Creativity Found: finding creativity later in life
How does creativity benefit our lives as grown-ups?
I'm Claire, and I re-found my creativity after a time of almost crippling anxiety. Now I want to share the stories of other people who have found or re-found their creativity as adults, and hopefully inspire many more grown-ups to get creative.
I chat with my guests about their childhood experiences of creativity and the arts, how they came to the creative practices they now love, the barriers they had to overcome to start their creative re-awakening, and how what they do now benefits their whole lives.
Creativity Found: finding creativity later in life
Jane Beinart – art from the inside
After not being accepted onto the university course she wanted to join, Jane Beinart lost her confidence in her art.
Fast forward ten years and Jane made a return to art for herself, but also for others, since she helps grown-ups discover or re-discover ways to express themselves through art.
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Researched, edited and produced by Claire Waite Brown
Music: Day Trips by Ketsa Undercover / Ketsa Creative Commons License Free Music Archive - Ketsa - Day Trips
Artworks: Emily Portnoi emilyportnoi.co.uk
Photo: Ella Pallet
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For this episode, I'm speaking with Jane Bane art, Jane has made a return to art herself, but also helps other grownups discover or rediscover ways to express themselves through art. i, j, that's perfectly, you're welcome. Your Passion is for art from the inside with your own art. And by helping other adults through the courses that you run. What does
Unknown:that actually mean? Oh, from the inside, to me, art comes from the heart good art, art that has feeling art that people relate to, or that's the most satisfying for you, to me comes from the heart, so to speak. So I think we get so caught up in what we should make. And that art is a set of skills and techniques that we need to learn. That's coming from quite heady place. But for me, art is more intuitive than that. And in terms of how I make art, and how I encourage students to work is to trust in their intuition and to make something that comes more from within whatever that might end up looking like, if that makes sense. So it's more a kind of coming, I guess art coming from a sort of more grounded, internal space, really not being taught a set of skills, it's more bringing out your creativity from the inside.
Claire Waite Brown:That makes absolute sense.
Unknown:Thank you.
Claire Waite Brown:What does that mean to you as a child?
Unknown:Well, is everything really art was? Oh, it was who I was. art was my way of expressing myself. It was my claim that you know, my preferred form of clay. I loved art at school, everybody wants to do art subjects, and I love being in the art studio. But that was kind of my home and I didn't particularly like school. And I'd like darts. It was like a double bonus really, to go and spend lots of time in the yard students spend quite a lot lunchtimes in there. And yeah, I mean, when I think back to kind of being little and what how I spend my time here it was, it was making it was making art that was like, when I was unhappy Israeli. Whether that was sort of sitting around the table making Play Doh things with a mom, or drawing it some. It's just my happy place, I guess. Really? Oh, that's lovely.
Claire Waite Brown:You did a foundation course. Brilliant. But then you lost your confidence by belief. Why do you think that was?
Unknown:Well? Yeah, yeah, foundation courses. Brilliant. You go on it, you completely forget all the rules from you're told to forget all the rules in school, which is a brilliant little kind of free, creative, expressive space, starts to open that up and you and then you have to decide where to go to continue on at university. And I was really discovering I love textiles, but didn't really want to do after sort of more traditional textile course, in terms of no textile footprint or manufacturer that sort of left me feeling a bit cold. So I applied for a textile art course. And I didn't get onto that, which actually, when I went to see her interview exhibition, probably was a good thing because it was really conceptual. And that just wasn't where my head was at about. I think it kind of lost made me lose my confidence because I didn't know where my creativity set. Well, it's not that cost but it's not. So printer test style. So actually, I just kind of lost my way and I had no one to really talk to about it at the time to kind of get away actually, like you could do this or this is a different angle. This is a different approach. So ended up doing history of art, which studying on people's heart is quite rightly not satisfying in any way. But yeah, for me, it just kind of knocked my confidence but not me. Of course. I kind of went off on a sort of 10 years tangent Not really making my own art. And a lot of people come to me who've done competence spinlocks much earlier on in school been told they're not very good at art. But it just happens to be that maybe they found a particular project, because it didn't have the support from a teacher, therefore, that categorises in their head are not very good. Therefore, I'm not going to do any more art anymore. And then that becomes not an option for you anymore. I just kind of put it in a box. And I did the same, I just did it a foundation level, I put my art in the box, because I didn't know where to take it. And I didn't feel I was good enough,
Claire Waite Brown:I guess. completely understand. Yeah. What were you doing after university? And then what was the catalyst that got you back to creating?
Unknown:So basically, I just went off on a kind of wild goose chase in a way. So I did history of art. And then I worked in lots of different galleries and arts organisations for the administration role, again, working around other people's art rather than do my own was counting a little bit how many jobs have been 35 jobs before I started to think this worked in all sorts of admin jobs. I long story short, ended up doing some counselling, training, and some coaching training, ended up working and staff development, and coaching, just kind of dabbling in my own bit of art, but like, not in a very satisfactory way. So I did the dressmaking class in the door, we making calls and things like that, and they were sort of Okay, and they sort of scratch the creative itch, but it wasn't really me. So I just sort of like blundered around for a while really trying different things. And until kind of to what I'm doing now.
