You don’t need to ask permission to draw a cat with a toothbrush

You don’t need to ask permission to draw a cat with a toothbrush instead of a pencil.
Sounds bossy right? Like, I am telling you what to do, or what not to do.
And, as my mother knows, I hate anyone saying, “I should do something.

You get to decide 

You don’t have to ask  The Ministry of Allowable Ways to Draw A Cat,  “May I draw my cat with a toothbrush and Indian ink instead of a 2H pencil?”

There is no Ministry of Allowable Ways to Draw A Cat

Yet, sometimes, I think there is.

Be polite. Follow the rules.

You can make what you think you should.
Or you can make what you want to see exist in the world
— Shrinivas Rao

This is your creative life.

You are not attending a class you are taking for a grade. There is no syllabus to follow, and no rules a teacher has typed in 12-point type, single-spaced, to guide you to earn an A in their course.

You do not need to ask permission to create; the act of creating, and you do not need permission for the method you use to make something.

Ask, a verb, is defined as, 1. To put a question to. 2. To seek information about; inquire about.

Definition of permission, 1. The act of permitting. 2. Consent, especially formal consent; leave; authorization.

There is no higher authority in your life than yourself when it comes to making something. Ask yourself what you want to do. Permit yourself. Don’t ask anyone else.

To create one’s world in any of the arts takes courage.
— Georgia-Okeeffe-

Say yes to your art

A drawing professor said, “You can’t draw, Pamela.” I believed him. I had asked him to recommend me for the Graphics Art Program when I was a first-year art student. He wouldn’t recommend me. I applied for the Photography department instead, and after graduating with a degree in Photography, I bought a one-way ticket to Thailand with a stopover in Tokyo.
I lived in Tokyo for close to seven years, studying Japanese and working as a photographer.

In Japan, I met an officer in the United States Navy, moved to The United States, got married, had three children, then got skin cancer, realized it was my life, studied graphic design, and took a writing course. 30 years, 6 months, and seventeen days from the wedding, a judge signed a divorce decree.  I am now divorced.

Now, I say yes to my art, yes to my life, and yes to encouraging you to say yes to yourself. (Please add three years in between the divorce and now, where I binge-watched television, avoided creating, walked my dog, went from six to two cats, sold a house, negotiated a divorce settlement, moved thirty years of life into a rental, went through a red light thinking about the divorce, got hit by a vintage van, totaled my car, and bought a new car.)

Say yes to your creative dream, You can draw

The internal editor, the voice that says, “You can’t do that.” You can’t draw a cat with a toothbrush, you can’t write your songs, create new recipes, or dance new dances, is a liar.

You can.

And, I hope you will.

Please believe in your ability to create the art you want to make.

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.
–Pablo Picasso

Say yes to yourself

Have you ever felt like you need permission to create?
Please let me know. I would love to encourage you.
xo
Pamela

p.s. The toothbrush used in the drawing was an Oral B, (Not to worry, I have another one for my teeth.) The ink used with the toothbrush is Carbon Black by Liquitex
p.s.s. I love you, Mom. (She will be 92 this year.)