We Are All Artists!

By Gaeble Jones

When I was little, I remember gathering my Crayola glitter crayons and taking them to the window so I could see them sparkle in the sunlight. I would carefully choose each color. Peanut butter mini bagels and orange tang fueled my overactive imagination. There was a sun in every top corner of my drawings, and it was never dark, or nighttime, in the places that I created on paper.

In middle school I took my first real art class. I learned about shading, dimension, and the obvious things that you don’t really think about as a kid. Like, why do we outline everything if when we look at each other, or at the sun in the sky, it has no borders? Why does the sun always sit as a sliver in the highest corner of our creations, but never in the middle taking up as much space as it naturally deserves?

I played with the extent of this type of knowledge and ideas of my own, and started to develop a deeper love and appreciation for art. In high school I was introduced to a whole new spectrum of creative mediums. Ceramics, jewelry making, sewing, screen printing, graphic design, photography, and even specific classes like painting with oil, and drawing with charcoal! I took every class I could.

I never recognized myself as an artist though. I had never sold a painting or a vase I made; I kept them all for myself. But I think art became a release for me at a far earlier age than I remember. For me, it was never about the final product so much as the process of making it, or learning to create it, that brought me ease. With each piece I made, I enjoyed remembering the process of watching it be born. I thought about my emotions and how I felt as I painted or sculpted it, and the problems we had faced together before it took its final form.

Now as an adult I watch myself continue to gravitate towards art, like a form of therapy. With no classes left to take, I seek out the creative process by learning new skills on my own.

When I graduated from college earlier this year, my first priority was to find a job where I would get to use my creativity every day. At FAS, I get to be creative in our communications department, on our website, and social media! I am learning new skills everyday with the guidance of my awesome onboarding team. It is inspiring and so exciting to be part of a team that is so passionate about helping schools and students with the financial aid process.

I think that the act of creating something is important. If you can stick with anything long enough to appreciate the process, I believe we are all artists!

About the Author:

Gaeble Jones is a Communications Specialist at FAS! When she’s not working, she enjoys rockhounding with her partner, road trips, anything creative, and playing with her cat, Pear.