October Creator of the Month: Vivian Fitzgerald
Vivian Fitzgerald had never considered art as a part of her life until only a few years ago. Although she always had a strong tendency towards fashion, design and DIY makeovers, she only saw art as decorative pieces she could buy. Too busy with other commitments in life, she did not have the time to explore her own creativity and the magic that she admired in people who were able to use their hands to bring life to their imaginations.
Her life was full of hard work and long hours as she and her husband owned and operated hotels in the tourist industry. Though it was a demanding career, she had tons of fun and laughter. After fifteen years in the industry, Vivian and her husband decided to leave and move on to own a franchise of seven restaurants. Five years later they moved to Vancouver and Vivian became a Systems Analyst through Capilano College.
After leading a hectic life, Vivian and her husband decided to take a well deserved break and bought a property in Vancouver Island. This serene setting offered the tranquility she needed to live quietly with her dogs and enjoy the peace. Vivian, having become a widow twelve years ago, was fortunate to have met many wonderful people through volunteer groups. Among these connections, she became a facilitator for the Prostate Cancer group and is still in contact with those friends.
She had one friend who was an amazing artist while another friend of hers made cards through crafts. That was when art entered Vivian’s life. Neither of those friends made money doing art as they gave their art pieces away. The power of art inspired Vivian and made her want to try art. However, the first obstacle she faced was the essential tremor (ET) she has had since early childhood. Essential tremor is a neurological disorder that is characterized by rhythmic, involuntary shaking of various body parts. Vivian’s shaking hands couldn’t control the paints or the brushes.
She then came across “Multi-Media’ art and she established right away that she could try that as it was funky and there really weren’t mistakes that could be made. So she jumped in and had a fun time! ‘Multi-Media’ was completely new to her and although it sometimes comes with frustrations, she is making amazing progress and is continuously learning new things every day.
As Vivian describes, mixed media is such a revolutionary and free form of art in that it has no rules. For someone dealing with ET, it allowed her to play and make mistakes and do it all over again when desired. She is now transferring to Abstract where there are no boundaries, rules or limits. Art and creating art has impacted her life as it takes her away daily from depression and sadness to purpose, joy and happiness.
“Don’t rush. Just let it happen! Start small and learn from the Internet. You don’t have to spend much to get going and when you are ready, spend the money for the best. That’s when you will need it.”
