Not All Artists are Masters

In the Star Wars movies, Luke Skywalker trained to become a Jedi Master.  He left his training before he was "graduated" and never got to finish working with Master Yoda. He was full of himself and thought surely he knew the best way to go about his life.  In the end, he became a Jedi Master anyway, but it was not without difficulties that would have been avoided had he stayed to complete the work in the first place.

The Jedi were not a large group compared to the billions of people alive in different star systems. Most were trained from a very early age.  Many were not chosen to become Jedi.

Masters of Art is somewhat like this.  There are comparatively few Masters in the world of art than there are or have ever been artists. Of those that are Masters, few of them are actually acknowledged and recognized as a Master during their own lifetime--da Vinci, Michelangelo, Picasso perhaps, maybe Warhol, Matisse, Dali...but even this is not a certainty.

Artists should continue their training throughout their lifetimes. We never know when our artwork will catch the eye of the "right" critic, the right gallery, the right buyer. We just must continually improve our skills, hone our craft.

The general population and art critics of the time did not appreciate nor agree that many of those we consider Masters were in fact Masters. It seems that at least in modern times, you must be deceased to have value and to be considered a Master.  There are a few possible exceptions who are living, but much of their current status is a result of some very clever marketing and placement.  Time will tell if their artworks will live beyond them or garner the respect of a Master.

What does this mean for those of us who are not Masters?  It means we must continue to practice, to learn, to study, to do the art that is ours to do.  In reality, worrying about being a Master is not why most artists do art. We do art, we create because we can't not do art or create.  We are driven by some inner sense of urgency to put brush to paint, ink to paper, to sketch, draw, and express.  Most of us will not be acknowledged by the world as Masters and many of us will live and die in obscurity with our artwork never being in a show, never being in a museum, never being noticed by an art critic other than our self.  Perhaps, if we are lucky, our family and friends will value our artwork and treasure it, creating heirlooms. And who knows if some day it may not be discovered and considered a Masterwork.
 

But this does not matter.  Not all artists are masters. But all artists are artists.

(c) 2017, SZing, Bohemian Art Cafe. All Rights Reserved. Photographs courtesy of Bohemian Art Cafe and Pixabay's public domain images.

Words as Art

Writing poetry is my go-to stress releaser.  I've done it since at least the third grade (granted, my poems back then weren't all that fabulous).  I'm not normally a rhyme-r or a iambic-pentameter type of gal.  I've written my share of Haiku, but my first love is free-form poetry.  #InspiredArtProject2015 #wordsasart #poetry

"In dreamtime" (c)SZing, 2015.

Combining Ideas

Sometimes the best thing we can do for our artwork is to combine ideas and mixing mediums together we have never used before.  This can result in amazing new techniques and outcomes.  A core concept of creativity is the combining of unrelated ideas.

Here are some favorite medium mixes of mine.
1.  Combine tissue paper with acrylic paint.
2.  Combine ceramic paint with glass.
3.  Combine found objects with glass.
4.  Combine wood and paint.
5.  Combine paint and metal.
6.  Combine sand with paint.
7.  Combine textiles and text.
8.  Combine digital art with wax.
9.  Combine tinfoil with glass fusing.
10. Combine ink and photographs.

Here is a quick and easy, fun and intriguing way to combine unrelated ideas as subject matter for your art or writing project:
Create a list of items you like now or liked at an earlier time in your life—here is a random list of items I like:  butterflies, bicycles, gardens, swimming pools, seashells, clouds, bluebirds, cats, party hats, fancy dresses, high heeled shoes, books….

Now I could take two or more of those items and create a piece of art that combines them.  For example:  A cat with butterfly wings riding a bicycle; or A bluebird in a party hat and fancy dress lying on a cloud.

Here is a great link for some more thoughts about combining ideas and creativity.

A Natural Flow and Progression

All of  life has a natural flow and progression.  The tides of our ocean ebb and flow.  Our bodies have a natural flow of energy from day to day and a natural progression over time.

