Angela Marie Morton

Me, aged 29. Portland Japanese Garden, 2008  If you decide, as I have, to pursue your creative passion, steadfast belief in your work is necessary for motivation. Also, if you are serious about your craft, discipline is essential, especially if you are working alone. Creativity and talent are not enough on their own, and discipline is crucial for sticking with your creative endeavor over the long term. My own creative pursuit is art and illustration, and much of what I draw and paint is whimsical, spontaneous, and restrained. What appears on the surface to be a quick, minimal brush stroke, or a subtly soft pencil smudge has, behind-the-scenes, taken practice, objectivity, and refinement (and a lot of paper), all of which fall under the general heading of discipline. Without that key element, there is no improvement. Additionally, as living a creative-centered life is much more than simply making art, discipline is an extremely useful asset for structuring your days.  The oppor...

  Four Cranes Taking Flight from Water by Angela Marie Morton As someone who prefers an unpleasant truth to a comforting delusion, I am unable to escape the reality of the current hellscape humans have brought upon our tiny blue dot called Earth, and upon all its inhabitants. Despite my best efforts and intentions to not actively participate in our collective doom, I, too, am complicit in contributing to it. As are we all, to varying degrees. By acknowledging this disturbing and unsettling fact, I am able to see it clearly, and take skillful, creative actions to counter it, using whatever means are available to me, and in ways that are aligned with my values and principles. One of those methods is through making and sharing art. That being said, at times I have worried that my work is not relevant to the events playing out in our daily lives. When I expressed this to my husband recently, he reminded me that, throughout history, people have continued to live their lives in the face ...

A Winter's Walk photo by Angela Marie Morton Regardless of whether the previous year was a good one, or one I am glad to see the back of, I always enjoy the sense of a fresh start that January brings. As I usually do in December, I spent some time last month thinking about, and writing down, what I would like to work on in the new year, both artistically, and in all areas of my life. This helps solidify my intentions, and gives me that little nudge I need to stay motivated when I start to wilt, or when I become indecisive as to what to work on.  Creatively, I have lately been drawn to the concept of doing bodies of work that fit together as a theme. So far, I have 4 series planned, and have started working on each of them, to varying degrees. This might be the year of “fewer, but better.” Pair of Cranes through the Seasons (minis) Close-up of the minis First finished piece of the series Rough minis of a planned palm leaf series  Close-up of the minis Minis of a planned series:...