Kathy has a new book she's reviewing and it is bringing up some interesting thoughts and comments from readers. You might want to check it out.
The book is called
The View from the Studio Door: How Artists Find Their Way in an Uncertain World
by Ted Orland (2006)
This bit struck me today:
One of the … truths about artmaking is that it’s more important to be productive than to be creative. If you’re productive your creativity will take care of itself. If you are not productive then how exactly is it you intend to be creative?
Is that true? Perhaps. If, while you are working at it, you are learning. If not, it's a waste of time, yes?
Anyway, I always enjoy reading the book excerpts Kathy shares and the comments, which are an art education in themselves!
And me, well, I'm still working at it but I do seem to have walked off the beaten path lately and am somewhere in the midst of a wooded area with lots of trees and branches and brambles and other sticky things poking at me. It happens. I'll be back on track soon enough.
Do we all have seasonal stopping points or stumbling points? Mine do seem to come in the last days of autumn.
9 comments:
Good Afternoon Rhonda,
It does seem to require a fine balance, not unlike a really good composition. Funny how some days one can jump right in and it's all good and other days, it seems like a monumental struggle to even pick up a brush.
By the way, for some reason, on a variety of blogs, including yours, certain posts don't, or won't, appear. Has anyone else reported this? No one has mentioned this problem with my blog, but I was wondering if this is happening to my visitors.
Enjoy your day, Rhonda.
Sincerely,
Gary.
Gary, I find that posts may not appear if there is no photo to the post - other than that, it could just be a delayed Google thing! I'm still in the brambles, sitting still and making mud pies, thinking, thinking, thinking - and looking for a good book to take my mind off thinking!
I find that I go through periods of creativity and, like most artists, I also have dry periods. It is undoubtedly true that sometimes it comes much more easily than others. I find this time of year very depressing...everyone raves about how beautiful it is and how they love the colors...I have never found that to be true...the autumn display is just foreshadowing the darkness of winter.
Hi Rhonda,
Don't want to interrupt the pie making, but thanks for answering me about the missing posts. The other sites I mentioned always have a label and discuss the (missing to me) image. Curious...
Gary.
Hmmmmm......the quote from Katharine's book resonates deep inside me currently. Thanks for sharing. Sounds like a book I might want to read.
Barb, towards the end of autumn, when the leaves have gone and the rains begin and the cold weather sets in - that's when I enter a slow-down and all I want to do is sit and read or watch tv and eat!! Not good but I think we are still animals who are on a body clock that says, Time to fatten up, winter's coming.
Gary, if you are getting red x's instead of their photos, then you probably need a Java update. You can find out by going to java.com and seeing the latest download. I've had that problem before on our older computer.
Gretchen, glad to turn you on to something you might enjoy!
Thanks for the extract from this book any artist will find consoling when they - like this time of the year - can't find the creative spirit within. I've stopped actually creating paintings and started to concentrate on sketching to retrace my steps to early drawing studies.
Oh, that's your inner bear in a prehibernation mood, don't worry, we all have one, some cuter than others though ;P as soon as spring comes it'll have you wanting to run around through the fields, maybe with a frapuccino in hand?
Productivity and creativity, I firmly believe that inspiration is the result of habit, like a muscle you can train, you feed it with experiences, so I must agree that the more productive you are the more creative you can be, and I'm not talking about producing final perfect works nonstop, but producing something everyday, the most stupid blotch of paint or doodle can have one shape or one color that triggers a memory or turns your brain on and there starts creativity.
I would be lying if I wouldn't admit that I want to believe in the muse theory, that she comes and goes as she pleases and when she goes there's no need to do anything but wait for her return, but deep down I know the muse comes back when she sees you doing something, she then approaches out of curiosity and stays by your side to see what you end up with! Now go and illustrate that Rhon, ha!
Teresa, you're right - we can't just sit and wait for that muse because she could be out shopping for shoes or something!! I like your comments - thanks for sharing your thoughts. Illustrate that? Ah, my friend, I don't have the imagination you have!!
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