I don't know if other artists and writers have a continual sense of urgency that plagues them...but I do and have for as long as I can remember...a restlessness that I needed to "get to work" on whatever it was I needed to work on.  When I was a child, I couldn't really figure out what it was that I was supposed to be working on.  I have tried many things and moved to many locations, often driven by this urgent sense that there was a thing or things that were mine to do.

Glass suncatcher...even glass has a natural flow and progression when heated. Available at www.bohemianartcafe.com or etsy.bohemianartcafe.com.
(C) 2012 SZing

I had a vague sense that what I was to do had something to do with writing.  And though I didn't realize it at the time, creative endeavors were constantly tugging at me.  I didn't do any sort of artwork other than hand crafts but I played music and I feel my early poetry and musical practices were the start of my natural progression of creativity.  I liked music, but I didn't love it and couldn't get lost in it like I could with writing or like I can now with artwork.

Flow domino available at www.bohemianartcafe.com and etsy.bohemianartcafe.com
(c) 2012 SZing

Some people make progress as if their artwork and career is an avalanche.  They move forward so swiftly it is difficult to keep up with them.  Others start out slowly and inch forward day by day and week by week.  Others, like me, have a flow and progression that comes in starts and stops.  My progression is marked by specific goal events around which I tend to organize my time and talents.  In between the preparatory spurts of energy flow, I take steps toward future events.

Find your own flow and pattern.

Here is an example of the past few weeks:  Preparation for art fair.  Flurry of activity to get all inventory prepared and organized the display materials.  Show.  Unpack.  Downtime.  Preparation for trunk show.   BIG flurry of activity to get all inventory prepared. Show. Unpack.  Now I am in preparation for a show this weekend.  But my inventory is fairly large right now so I only need to organize what I'll be taking for display.  I have a little extra energy so I've been working on locating two venues for art shows in 2013 and connecting with several magazines for articles.  I've been slowly updating my database.  I've been updating my website.  I;ve been teaching art classes and a Writing Frenzy (tm) group.  There is always something that can be done even if the steps are baby steps.  They are all a part of the flow and progression of my creative journey.  As an artist, it is important to understand your own ebb and flow and to understand how you work so that when you're "on", you're on.  Trust the natural flow and progression.

It’s so obvious…

Writer’s block. Brain freeze.  Creative vacuum.  Mental fart. It happens to the best artist, writer or creative thinker. 

Once in a while, the ability to bridge the gap between the brain fart and functional artistic progress can be a quick jump start.  When I walk into my studio and I have the (false) idea that I don’t know where to begin, or worse, how to begin, once in a while it hits me and I’m almost immediately able to move on and proceed. 

When I look at the project in front of me, it almost always automatically shows the way to what needs to be done next.  If I’m working on fused glass, it depends on what I did last—if I ground glass and shaped it, its time to clean the glass and set it in the kiln.  If I’m working on jewelry, the obvious next step is clear…either I need to add a jump ring, finish soldering, file, seal, string, design….  If I’m working on a painting, there is usually a clearly defined starting point.  A color I need to add, details that need to be painted in, something to add to the background.  It’s always obviously missing.  It just takes a moment to see the obvious next step.

If you think you can’t see the obvious, try these steps:
1.  Squint.  Really.  Look at the picture or piece and squint. Out of focus viewing can help to resolve the areas that need to be completed.
2.  Ask the question, “What do you want me to add now?”
3.  Ask the question, “What is missing on this piece?”
4.  Ask the question, “Is there a color (detail, item) I need to add?”
5.  Write out the steps for making the piece in order from start to completion.  Check off what you’ve done and the next step is clear.

No matter how stuck you might feel or “be,” the answer is always available.  It just might take a moment or two to discover the path to your next step.

Bring Out Your Inner Child Prodigy

Homeschool students enjoying painting, (c) SZing, 2011.

If you’ve ever watched children do artwork, you know that they rarely:
1)  Color within the lines
2)  Use the colors we expect
3)  Limit their subject matter to the realistic
4)  Question their ability, skill, expertise or talent
5)  Limit their imagination

Students drawing self-portraits. (c)SZing 2011.

