Category: Creativity

To help you find a more creative approach to painting, and maybe even life!

NoWor250

3 Sure Fire Signs of Creative Mode

Cheryl
All artists long for more of it – the sometimes illusive creative mode. How does it manifest? 1. Time stands still – in other words you lose all track of time. Einstein said, “When you are courting a nice girl, an hour seems like a second. When you are sitting on a hot cinder, a second feels like an hour. That’s relativity.” The first part, about courting, that would be the creative mode. 2. No worries, no problems, no matter how pressing, can intrude into the creative space. This aspect of being absorbed into creativity is just plain wonderful! A refreshing escape without having to pay for a plane ticket. 3. At times it feels like the creative work is making itself. What happens feels so natural that the artist has the odd sensation of being a mere observer of their creation. These 3 are my own personal experience as an artist. How do you experience the creative mode? Anything to add to my list?   
Flow2T

Loose Women

Cheryl
Describing the upcoming art class “Toward Abstract”, I was carefully explaining that in this class, people do not have to work without a subject, but that the exercises will encourage people to have a looser approach to their interpretations. A student responded with enthusiasm, “That’s great – I think I’m more of a loose woman …. oh!” We laughed. And if there are other loose women or men interested in “Toward Abstract”, this class still has room for more and starts April 5. (See Local Art Courses on my website.) 
Fish2T

The Trouble with Different

Cheryl
Ceramic artist Eva Zeisel, whose work has been recognised by the Museum of Modern Art as masterpieces of contemporary design, says this about ‘being different’. “This idea to be different is not my aim, and shouldn’t be anybody’s aim. … you can’t always try to be different. I mean different from different from different. …and no creative thought or created thing grows out of a negative impulse. A negative impulse is always frustrating. And to be different means not like this and not like that.” (From “Creativity – Flow & the Psychology of Discovery & Invention”, author Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi) Perhaps some artists have been confused on this issue, and it may explain why some recent art is different, but not inspiring. Truly valuable creative work seem to be a mix of drawing from past worthy creations, and bringing an original twist or addition to it. How can a visual artist hope to make great art, if they are unwilling to study the great art that has gone before? Just for fun, here’s a link to see some of Eva’s pottery –  Pottery images Eva Zeisel 
LgMntAl200

Who’s Driving?

Cheryl 1 Comment
“You are the only one with a front seat in your life. You are the only one with a 360 degree view. Why on earth would you let someone else drive?” Cheryl O – This doesn’t mean that you don’t take, and even seek out, good advice. It does mean taking ownership of the decisions you make – both good and bad. And there will be both; it’s called being human. I apply this to my art too. I enjoy getting lots of comments from others, even for a work in progress. I bring paintings in progress into class so my students can not only see them at various stages but also comment on them and develop critiquing skills. I also believe in encouraging live-in critics of all ages to give their 2 cents worth. When I was a beginner painter, I was delighted to discover that my youngest son (age 8 at that time) had a great eye. “Mom, that yellow is too wimpy.” And he was right! Artists or non-artists, occasionally a different set of eyes can pick up something in a painting, good or bad, that you will wonder how you missed. But always, I am totally aware that I am the one holding the brush. And I’m not afraid at any moment to reject any advice, no matter how strongly expressed, and carry on in my own unique and very human way. 
Stewy220

Rabbits

Cheryl 1 Comment
“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.” John Steinbeck – To be truly creative, you need ideas. Not just a few, but lots of ideas. Ideas popping up without any constraints. Fun ideas, crazy ideas – ideas that make you shout, ‘Hey, nobody has tried THAT before!” Now, there could be a good reason that nobody has tried THAT before. Or, THAT may just be what your art form needs to give it real pizazz. Don’t be afraid to have lots of ideas and sift through them. Some will go the way of the inflatable dart board. Others may be just the ticket to your creative freedom and joy. 

Great Creative Ideas

Cheryl
“Where Good Ideas Come From” – This video is an entertaining animation that talks about how the greatest inventions in science and technology came to be. In the second half, it makes a strong case for networking in order to bring out the best creative ideas. In any creative field, we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before, and so I see applications from this for the visual arts as well. We can’t exactly have a chat with most of the great artists who went before us (and if you think you can, I don’t want to know about it 🙂 . However, taking the time to study their works can tremendously boost your own ability. It’s inspiring to go to galleries and stand in front of masterpieces. If that is not possible for you, libraries and the internet are wonderful resources. Discover which past great artists have paintings that really move you. And the very best way to learn from the greats? Spend time copying their paintings (for educational purposes, meaning, not for public display or sale). This allows you to absorb some of their painting expertise in a way far superior to simple observation. You need not worry that the influence will be overly strong – your own unique interpretation will eventually shine through, in the same way that your signature is your own. In this way, you create a space where ideas can “mingle and swap, and create new forms”. 
FlowT

Sometimes

Cheryl 1 Comment
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day that says, ‘I will try again…'” (Thanks @NoraWhalen) –  It’s tough being a beginner. That applies to painting too, and I think especially if you have seen a lot of great art. You know what you like. You know where you want to go with painting – but the brush doesn’t seem to get it. There’s an expression: the sooner you finish your first 100 paintings, the better. That expression acknowledges that gaining skill takes practice. You wouldn’t expect to play a Bach masterpiece after one piano lesson, and in the same way, making a great painting means putting in the brush time first. Don’t be too hard on yourself, and remember, even the most amazing famous painters were beginners once too. 
MoonT

The Thing About Crazy

Cheryl 4 Comments
There’s no denying that historically, some artists have been crazy. Poor tormented Vincent van Gogh is the most famous case. But really, I think that has given the rest of us artists a bad rap without good reason. Here’s my theory. In the west, traditionally logical thinking has been valued highly. Take A plus B and you get C. However, logical thinking is only type of thinking. Most artist spend time in what I call creative chaos mode. Since being creative by definition involves combining previously uncombined items in a new and useful or aesthetically pleasing way, creative chaos thinking does not go step by step. It’s thoughts such as ‘what would happen if I poured rubber into my waffle iron’. Which led to the invention of Nike shoes, and made a lot of money for the inventor. This kind of thinking tends to look really crazy to any observer, but can lead to creative work that could not be discovered in a more traditional manner. So don’t be too quick to label us artists as crazy. Creative chaos can be a very good thing – you should try it! 
SchoT

The Most Terrible Words

Cheryl 1 Comment
There are 2 terrible words that strike me through in a way that no others can. They are: “too late”. We’ve all done it. Missed opportunities with those we care about. Missed chances for making the lives of others, and our own too, better. Yet I don’t want to be consumed by regret – that’s no way to live. So instead, I take hold of those “too late” memories and try to use them as high octane fuel to power my life in a better direction from now on. It’s a new day, every day. On a happier note, it’s not too late to follow your dreams. Have you always wanted to learn to play the piano? Why not now? Have you always wanted to learn to paint? You can do it. It’s never too late to unleash your unique creative potential, and make the world a richer place for us all.