Masquerade Medley is the very first treasury I created for the Etsy Twitter Team. While snooping around team member’s shops, trying to find new additions to this treasury, it dawned on me that looking at the creations of others is a lot like reading a book in that you learn who the artist/author is by what/how they create.
It should not be surprising, I know. After all, art is about expression and connecting the audience to the art with an emotional response. Yet building this treasury was a lesson for me. It’s taught me that knowing oneself is an essential part of the creative process.
I can see now that, in catering to what I felt people in general would want/like, I forgot that my work is more about art than shiny stuff that dangles. I’ve learned that, even when creating functional art as I do, I must be true to myself as an artist and trust that there are others out there who will connect to my work rather than force myself to create to the tune of others.
It’s humbling to be among such great originality and talent. The timeless pieces of 19Moons, the dramatic couture works of the KnittingGuru, and BeadBug’s dazzling “vintage flair,” all remind me that true art is not a masquerade. The real show begins when the masks fall.