The other aspect children bring to making art is:
PLAY.  While they may be serious about their art, and sometimes they put on a serious face (you know the one…tongue stuck out in concentration, eyes drawn together and intense effort when wielding the crayon or paintbrush), they still know how to make the efforts FUN.
 

Summer Camp Artists creating jewelry. (c)SZing

They aren’t afraid of mixing colors.  They don’t sweat combining lines or patterns.  They rarely worry about whether or not they are “doing it right” or are “good enough.”  They almost always are proud of the end result and usually give their art away joyfully and freely with the full confidence that their masterpieces will be viewed with pleasure and of course, that the artwork will be displayed.

Homeschool student displaying found object artwork. (c) SZing, 2011.

A child is willing to learn new skills.  And eager to do so.  A child isn’t overly loyal to any particular medium or artist.

Homeschool student painting. (c) SZing, 2011.

I encourage you to take a page from the child prodigy journal.  Let go and let your artwork be free.  There is an inner child prodigy in each of us.  Relax.  Play.  Pretend.  Stop worrying and let the artwork be.

Homeschool student painting. (c) 2012 SZing.

All text and photos copyright SZing, 2011/2012.  All rights reserved.

Put on the Boxing Gloves

Creativity usually brings about change. It is human nature to find change uncomfortable. And to avoid it.  At all costs sometimes.

There are times when it takes monumental effort to press through and keep working toward the end result of a process or project.  I call it Putting on the Boxing Gloves.

All of my youth I had dreams of being a writer.  I wanted more than anything to write a book, or magazines, or even poetry and have it published.  Even though I wrote numerous poems and had many articles published, I still wanted to write a book.  The problem was that just thinking about trying to do so completely paralyzed me.  I couldn't even walk into my office.  I couldn't turn on the computer.  I couldn't even think about the project.

I knew I had to put on my boxing gloves in a big way.  I forced myself to go into the room. I didn't make myself do anything else...that day.  The next day, I went into the room and sat down. I turned on the computer.  But I couldn't do anything related to the book project.

The big problem was that I had a deadline.  I was scheduled to teach a class and was supposed to write the textbook for it.  And time was ticking.

I knew I had to get tougher with the fear of the creative process.  I had to decide whether it was important to me that the book I used was mine, not someone else's. I had to decide what I was willing to do to get the book written.  I made a decision.

It wasn't an overnight resolution, but day by day I made progress.  I started out the day by making a list of all the things that I was afraid of related to the book.  Then I wrote a list of all the benefits I'd get from completing the project.  I broke the book out into steps, starting with the table of contents.  I knew that I could change it later if I decided to do so.

Then I wrote the first chapter and the second.  I did not allow myself at that time to go back and edit or even read what I'd written.  By the time I got to the fifth chapter, I was engrossed and I forgot to be afraid. I forgot to do the lists.

And my progress just took off.  I met my deadline with several days to spare, the book got published and I was able to put away my boxing gloves until needed again.  It's a process that I've used to fight through anxieties for art shows preparations, public speeches, and other writing projects.

I suggest if you're stuck, in a rut, fearful of change or feeling uncreative, Put on the Boxing Gloves.

(c) 2012, SZing.  All rights reserved. 

A Creative Tease...

Sometimes you just have to take a vacation.  Apparently, I'm still on mine.  Looking forward to a month of exploring creative solutions and creative thinking.

In the meantime, in joy, enjoy....

The Future is Rosy…or is it?

Magazines are tactilely delightful.  They feature glossy pages, bright colors, and advertisements for new stuff I might not have known I needed otherwise.  In between all that, there are sometimes articles we like to read and pictures at which we like to look.



A favorite magazine I like to check out is the bimonthly called The Futurist.  I get it for the articles.  Really!  What an interesting magazine.  Full of all sorts of ideas and inventions that may someday become real and life changing. Fascinating.  Get a little peek at trends for the future, find out why we won’t have any more car crashes, or discover how to overcome the curse of the infrastructure. 

