Comments on: You’re Invited

By: Russ Sprouse

Russ Sprouse — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 17:44:25 +0000

Hi Brooke: I’m enrolled in your Fine Art Photography course on CreativeLIVE, and I just discovered your blog. This post really resonates with me, because I have been hesitant (afraid?) to share my work for *years*, but I really do want to put it out there. You have such tremendous insight into what goes on in a budding artist’s mind, and you are a great inspiration! In addition, you are such a good and generous person… Thank you for being you, and sharing yourself with us. Warm regards, ~Russ

By: Rose from Norway

Rose from Norway — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 09:20:09 +0000

How curious and wonderful that you write about this topic today. I have just awnserd your creative live survey, and now when I reed this blogpost you have hit the the same essence of what I was trying to convey in the survey.

My childhood was kind of opposite of yours. I was very out going, great at sports, prom queen, I did very well in creative subjects at school (but not so much in math, Norwegian and english ..hehe). I was always very open, vulnerable and honest. I think in English you call it wearing your heart on your sleeve? I think I have always shared becouse I feel I have to, and sometimes, that makes me feel exposed, raw and taken advantage of. Sometimes I think to my self, why in the world did I get so personal with this person i don´t even know!?! Why did I make my self so vulnerable for this person? I don´t owe him or her anything, and still I kind of give them everything I am, every raw emotion, believes and being. I need to learn how to protect my inner self more. I want to spread love, and light, and make people feel good ( most likely becouse I want this for my self ) .

It is so true what your are writing. I need to be conscious about the fact that it is MY choice to let you inn, or to let it be. And if I let it be, then it do not mean that I am a lier, or mean, it just ment that I did not want to share in that moment in time.

Thank you for this blog post.
Hope you have a lovely day Brooke and the rest of you guys. So fun to see that I am starting to know so many of you guys that write here <3 Lots of love to all of you.

By: Paul Johnston

Paul Johnston — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 05:03:53 +0000

Hello Brooke! Just keep doing what you wish and keep sharing. All your well-wishers and your delightful soul will cancel out whatever negative energy the world wishes to dish out. Loving your smile and knowing it comes from your heart, well, that’s pure sunshine!

I think I first became aware of your art style when you were on Creative Live. It was wonderful to see that your creations came from your mind versus using lots of fancy equipment, wardrobe and props. Your editing is done using basic tools that results in wonderful masterpieces! This lesson of being creative from the heart, accomplished through simplicity is a valuable one for any artist!

Keep on smiling, creating and sharing!

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 14:20:06 +0000

Attention comes and goes. Popularity comes and goes. People rush in and rush out, in ever faster cycles it seems. Especially with social media. The Eagles song “New Kid in Town” kind of covers that phenomenon. At the end of the day, all you have is yourself and what you’ve created. What you create should truly please you because the ones that only loved you when you were popular or because they were told they should, don’t matter. They’ll have moved on to the next big thing. And you’ll still be Brooke. The Brooke that was true to herself.

By: Gallagher Green (Fit BMX)

Gallagher Green (Fit BMX) — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 21:04:45 +0000

I have always had trouble sharing my work, but the creative challenge classes of yours have helped me so much!
This new journey of yours is so exciting, and it is even more so after reading this post, which is very inspiring by the way. 🙂
I loved the story of your teeth. If you still wanted to be weirder you could file you teeth, or maybe get you tongue split!!! 😉
Thanks for including us in this journey and all of the previous ones as well! <3

By: Caz Harris

Caz Harris — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 16:23:37 +0000

You are like a flower opening it’s petals for the first time, you will get bees and you will get wasps, but all have input.
This is gonna be one hell of a ride…..
Go for it, we’ll ride the tide with ya.

By: Tanya

Tanya — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 11:12:58 +0000

Well, I can’t say I had fang teeth so can’t be part of the ‘fang club’. However, I can be part of the ‘fan’ (silent ‘g’!) club that is deeply inspired and moved by you and your work. Glad you’ve decided to go down the wild journey pathway and I, for one, will be looking forward to seeing the results 🙂

By: Michael Giberson

Michael Giberson — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 20:11:19 +0000

I have followed you from your break-out days, when you were stuffed in your oven, covered with mysterious brown goo. I loved your woodland phase and your cephalopod creations. Your worldwide rise in the art photography world is remarkable and your blog posts are often inspiring.

I normally do not critique the art of other persons; their art is their art. But something you said in this blog moves me to comment.

You mentioned that you go to extreme lengths to avoid eye contact in grocery stores. I recall that I once complimented you on one of your works where your model (not you personally) made bold eye contact with the observer. The effect was striking – and (to me) refreshing. You very kindly thanked me for my compliment, but I don’t remember any other posts where your subject makes eye contact with the viewer.

I, too, sometimes avoid eye contact with strangers in public places. I recognize that such behavior in my case is rooted in caution and the fear of negative reaction by others. I don’t know if this is the same for you, but if it is, then your two new ways of thinking, (i.e. “1. I choose to let people into my world,” and “When I release my art, I truly release it.”) must necessarily somehow engage or embrace or examine your fears. All artists do this, consciously or not (just look at the paintings of Heironymus Bosch as an extreme example).

The point here is not eye contact. The point is examining one’s fear in one’s art. I address it because you seem to be declaring that you are soaring into new territory, and because exploring one’s fear in their art interests me and I have addressed it (obscurely) with you before. I won’t belabor the point. I just hope it means something.

I don’t know where you’re heading but I’ll be there to see.

By: Hope

Hope — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 19:29:15 +0000

Hello Brooke, I just wanted to say…thank you really!! You truly are an incredible human being and not just in your talent with words and imagery. When I’m feeling panicky about what on earth I think I’m doing I look to you and how amazing you are, your willingness to be vulnerable and open inspires me to try and do the same and not feel bad about it. There’s a certain type of joy you get from sharing work and words alongside it, making your own unique mark upon the world. I’m about to take a major leap of faith tomorrow in my own life and I’ll be taking your words along with me.

Thank you as always for being you,

Hope xx

By: Margherita Introna

Margherita Introna — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 17:43:09 +0000

In reply to brookeshaden.

Yes! Channelling my current situation into my art is one of the main inspirations for my work. It was what led me (I always say “led” as that is how it felt to me) to conceptual fine art photography in the first place back in 2012/2013. I did not just wake up one day and decide to become a conceptual fine art photographer. For me it was a journey and a process. And that journey, both photographically and my life experiences, influences the work that I produce. Photography has been a passion of mine for over 20 years and I have enjoyed many different genres, but when my life led me to conceptual work, it felt like such a homecoming to me. It was what I was searching for in all those years behind (and infront) of my camera. I think that is why I am so passionate about what I create, because that discovery was such a massive turning point for me…
But I am rambling… I get so excited talking about these things!!!
I have been meaning to write to you… You have been on my mind the last few days and so I will email you tomorrow!