for kids and she is having a blast. I don't really have an interest in it now, but I am definitely jealous of people who can sew. Thanks for the idea, though!

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

You get better at everything with practice. I am a quilter, and a lefty so if you're interested don't let that stop you, and am certainly better at it than I was 15 years ago when I started. My daughter loves anything arty and nerdy, even better when they're combined, but she complained that she couldn't draw good anime or dragons, I reminded her that when she started drawing ponies, they weren't anywhere near as good as her most recent ones had been, and she started practicing. Now she's great at drawing both.

There are some savants who don't need to practice, but just like with sports, most people need work to become good at their craft, whatever it may be!

 

[LisaR]

I absolutely think you can learn to be artistic. I would start with a more inexpensive class. Most craft shops offer classes. If you find classes intimidating maybe buy a book which shows you how to do something and then do the craft. There's a website called instructables as well. They have hundreds of projects. Start small with something like a wreath or a flower arrangement or any project that seems interesting to you.

See, this is why I think I suck because the few things I have tried off of Pinterest belong on the Pinterest Fails website! Maybe I just haven't found the right project.

 

[lizabu]

See, this is why I think I suck because the few things I have tried off of Pinterest belong on the Pinterest Fails website! Maybe I just haven't found the right project.

Exactly. You just haven't found the right craft. You will though. Many of my early crafts were failures. It takes time and patience.

 

[Ponygirl]

Can you paint? Try scoping out yard sales for old junky furniture. Take it home, sand it a little bit, and repaint or restore it. There is a type of paint called chalk paint which seems to be really popular right now and covers a multitude of problems. You can always sell the pieces after you fix them up if you have no need for them. Start with a small table. You won't be out much money and you might actually like it. It is way more fun than painting a house.

To stay in shape, try swimming. There is no stress on your joints but it is a great workout.

 

[MrsDuck]

I am NOT artistic... I'm like you, OP - I wish I was. I try and it usually looks crappy and then I'm sad.

 

[tnkr_bell]

You can do it, but it will take practice. You can't expect to start a new skill and be great. Even people who are talented loose the skill if they don't keep doing it. You could try one of those places that does group painting, it's usually pretty simple and everyone can do it. Try your local community college, they usually have Continuing Education type classes.

 

[design_mom]

I agree that, like anything, it takes practice to be good. (I used to be pretty good at drawing, but I haven't done it for a long time and I have really lost my skill.)

For what it's worth, you might want to think about what kind of person you are when choosing your projects. For instance, I like to sew. However, I am not good at quilting. You have to be *so* precise or things end up wonky. I can be precise when I need to be, but I don't find it enjoyable to be that precise. I also took a stained glass class. We made several projects including a sun catcher, a votive holder, and a small window pane. I really enjoyed the sun catcher and the votive holder. The window gave me fits -- again, you have to be *so* precise.

I still enjoy lots of arty things, but I have decided that things that require precision are not the things I enjoy spending my leisure time doing.

 

[LisaR]

Can you paint? Try scoping out yard sales for old junky furniture. Take it home, sand it a little bit, and repaint or restore it. There is a type of paint called chalk paint which seems to be really popular right now and covers a multitude of problems. You can always sell the pieces after you fix them up if you have no need for them. Start with a small table. You won't be out much money and you might actually like it. It is way more fun than painting a house.

To stay in shape, try swimming. There is no stress on your joints but it is a great workout.

I LOVE redoing furniture and I'm actually pretty good at it. I'm in the market for a desk and entryway table to redo. I have to find the right pieces, but I can't wait to get started. But I feel like there is only so much furniture that I can redo. We moved recently so we have a couple places where our old stuff didn't fit or look right which is why I am looking to replace them. DH jokes that we only moved so I could get more furniture to paint because I ran out of projects at the old house!

I do yoga, but for me yoga is an exercise that I must do to keep in shape. It isn't boring, but it isn't something I do for fun. I played sports for fun. It was something I truly enjoyed. I'd love to find something that I enjoyed as much as sports that I can do fairly regularly. I think smaller pieces of art would be more manageable than big pieces of furniture, but I can't paint!

You can do it, but it will take practice. You can't expect to start a new skill and be great. Even people who are talented loose the skill if they don't keep doing it. You could try one of those places that does group painting, it's usually pretty simple and everyone can do it. Try your local community college, they usually have Continuing Education type classes.

I've been invited to those paint parties more than once and I always decline. I've seen my friends post pictures of their paintings after class and they are spectacular! I am beyond intimidated.

 

[NotUrsula]

I would say that you cannot learn to be artistic, you either are or you are not; your brain has to be wired for creativity. That said, MANY creative pursuits involve skills that can be learned, and the more you practice those skills the better you will be.