 

I’ve been intrigued with the Futurist ever since I heard a gentleman talk about the future of technology during a leadership seminar back in 1998 in Washington DC.  He was telling us about a little hand held device that had a fruity name that would enable us to make telephone calls, keep our contacts straight, provide a method for sending email and much more.  It seemed like pleasant fiction for me since I was trying to figure out how to get a larger purse that could handle my PDA and a charger, my cell phone (and charger), my IPOD (and my charger...), my camera (you get the picture?), etc. and not entice muggers on the Metro.  Then a year later it actually was out and on the market.



Why does this matter to an artist?  For me, besides the fact that I’m generally quite curious about the world.  I am also interested in the creative endeavors of others.  Reading about upcoming technology and thinking of the future stirs my creativity up and makes me wonder what I can do today that might survive into the future.  I might not have the scientific or technical skills, but I’ve never yet come away from reading about potential futures without being awed and inspired.  I recommend it if you feel you are in a rut.  A rut is no place to be.  I’d rather be back in the future.



Whatever we are thinking about right now, is creating the future.  Whatever we are living right now, is a result of the past.

Do a Little Image Search

My website update is going slow.  I worked diligently on it for two nights, only to have some whacko glitch occur that caused my files to all be corrupted and blah, blah, blah….as a result of technology hampering me in the extreme these past few months (I have lost count of how many technology related difficulties I’ve run into), there comes a time when a body, or at least a brain, just doesn’t seem to have an iota of creativity left to it.  I’m there.

My brain. Fried from technology glitches and being
put on eternal hold with the help desk.

Unfortunately, I have a little project that I need to finish by Friday.  And I’ve got no good idea how to go about doin’ what needs doin’.  And I don’t have any energy for exhaustive or extensive website searches at the moment nor do I have the luxury of time to have inspiration strike.

The quick and easy shot to the arm is to do a little Image Search.  I put random words (well, not entirely random, they usually have something to do with my upcoming project) into the search bar of my browser.  Then I choose an image search.  I pore over the many images that invariably come up to see if any of them sparks an idea.

Let me be clear here. I’m not doing a hit and run where I steal someone’s artwork. That is copyright infringement.  Instead, what I’m looking for when I do an image search is something that Freud's  psychotherapy tool of free-association did for the baby boomer generation--it helps me find myself again.

I might see some color that I like, or maybe there is an image of a baby, or a flower, for example.  My project might not be right for a baby image, but I might find something about the baby that makes me think of something else…let’s say bottles.  And when I think of baby bottles, I think of milk.  And when I think of milk, I either think of a cow or cookies.  Depending on whether it’s before or after lunch.  Now I have something I might be able to work with.  A cow.

And what can I do with that cow in my work?  Well, I’m not sure.  Since this is all hypothetical. But, as you can see, it’s only a few hops and skips before the brain tangents into an entirely different way of thinking and the creativity inevitably begins to flow.  Barring that, I stop for a snack.

(c)SZing, 2012. All rights reserved.

Morphing

Many years ago I had a personal website.  It had a really cool graphic that somehow I did not save to a hard drive.  Then the site where I had my page went dark and I lost my cool morphing graphic.  It was a little bit like this one:

I'm sorry to say that I do not know who created this to
give them due credit. I discovered it on an image search.
I use it for education purposes to explain morphing.

The shapes it made were a lot cooler, although the colors weren’t as fancy. I chose it because my page was called metamorphosis.  The changing of one thing into another.  A caterpillar metamorphoses into a butterfly.

In artwork, as in writing, there are times when the creative ideas seem to be dammed up and there is no flow.  One method for breaking the dam is to practice playing and one of those practices is combining two or more things together that really don’t normally go together…to morph them until they create an entirely new something. 

There is some great software out that allow for morphing of photographs and images.  One online site that focuses primarily on celebrity faces is Morphing.  Here you can take two faces of famous people and create an entirely new look.  For example, today I morphed Prince William with Marilyn Monroe.  Surprisingly, they morph into a very interesting “rock star” or artistic looking person.  Reminds me ever so slightly of Prince Poppycock or David Bowie. Maybe the teensiest bit of Madonna or Lady Gaga.

