Tell All Tuesday ~ Featured Artist: Miranda Degenaars

Hello Lovelies

Tuesday again, and the last of October - ouch-chiwawa!

But that does mean I'm back with another Tell All Tuesday. Think you'd like to take the hotseat?? Details for being featured are below the interview. 

Enjoy meeting this weeks artist =)

Tell us a little bit about yourself & what kind of artist you are.
My name is Miranda Degenaars, 53 years of age and I live in the Netherlands together with Ronald and our 8-year-old son Daniel. I have always been a creative soul and as long I can remember I was drawing and coloring. Always wanted to make things more beautiful. I like different kind of styles, techniques and because I like a lot of things it’s sometimes difficult to choose…and to keep focused on one thing at the time. I am a designer for several stamping companies and shops and a writer of some books. I am an artist who wants to make the world more beautiful with my art and to inspire other people to get connected with their creativity. A long time ago I started with drawing and painting, did some courses and for a short while I followed education on the school of arts. I love the effects of water coloring because it’s always a surprise what is coming out…Than the art of stamping came into my life and I became an ‘ addict’ of beautiful designs pressed into rubber. I am still trying to combine different techniques and mediums together to create my own style. At the moment I am trying to ‘ go beyond’ cards’ doing more mixed media and wanted to combine it all on larger surfaces as boards or canvas

What is the biggest challenge you personally face as an artist and how do you overcome it?
To say YES to everything and everyone that comes my way because I am a very enthusiastic person. But afterwards I realize that my time and energy is limited and I can’t do it ALL. So I try to be less impulsive and think about it first before I make a decision. And that has also to do with choices and setting boundaries. What is giving me energy and energy means in this way besides a good vibe also money. Don’t like to think about that but I have to.

Do you think you have achieved a uniquely recognizable style as an artist, or do you find it a struggle to find your own style?
I think I have a recognizable style but maybe the people who look at it can better be the judge of that. I think I am still developing myself in my art and hope to find the style I’ve always envisioned.

What is your heart’s greatest desire for your life as an artist?
To be able to create and work in a peaceful environment and to combine art with guiding other people to get in touch with their creative source! That could be in many forms and as well in groups or individual. I have two quotes that inspired me very much:

“Where your talents and the needs of the world cross; there lies your vocation.” (Aristoteles)

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." (Howard Thurman)

Tell us where can we find out more about you & your art?
I have two blogs; here and here and where you can see my drawings and paintings from some time ago. I don’t maintain this blog very well at the moment. Then I wrote these three books: Miracle art inspirations, Start the Miracle and More Miracle art. These are links to the publishers website. At this moment they are working on a translated version….so I hope to go overseas! Also you can find a lot of me on Pinterest, a great media to find inspiration!

Thank you for sharing Miranda, I appreciate your story and art =) I also have issues saying no to people and setting boundaries, and I think perhaps that has a lot to do with being an artist, like it's in the genes lol. I'm not saying every single artist in the world is completely that way or entirely selfness but I think half of art is wanting to get out what is inside of us, and the other half is then wanting to enrich others lives with it, or at least that is what I see a lot within the online creative community we are a part of. But I am personally getting better at saying no (as it would be impossible for me to bow to every request now anyway, as 2400 hours in the day would not allow me to achieve that) because when we serve ourselves first, we can then really serve others. The other way around is how society teaches us it should be, but as you are told when flying on an aircraft, you MUST put your air mask on first, before you can attend to someone elses!

Do you want to be a featured TAT artist??

To be featured email me or find all the details here =)