Look at your community colleges and the YMCA for creative classes; many of them have more affordable things. If you want to know whether or not stained glass is your thing, I'd suggest starting with a couple of hobby-store kits for making Xmas ornaments and the like.

Since you are obviously a physical person, you might want to consider more physical fields. This is going to sound a bit odd, but perhaps welding? It's very physical, but a very practical skill as well. The equipment isn't cheap to buy, but you can rent it, and again, many community colleges have classes. Start out with soldering and see how you like it.

 

[Princess Mulan]

I think I'm having a midlife crisis. I've come to the unfortunate realization that I have to give up playing sports. I love playing just about anything (softball, volleyball, racquetball, basketball, etc) but I've discovered that my body doesn't like it anymore. The recovery after a game is very difficult and lasting longer and longer. I had a lot of injuries as a young athlete that never healed properly and they are coming back to bite me. I need a new hobby.

I think I am a very creative person, but I am not at all artistic. I can't draw or paint and I've never done anything like pottery, glass blowing, mosaics, etc. I have avoided anything artistic because I hold the belief that I suck! I'd love to learn, but I kind of feel this is something you either have in you or you don't. Am I wrong?

On top of that, I don't know where to even start. While laying on the sofa recovering from my sports injuries this weekend, I searched for hours for any kind of beginner classes in my area and came up empty. I found a lot of "all levels welcome" but I find that rather intimidating. I need someone to actually teach me.

The best I found was a place that teaches stained glass. That looks really cool and it is for beginners, but that seems like an extremely expensive hobby. The class is a couple hundred bucks and then you need some kit that is $450. That's a lot to invest in something that I don't even know if I'll like.

So as I lay here in pain still, I am having a little pity party for myself. I can't figure out what I want to do next and the one thing that seems fun is something I think I would be terrible at. Whoa is me!

Even if you don't consider yourself artistic, you might enjoy painting classes in oil, watercolor or acrylic. If you don't like one type of media, you might enjoy another. For example, some people love working with watercolors and hate oil, and, of course, there are others who prefer oil over watercolor. Art classes can open up your eyes to colors, lights and shadows, shapes and more. They also can deepen your appreciation of art and the talent and skills required to create a piece.

If art classes aren't a possibility, you might enjoy the latest craze of adult coloring books. No, they aren't "adult," if you know what I mean. Instead they are books with patterns (floral, geometric, paisley, etc.) and are designed to be as simple or as complex as you'd like to make them. You can use colored pencils, watercolor pencils, gel pens, sharpies, crayons, whatever. Bookstores, art stores and hobby stores usually have a large selection, and you also can find them online.

Art is a great outlet for creativity, and it stretches your mind. Enjoy!

 

[yoopermom]

I work at a technical college, and we offer a welding "garden art" class, that is always EXTREMELY popular, you get to be creative, and it's really up to you, not a preset thing (like quilting that's so precise).

Also check out any senior centers you might have nearby, ours offers classes for any (adult) ages that cover a huge range, and are often paced for beginners.

Lastly, I wouldn't worry about being "good", remember when you were little and taking art in school and a really good teacher just gave you a pile of stuff and said "go create"? It should be about the process, not the product.

I have a good friend who loves to sew, but doesn't like the stress of "quilting" precise patterns, so she gets free/cheap remnants, and makes her own version of "crazy" (and they are REALLY crazy sometimes!) quilts that she then donates to the local police and womens shelters for people in need. They are made with love, and I'm sure cheer someone up!

Terri

 

[kimblebee]

What about cross stitch? It's not toooo expensive and it is just following a pattern. If you find you like it, there are programs available where you can design your own piece.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I highly recommend the book "Drawing on the Rigt Side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards! She believes you can learn to draw, and walks you through some exercises to convince you. I'm only up to Chapter 6 right now, but I'm really enjoying it so far! (And I got it from the library, so no investment in a class.)

 

[Squirlz]

Seeing as how there are many prestigious Art Schools, I'd have to say yes.

 

[BigAlsGal]

What about learning to play an instrument. Guitar? Piano?

What about cooking?

What about learning a new language?

As far as learning to be artistic I believe anything can be art. You can learn to draw. You can learn to paint. However I believe creativity comes naturally. I am the type of person who can copy a picture. I can redo something that's already been done. I just can't create it on my own. I don't know why. I am very envious of the creative. It's a true gift.

 

[mjkacmom]

No, I do not! And this isn't something most of my family members understand. DH is artistic, musical, athletic, and good with math. Three of my kids are artistic, all are very musical, and four are athletic. All are great in math. I'm a failure at all of those things. DH thinks anyone can learn, but that is easy for him to say.