Morph from morphthing.com of Prince William and Marilyn Monroe
(c) MorphThing

I’m sorry to report that Cameron Diaz and Mel Gibson do not make such a lovely picture (just slightly disturbing):

Morph from morphthing.com of Cameron Diaz and Mel Gibson
(c) MorphThing

But I especially liked the Yoger I made out of (can you guess?)

Morph from morphthing.com of Yoda and a Tiger
(c)MorphThing

Yoda and a Tiger.  Actually looks pretty cool.  Like Yoda dressing up for Halloween or something.  Or getting ready to be an X-Man.  (What the world needs…a Jedi X-Man.)

These are simple examples of morphing two items into one.  But the creative process works equally as well with ideas and totally non-related items.  Case in point:  Transformers of all types.

The point is, that if you are stuck, you’re possibly thinking too much, too married to a specific idea or outcome, or just expecting too much from yourself.  To lighten up, play with ideas. 

What would be the outcome if Politics and Religions could actually agree?  How about Science and Religion? Science and Politics?  How about the Democrats and Republicans?

What about if we took a portrait by Van Gogh and did it Andy Warhol style? Or Vice Versa.

What would happen if a television could also serve as a microwave oven? or a lamp could double as a stereo system?

How about if we could make a product that resembled wood but wasn’t wood by somehow altering the molecular structure of…trash? (ok, this is a steal from Star Trek and their replicators)…but seriously, if we can think about such ideas, isn’t this where new ‘stuff’ comes from?  Someone gets a “crazy idea” and figures out a way to make it so.  Just think of salted chocolate chip cookies, or fried Twinkies.  Crazy ideas.  But some would say…marvelously delicious.

What doesn’t go with another? Is there a way to make them work together?  What idea from one can I borrow and add to the other?  Let’s morph our old thoughts, our old ideas and unexplored combinations into new forms, art, books, and “stuff.” Get creative.

Get with the Beat…or Don’t

Tonight I’m going to the monthly drumming circle. I’ll take my tiny ceramic dhoumbek and my giant wood djembe and I’ll drum until my fingers and hands go numb.  And probably my mind too.

Why? one might ask….Because it is an intensely focused form of meditation for me and it has a number of benefits:

1.  It releases my pent up stresses.  I have a few.

2.  It lets my mind chill out and I can just go with the flow.

3.  I’ll sleep like a baby when I get home because I’ll be ultra relaxed.

4.  On Thursday, and for several days after, my focus will be crystal clear and my creativity expanded.

5.  It makes me feel good and happy.  I smile a lot, hum some while I’m drumming and it doesn’t cost a thing except some energy and getting to the group.

These are two great articles that talks about a number of serious studies of the health effects of drumming. 

Drumming has a long history and has been found in many cultures across the world and in many timeframes.  The Celts use them, Native Americans use them, Africans use them, even the military uses them.  What would a parade or a football game halftime be without a drum line or drum break?  There are at least 50 different styles and types of drums currently in use around the world.


Now, I’m not fanatical about it.  It’s something I do once a month, sometimes every other month if there is nothing more pressing or of interest to do.  I have not rearranged my life around it.  I only know one or two “official” drum patterns and most of the time I can’t remember them.

As opposed to some circles I’ve drummed with, this particular one is made up of very clean people (literally, as well as in the psychotropic or pharmaceutical sense).  I’ve drummed with the “unwashed” fringe as they were sometimes referred to in another time and town.  But everywhere I’ve drummed, the people have treated me respectfully, accepted me and every other member into the group happily, and basically let each person do their own creative thing without trying to smash down anyone or limit their abilities.  In my mind, that’s pretty good company, whether they’ve taken a bath or not.

So, for a quick creative fix, this week, I’m opting for drumming.  It doesn’t matter whether I’m with the beat or doing my own thing.  In the end, no one cares and it all blends in fine anyway.  We’re just making music.