beauty for beauty's sake.

Its really a difficult step for me, to delve into the world of art and create a beautiful thing whose only purpose is to bring joy. I'm much more at home being a crafter. Crafters also create things of beauty, but their main purpose is a practical one, it is useful in its everyday and by happy coincidence it is also beautiful.
This is why my most comfortable medium is in paper craft and in card making and scrap booking.
In all the things i do though, there has to be a symmetry. I need for the colours to match, the interest of different textures. For example my dressing table is a crazy jumble of bits and bobs that go together.

All that Russell can see is a mess. How can I find anything?
I see a treasure trove...colour and sparkle that makes smile.
But still I have a lifetimes worth of conditioning to tell me that, being arty is a waste of time.
Its not practical, useful, productive.
And this mindset comes not from any particular person or circumstance.

Its just the way we are in our world.
But mostly the harshest critic, the one who frowns the most, ridicules the loudest, mocks me with a derisive laugh is ME!
I throw the drawing away.
I scrunch up the typewritten page.
I gather the accoutrement's of the world of creativity around me, and then I never go near them except, from time to time, to dust maybe, or just to dream a little.

So here I am with my new attitude.
I can make no more excuses.
I DO have the time.
I AM nurtured and encouraged.
I CAN create a thing, even the smallest thing, that makes my heart sing for it simplest and honest beauty.
and so

Voila!
Today's creation,
following my inspiration to its natural conclusion.
Two dear little canvases.
Enjoy X