Let's Discuss
Thinking a lot about artistic pursuits and my own approach to them.
I work better with prompts (maybe because I spent so much time in school where my only, I'm ashamed to say, motivation, was the completion of assignments?). Oh, but I'm also positively prolific when I have an object of envy.
I write what I want and let the chips fall where they may (back to the cliches again--damn): sometimes, this pays off, sometimes, my words languish, homeless.
Finally, I try to create something daily, whether it be morning pages, an essay, a poem, a story, a grocery list, soup, or a nice, clean, visually intriguing (hahahaha) space in the room.
Tell me something about your art or your approach to it. What do you try to create in your everyday? What motivates you? How much of your cognizance re: your audience impacts your final product?
I work better with prompts (maybe because I spent so much time in school where my only, I'm ashamed to say, motivation, was the completion of assignments?). Oh, but I'm also positively prolific when I have an object of envy.
I write what I want and let the chips fall where they may (back to the cliches again--damn): sometimes, this pays off, sometimes, my words languish, homeless.
Finally, I try to create something daily, whether it be morning pages, an essay, a poem, a story, a grocery list, soup, or a nice, clean, visually intriguing (hahahaha) space in the room.
Tell me something about your art or your approach to it. What do you try to create in your everyday? What motivates you? How much of your cognizance re: your audience impacts your final product?
posted by Cate at 6:47 AM
9 Comments:
My approach is procrastination...
My daily practices include morning pages - very seldom skipped, once in a while reduced to 2 instead of 3, but almost always the regulation 3 A4 pages of blah, blah, blah, nugget, blah, blah, blah, blah... In early January, around the time we started Blogging the Artist's way, I picked up on an idea of writing a daily 48-word pen-picture of someone who has crossed my path, and post those on a blog. As to writing for an audience? I don't think I have any conscious awareness of audience when I'm writing a poem. It's between me and me, and I may choose to share it later, or publish, but at the beginning, it's never for "out there". That writing is sporadic, though, not daily. When I'm not distracted with study, I get to a weekly writer's group, and a second twice-monthly group, and writing is stimulated by that, I find. And among the blogs, the writing for Sunday Scribbles, List Friday, Poetry Thursday... all serve to prime the pump I think, keep stuff flowing. In other ways, I like to cook, try even a new salad ingredient, and to potter in my garden.
Sorry! That's a long reply to put into your comments.
Funny, but every day I think "I have nothing left to post, its over". Then something will hit me, or I'll see something and then there I go again...for another day.
a.
This seems like a "prompt" worthy of an entire post. I'm going to return to this one later in the week when I'm done with all my assigned writing. :)-
Creating daily makes a big difference in growing in skill. I am not aiming to write daily. My guaranteed base audience is me. First I write/create/think/express, then in substantive editing, I can modify to audience.
Hhhmm...well I try to write a blog entry every day. And I'm definitely influenced by knowing that regular visitors will be disappointed if they stop by and I haven't posted anything.
And this year I committed to posting a "Daily Art Thang", which I'm finding much harder to stick to than daily blogging and some of what I post is sadly lame, but so far I'm sticking with it.
Working with prompts - whether in my visual stuff or in writing - is a mixed bag for me. Sometimes it spurs me to do some of my best work and sometimes I think and think about the theme and there's just nothing I want to say about the given topic.
Paris,
Thank you so much for sharing your approach! It's true what you say--that being creative can be both exhausting and exhilarating! You do a beautiful job with your blog--it is a lovely place to visit! And I had forgotten about being motivated by fear--that's a big one for me, too! xo
Jennifer,
Yes, yes! More and more, I think that that is my approach as well :)
Greenish Lady,
I appreciated your "long" response! It was wonderful to get a glimpse into your mind, the way you work! I kept saying, "A-ha" and "Yes, me, too!" as I was reading your comment. I'm the same with the morning pages, love the prompts. I'm intimidated by writers' groups, but I enjoyed reading that you can find that your participation in yours stimulates your writing. I wish I was at the same point re: awareness of audience. I used to be that way, but lost it . . . Also, I'm intrigued by the Pen Portraits--what a beautiful idea! I'll bet that yours are gorgeous! Thanks so much for your words!
Andrea,
That is me, EVERY day! I see your beautiful posts and I can't even imagine that you would ever feel that way. I guess we're all sort of in the same boat!
Jessie,
Looking forward to reading your post when you are able to get to it! I know that you've been busy!
Pearl,
Love that. Love the idea of later modifying to audience. Audience is my biggest stumbling block lately--I'm thinking too hard (and now, I'm thinking too hard about thinking too hard). I need tranquilizers!
Deb,
Thank you. I honestly would like to just crawl into your mind for one day (or shadow you) to see how you operate! You are one of the most creative people I know. I feel similarly about blogging--was surprised at how it motivated me to write more (just because I wanted to post frequently)--as for your site, I'm one of those people that count on your daily wisdom, girly, so you'd better keep it coming! I also love your Daily Art Thang--that is the sort of thing I need to involve myself in to keep going because I sure as hell don't seem to maintain productivity based on my own requirements. Painted Pear is doing something similar, and I thought Lynn (at Sprigs) was writing a poem a day (but maybe I'm thinking about someone else). That's it--that's what I need. Discipline! Thanks for your comment!
I am very sporadic about what form I use to express my creativity sometimes I paint or sculpt lately I’ve been writing in my notebook and bloging, but one things for certain if I don’t do something creative I get very irritable.
When I ask myself while I am working what are people going to think of my work that’s like a guarantee of insipid work. On the other hand when I think of one person and ask myself what do I want to say to this person? Every time I have had a breakthrough in my work painting ,writeing or poetry it doesn’t matter my work achieves a higher quality than it had before.
I do things differently then most I think... I am on my own creative journey internally and rarely do art to fulfill an on line prompt. Though -- I do add art daily; I have a long list of art that I have not posted before and I pick one to go with prompts on line. I find this works best for me as I find I need a few weeks time to decide whether I like what I did and whether I would want anyone to look at it; it allows me to take the emotions off of them. Usually by then I am ready to sell them too so I don't mind releasing them into the world.
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