Claire Waite Brown:How did it come about what you are doing now?
Unknown:I guess, about eight years ago, I started doing my own art, again, after basic sort of dabbling in the bits and pieces, I'd move house with my art materials for like, years, and just carried them around and never done anything with them. And I guess the catalyst for me doing my own art was, I was having some talking to my counselling mental supervisor when I was doing my course. And she was saying, Well, I think maybe you need to do some art. It's kind of key to who you are, and you're not doing it. And even though I kind of knew that, on some level, I'd not really allowed myself to do or found a way to do it. So I went home on a trip and paints out. And I started painting and drawing. But lots of it was quite messy, quite different from what I'm doing. Now, it was quite painful to do actually, like, if I'm honest, it was quite, it was almost like it wasn't like to do art, because that was something pretty, it was like something that I needed to do. So it was getting back in touch with that creativity and just allowing myself to make whatever is on I'm still making my art. So it obviously worked. I think I ended up doing my own I that because I'm not very good at being told what to do. And I don't like producing the same as everybody else. I've never enjoyed that. So for me, it felt quite important to do it myself. And I think making my own art made me feel like me, it just kind of made me feel whole and complete. And there's part of me that just hadn't been fulfilled before suddenly felt filled like it from a really sort of internal perspective, I guess. When I was in London A while ago, I did a an art therapy foundation course for an intensive week. Loved it loved the kind of creative expression but didn't really necessarily want to go and do a two year art therapy training course with no guarantee job at the end but and just started thinking well, I love making art. And I love coaching. I love helping people bring out the best in themselves. But is there a way that I could put those together is a way that I could put some of these things that I love these two things that I love together into something. And I guess like one of the catalysts as well was a friend of mine just said, Could you teach me how to be smart? No one had ever asked me that before, quite frankly, I kind of didn't even know if I could help because I made my own art before. So we just went to a cafe for a couple of hours, I bought those materials and with that made our together and talked about what we were doing. And I definitely encouraged her to just play and explore. By the end of those two hours, she'd made quite a lot of work that she liked. She was sending pictures to her husband already which is quite a big deal compared to lots of students who who feel quite Oh, look, I don't want show anyone went to an art shop straightaway bought lots of materials. And that made me think maybe there's something in this. Maybe I can actually help people in a way that feels really natural and in a way that I make art and in a way that uses the skills I have. So I came back to Oxford five years ago now and so I get a part time job. Also just try running smart glasses and see what happens. And that was four and a half years ago now. Now, that's my job.
Claire Waite Brown:Amazing. Tell me how you run our courses for adults now. And what can someone expect when they join a class,
Unknown:mostly gambling online at the moment. So mostly what I want at the moment are evening art groups. So they are basically a space for people who have made a little bit about before, it could have been a long time ago, or it could have been quite recently, but they just don't do very much a bit. And it's just a really lovely space to come along and make art in a way that feels right for you to actually finish some of those projects or start some of those projects that you've been wanting to do to build your confidence in terms of creativity, so that they're not the sort of class where everyone sits down the page. Same thing, as I said earlier, like, that's really not my bag. So it's not like a painting party or anything like that they are a space where I help you bring art out in a way that works for you in a way that you want to make. And quite a lot of people that come to that are kind of like me, they used to make art, it's part of who they are, they just find it really hard to make time and space in their life and to connect with that part of themselves. So it's really about helping you nurture your creativity and your creative side. So those are the groups that I'm on. And when I'm allowed to do things physically, again, I'm hoping to run some full day Saturday workshops, again, just to really help people express themselves creatively come out of their creative comfort zone by all sorts of different things with no without a play, really have a play with paints and pencils and see what happens when you do because I think some of working art by ourselves, or when we don't make very much art, we tend to stick very much in our comfort zone. And that can be, it can be okay, if that's kind of what you enjoy. There's a time and a place for coming out of your comfort zone. And seeing what happens. When you do just see what happens when you don't know what's gonna happen. We don't know what's going to come out of yourself, because that's where the interesting stuff that happens. That's when stuff comes from the heart as well.
Claire Waite Brown:Yeah, that sounds lovely. It sounds like a really good approach for your students to come out knowing that they've got something that they're really not quite sure what it is. How do you deal with things like various materials, or if people don't know what they want to work with?
