April 12th, 2006 by admin
Changing the way we do things can keep life fresh
My Series 1- Gallery Page - Digital Painting - 2005
As with the previous "On Being Creative" points: all ten can be found in the Free Download section of OuthouseStudios.net.
Do things in new ways - be it for efficiency or for change of pace, it will help keep the juices flowing.
Find places to be creative in whatever you do - how you choose to say things, how you put food on a plate, how you even wash your hands can be new, different, and creative.
Being mindful or aesthetic in all we do is considered a form of meditation. It is certainly a way to keep life fresh and helpful in keeping us from becoming complacent.
I’ve included the above piece, because it exemplifies this concept. This was created in that manner - approaching the work in a new way - both shape and background.
See Also
Relevant Tags:be creative, being creative, change, complacent, digital painting, keep life fresh, new approach
September 12th, 2005 by admin
Timeless Creation, Appreciation, Openness, Change
For the person creating, time can stand still. There is nothing else in the world than the creation at hand. When one dances there is only movement. When one paints, there is just color and form. When one plays the sounds of music, the music becomes the world you breath. Though not exactly mediation, the process of creating is potentially just as mindless and potentially just as timeless.
But art is also a refuge in other ways. Though there is always criticism, there is always the security of unique creation - something which doesn’t need to be defended - something which is your own. And though there is competition in every form of art - in its true state it is more of a collaboration and appreciation. We do not create in a vacuum and we do build upon each others ideas - whether they are current or from another time. Art is generally not about tearing down unless rebuilding is to follow.
There is another place of refuge for art as well. In Gilroy, CA (see Dispatch) 11 Palestinian, Arab, Jewish, Israeli and American artists have gotten together to have a show entitled "Piece Process 3". The premise is that “It’s not a ‘peace process’ it’s about the process. Art cannot undo things, but we can demonstrate how we can work together,” said Granite Amit, an Israeli born Jew curating the event. “The goal is to create a space where we can meet and talk. The idea is we’re not going to censor each other.” “Our art pieces are having a dialogue … some of it is angry, some of it is overflowing with love. We’re not telling people to feel a certain way,” Pitman-Weber explained.” In our little art show we’re kind of acting out a (way to live together.)”
This open listening and acceptance is part of the creative process and for it to carry over into the political world is both natural and part of history. The above is a wonderful example but not the only one in today’s news.
In a story about an artists’ collective in Minneapolis-St. Paul, the Minnesota Women’s Press, states “What I’m trying to do with my art is build a different kind of society and to do that, we have to learn how to work together,” said Meg Novak, one of the founding members. “So it’s definitely a direct experience in direct democracy and decisionmaking by everybody involved that I really value.”
Art and Creativity are best when open to possibility and differences. Because of that they provide a refuge both from the world and to a better world.
See Also
Relevant Tags:art, change, creativity, openess, refuge, tolerance
September 9th, 2005 by admin
Creative Inspiration, Recognition & Process
In three recent web news articles, three different people were quoted about their views on creating art and what is most important. All three took a very similar posture that art can not cater to what is accepted but rather should answer to its own voice.
Artist Pratuang Emjaroen was quoted in the Bangkok Post(8/9/05 - article now N/A)as finding his inspiration from current news and events - that he sees art and his work as a "counter balance for the suffering. The world today is very commercial; nothing is free. But art is free, with no expectations. It can provide support for the whole world.”
Similarly in Pitch.com Eleanor Heartney is quoted as describing what creativity isn’t: "It’s not about finding the thing that pleases the greatest number. It’s really about finding the thing that isn’t particularly welcome at the moment it comes forward."
The general theme is to not create so much to please others but let the creative mission rule. And though I believe they are generally correct about how to create, we are not living in a vacuum and many of our aesthetic choices are necessarily dictated by common culture and consensus.
However, there is a message that can be taken from this thinking and applied completely. So much of what inspires us, we reject. We look at the thought and say trite, boring, overdone, who would care, etc. Sometimes being creative means developing the mediocre idea and finding out where it leads. Just like life being a journey - creativity is about the process - the finished pieces are like a gift. Try not to reject them before you even create them - advice I wish I could heed better myself.
See Also
Relevant Tags:art, change, create, creative inspiration
