March 15, 2015

An Artist Writes - Tracy Krauss

winter lanscape
I didn't always consider myself a writer. My first creative love was drawing. I have very vivid memories of sitting with my nose to the paper, content to create my picture stories. It didn't take much to make me happy. I was rarely bored because there was always drawing to be done. A pad of paper was my favourite gift, and I'm sure I got at least one every birthday and Christmas. Good thing, too, because I filled them all. 

Back then I didn't realize that I wasn't just drawing pictures. My drawings were mostly of interesting characters that I had made up. They came with elaborate backstories and participated in all kinds of adventures. Of course, it was difficult to draw each and every scene, but that was okay. I had the stories in my head, and drawing portions of them was a wonderful creative outlet.

Writing came easily for me once I got to school, but it never replaced my love of art. I wrote my first play when I was in Grade Four and convinced my friends to rehearse at recess time. Our teacher saw us practicing and arranged for us to perform the play in front of the entire school. Several years later, my English 12 teacher suggested I attend a summer school for budding writers because he felt my writing held promise. I wasn't really interested. I wanted to focus on my visual art instead.


portrait
I majored in Fine Art at University and after I graduated, I tried to make money with my art. I made prints of some of my more successful pieces and went to every craft fair and art show I could. I also did a fair bit of commission work in those days - portraits, architectural drawings, and even commercial signage. Even then, there was no way to actually make a living with my art.

By that time I was married and expecting our first child. We lived in a very small house and there was no place to set up my art supplies where I could leave them from one day to the next. Once the baby came along, I was lucky if I could spare a few hours each afternoon for something creative while she napped. Inevitably, she would wake at a most inconvenient time in the painting's progress. Trying to pursue my artistic dreams became more of a frustration than an outlet. I was tired of setting up and cleaning up with very little art - or satisfaction - to show for it. 


At about that same time I borrowed my mother's old typewriter. If I couldn't paint, perhaps writing one of the many stories in my head would be a good alternative. I sat at the kitchen table and began pounding away. Almost from the start, the words began to flow. (Surprisingly the clacking never woke the baby!) This new creative outlet was simple to set up, there was virtually no clean up, and I began to feel a deep sense of satisfaction after each writing session. Thus began a love affair with writing that has lasted for almost thirty years. (My daughter will be thirty this summer.) 

I'd like to say that it was at that moment that I 'knew' I was a writer. It wasn't quite that simple, though. I was almost ashamed of my writing obsession and no one beyond my immediate family knew anything about it for many years. I just didn't know anyone else who loved to write the way I did, and there was no internet back then to connect with like minded people. It's one of the reasons I find Inscribe so invaluable. It has been a safe and encouraging place for me to connect with people just like me. 


I still love art, and I still paint and draw. The visual arts will always be my first love, even though it has taken a back seat to my writing. As I write this blog post, I am preparing a piece for submission to a regional art exhibit that is coming up in May. The piece is called 'Veil of Tears' and I am quite happy with the way it turned out. 

My 'Eureka' moment as a writer came through the backdoor of a different artistic pursuit. In my mind, however, writing is still art. So I suppose one could say that my aspirations have never really changed. I'm just using a different canvas.  


Tracy Krauss is an author, artist, and playwright living and teaching in Tumbler Ridge, BC. Visit her website for more: tracykrauss.com



8 comments:

  1. Tracy, I picture you as a child, voraciously drawing the stories that are in your mind, and pray for the parents of other such children, that they won't tell them to 'go and do something more productive'. What a testimony to how God grows and develops the creative arts in his children.

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    1. Interestingly, I was born legally blind, so when I say my nose was touching the paper, I'm not kidding!

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  2. I love the story of getting your grade four classmates to participate in a play, I did something similar with my brother and sister, we performed Rowan and Martin Laugh-In shows.
    Also neat to hear you are having opportunity to do some painting, there is much to be shared through the arts. I imagine you to be bursting with creative energy! Keep at it!

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  3. Wow! I didn't knew you were an artist as well! Thank you for sharing your story. I would love to see more of your art!

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  4. I like the way to sum this up saying, ". . . my aspirations have never really changed. I'm just using a different canvas." It is interesting how your two artistic passions have meshed and interchanged during your life." I was surprised to discover in this story that you were born legally blind, Tracy. God has blessed you and your endeavours. Blessings!

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  5. Tracy, you sound like a genuine artist, not just fine art, but writing and playwright as well. So many of us are called to write, but it becomes a craft we have to work at to be meaningful.
    I'm sure your gift requires work, of course, but what clear indications of such a gift so early in life.
    It's a real joy knowing you.

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  6. I love how God makes us all so unique when it comes to the arts: writers or painters or singers or dancers. Many different canvases and all so beautiful. I'm glad God brought the canvas of writing into your life when you couldn't pursue your painting. I too do both and have often wished I had more schooling in fine art. But then I realize I probably wouldn't be where I am today if I had pursued that. So I am thankful for today--that I can enjoy the different canvases and ultimately give God the glory.

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  7. It is interesting how your two artistic passions have meshed and interchanged during your life." I was surprised to discover in this story that you were born legally blind, Tracy. God has blessed you and your endeavours. Blessings!

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