The sweet smell of creativity
Published 8:46 pm Thursday, July 7, 2011
I smell something in the air here, Suffolkians. And, believe it or not, for once it’s not the awesome smell of peanut butter being made. No, I’m smelling an atmosphere of creativity in Suffolk.
I think this scent of creativity — which, for those who are unfamiliar with it, smells a lot like Elmer’s glue, acrylic paint and artist’s tape — is being produced by the good people at the Suffolk Art League. They will be hosting workshops throughout the summer that everyone can enjoy.
I don’t know if you share my love of the smell of construction paper when it meets that sweet Elmer’s, but there’s nothing like it in the world. (Be sure not to whiff too heavily, though. It took me a week to re-learn the difference between left and right after a particularly lengthy project involving a Popsicle stick cabin.)
Why not put that love to good use by making a nice pop-up book at one of the art league’s workshops?
But hey, maybe pop-up books aren’t your bag. Maybe you like making hilarious comic books about your high school friends like did. There are classes being taught by Dixon Morrow on the art of comic book making. So, you can work on becoming the next Todd McFarlane before you head off to the pool. After all, these classes and workshops are only a couple of hours a day. And that, as one of my art instructors told me in college, is all it takes to achieve artistic greatness.
If neither of those things sounds like it’s your creative bailiwick, don’t worry. It seems as if the art league has you covered in any way you wish to express yourself, from making jewelry from homemade items to exploring the beauty of nature. It all just makes me want to grab my paintbrush and paints and attack the nearest canvas.
With all the hits art programs are taking these days, I truly applaud the efforts of organizations like the Suffolk Art League for making sure there are still creative outlets to plug into.
It would be a crying shame to lose the creative spirit in this world. I can honestly say — and I’m not sure if many people who know me will say this is a good thing — I would not be the peculiar person I am today if I hadn’t discovered and continued to explore the arts.
Take a class or two at the art league this summer, Suffolkians. If you get nothing else out of it — though I know you will — you’ll probably satisfy that inner craving for the sweet smell of Elmer’s glue and construction paper.