New Crayons (Part 1)

New Crayons (Part 1)

Even though I wasn't a particularly artsy kid, the magic of a new box of crayons did not evade me. Perhaps that's why I wasn't that artsy: they looked so pretty all new and in a row that I didn't want to use them.

an eye, a nose, a mouth and an ear -- can you see it?

Now of course my relationship to art supplies has becomes something else: yes, they are still my favorite objects on earth, but also, I use them. Freely! I make art I love with them. I make art I don't care about with them. I've even been known to 'waste' them in favor of play and experimentation.

Around my birthday last month I broke my 6-month run of not buying new art supplies. It was time. They are my favorite treat.

As much I value the idea of using what we already have, it's undeniable that, for me, sometimes a new supply, or a new medium, can reignite a creative cycle that gives me a lot of energy.