My name is Heleen, and I welcome you to join me on a journey of creative skill! Do you feel like you are not creative? Or could your artistic skills use a little boost? The Common Pencil is about showing the process of learning. We learn to make art with pencil and paint while showing the struggles that come with it.
Michelangelo destroyed his early sketches to make it seem like his mastery was effortless. So often you only get to see the stunning end-results of peoples’ hard work and practice. Much shame lies in the attempts that did not make the cut. It is said that the most successful artist produces work constantly, and that only a handful of that work is ‘good enough’ for great renown. So what do we need to do? Make art! And stop talking ourselves down when the marks we make are a little wonky. We will get there.
On my YouTube channel you will get to see the ‘good’ as well as the ‘bad’. Do I not feel shame for my failures? Believe me, I do. But I am trying to set that feeling aside as well as I can. And maybe, if I am capable of that, then you are too.
Why art?
I love doing it, that is why. I have always wanted to be able to draw and capture visuals that made me feel something. Instead of moping around because my skills aren’t up to snuff, it is time for action. Get Good!
Lighthearted content
Learning goes hand in hand with friction and frustration. My way of dealing with that is by not taking myself too serious all the time. Hopefully you will be able to see some playfulness in my videos that is contagious enough for you to realize that I am actually having a lot of fun. Make sure to subscribe to The Common Pencil on YouTube so that you don’t miss out!
Do you enjoy art? Are you in the process of making something, or would you like to? I’d love to hear from you. If you have any questions or thoughts you would like to share, feel free to leave a comment, or send an e-mail to heleen@commonpencil.com. Thank you for reading!
With love,
Heleen Charlotte / The Common Pencil
The Common Pencil 
Leave a comment