Unknown:Well, often I start with what people have said about materials on campus that they never use, or have never use I've been given for Christmas presents. So it's all about taking them out and encouraging them to play with them to start with already the kids are boxes to amazing what you can find. But because everybody's making different things in the groups, they can see an experience other people using materials that they haven't tried yet, so that's really good because they can see the effects and chatting to people about how they find them to use. And then I can recommend different materials as well. So good starter packs for pastels and paints and that sort of thing. And because because I talked to people, because I have sort of one to one sessions with people as part of what I do is a really good chance to kind of tax them again. Okay, well, what what would you like to explore what naturally would come next for you? Do you really love colour? Okay, let's maybe have a bit of pastels. Do you like things to be vibrant? Or kind of more muted? Or? Yes, it's kind of a personal personal journey is not driven by me going nature? Do this nation do that it's more? What do you feel like trying? Or what do you feel that combining or discovering what you enjoy using?
Claire Waite Brown:I love sharing my guests stories with you. But podcasting isn't cheap. There are hosting fees and software costs, tech to buy and time to invest in planning and editing. To make sure the guests sound great, and listeners hear the best content. If you'd like to financially support creativity found, please visit k o hyphen f ai.com. Slash creativity found podcast. You've already mentioned that you value your own creative expression, and the courses are now a job for you. How would you continue to nurture yourself artistically and not concentrate solely on helping others or say the work side of your art?
Unknown:Well, it's a constant. It's a constant balance. And I do find that it really helps me to go to do other courses and classes. So I've been doing some experimental life drawing classes and some pottery and then in September I started a one year course at Avada in Oxford, which is a continuing practice course and For me, that's been brilliant because it's a chance for me to get up my comfort zone. Something as I'm quite passionate about, but not always very good at doing myself and make projects and talk about well, so the complete different way, and it's completely changed what I'm making and what I want to say and how I see the world, I think. But for me, one of the massive benefits has been how I talk to my students about their art. So it's really made me notice not only how good it makes me feel, and how visually it changes my art, but it really changes it really affects how much value I can bring to my students, the more you understand yourself and can help other people.
Claire Waite Brown:Yeah, speaking about understanding yourself, have you ever exhibited your own art for others to see
Unknown:how I've done a couple of weeks. So Oxford, we have an open studios art weeks, when I had in my husband's office in town, and one had a shared exhibition here with my husband and his photography, it's quite scary, I have to say, it was quite scary, it felt a little bit like coming out to like your friends or family or walking down the street naked person, particularly if that was a really important thing to do. But I think it also highlighted for me, the fact that I need to do art for myself, almost like, the second exhibition became a little bit more like, Okay, what do I need to show for other people. And I realised that it was becoming a bit more about my pleasing other people, but my focus has been more external than internal. But me, it's a real need, it's a drive, it's something I have to do something that's part of who I am. And that means that I have to look quite into myself for that. So I might exhibit at some point in the future, but for now, that's not what's important for me. And a lot of people that I work with as well, like, I always encourage that too, it's like, ultimately do it for you first, if you know, even like making a making a piece of art, somebody that I want to kind of make this is going to be specifically for this person. And I will say we'll make it for you first, ultimately do it for you. But then if you want to give it to that other person, then do it, but make it for you. First, it's um, it has a very different feel to it when you make art in that way. And all it is for us is its first person, everybody else, like if they happen to love it, or get something from it. That was brilliant. For me, it's about nurturing yourself first. That makes sense. Definitely, definitely,
Claire Waite Brown:I love that.
Unknown:You've said just now
Claire Waite Brown:that you're not planning on exhibiting in the future. So what are your plans for the future, whether that's near or far,
Unknown:in terms of my own art, for me, the really important thing is to just keep creating space in my life for it. Because I don't know where it's going to take the course that I'm doing at the moment is a little bit kind of focused on maybe kind of, you know, thinking about doing it professionally. But for me again, that's not where I'm at right now, for me, I just need that space and consistency in my life to make and see what happens and see what comes out and see where it takes me. So I don't have like any concrete visions or plans of my art other than to just make like, it's just about making and seeing what happens, maybe I'll end up having a collection or something I can do with it, maybe not, but it's just about making for my classes is really about continuing to provide that space for people.
Claire Waite Brown:Fabulous, amazing. There are many, many podcasts out there, it's difficult to know where to start. So I like to ask my guests for their recommendations. You're welcome.
Unknown:I like them off hour. It's just people telling their own stories. I think it started in America, but it's people sharing their own personal stories and, and, and developing the skill of storytelling and that can be from anything from you know, like, major life changing activity to something really little, it's just the art of storytelling. And, you know, they they're about sort of 15 minutes long, but I just loved listening to one and just really sitting with that story afterwards. It's just feels like a really personal experience. I love it. I thoroughly recommend it. Thank you. How can people contact you? Okay, so my website is Jane bainer co.uk and I'll spell my surname because nobody can ever spell it which is b e. i n a RT, and I'm also on Instagram at Jane underscore beynac underscore artist. So yeah, that's the best way to find me.
Claire Waite Brown:Fabulous. Thank you so much, Jane. It's been brilliant to talk to you today.
Unknown:debates taught you to is a brilliant space to just dump Talking about art, quite frankly,
Claire Waite Brown:and we love hearing about it. Thank you.
