American Miniaturist Magazine Issue 254 Back Issue

Winter used to be a time to dive into mini-making. That’s right, once upon a time I was a seasonal miniaturist. When I started as AM editor I was just finishing a five year break from minis to pursue my mixed media art. I quickly dove back into creating minis and became a year round maker. After seeing so much inspiration everyday at work how could I not?
One important thing I have learned from being an artist for so many years is even if you make something you are not sure about, it will still inspire others. This is something that has helped me turn my critical self-evaluations, brought on from perfectionism, into a freedom to make mistakes.
Creating with freedom allows you to enjoy the process. We are all a work in progress. We make mistakes but as long as we strive to do better everyday, it’s okay. My mission in life is to inspire. It always has been, and once I learned that you don’t have to be ‘perfect’ to do this, creating has been so rewarding!
The next time you find yourself getting frustrated while making something I suggest you stop and reset your purpose for creating. We are not machines, we are artists who have the gift to infuse our spiritual essence into our work. Once you tap into that, you will flourish!