Creativity
Boot Camp continues to be wonderful. I like the community, the prompts and the whole atmosphere. There is daily pressure to meet a deadline, but it doesn't feel like pressure. Know what I mean? This is purely for me, the only person I can disappoint by not participating is me. Isn't that what creativity is all about?
Do you shy away from
calling yourself an artist? If so, what do you think makes someone else
an artist and not you? What are some ways that you can start today to
outwardly reflect your inner artist? Name three people who you would be
comfortable sharing your creative work and projects with.
I might not call myself an artist only because my art training through high school, university and a few courses after school, I always considered an artist a "fine" artist. One trained in painting and sculpting and other fine technique driven pursuits. Though never my perception, sometimes being an artist was defined by "pushing the envelope" or "edgy" or "uncomfortable". There is a time and place for that, but edgy does not in itself define one as an artist. Nor does the idea that you have to be poor, unreliable, airy-fairy, starving, flowy-blowy scarf wearing, bangled or off your nut make you qualified to be an artist, though sometimes it gives a pretty good show.
Amazing how I have a pretty defined view of what an artist is not, eh?
As for my art? It is is more along the lines of practical-crafty or interior-comfort focus. I will call myself a photographer as I am confident in my eye; I will call myself a writer as I am confident in my ability to express myself - though my long-dormant daydreamer is seriously starting to annoy me; I will call myself a scrapbooker because I can take good photos and tell good stories; I will call myself an interior decorator as I have a good sense of colour, proportion and style; I don't know that any of that can be considered artistic. But I do know that I am well within my comfort zone with all of those things and confident that I know exactly what I'm doing. I am always taking courses and taking on projects to push that comfort and confidence and push to learn new things. Or remind myself of some old things!
Maybe I am an artist.
Three people with whom I'm comfortable sharing projects? Well, that dam burst last year when I started posting my work on the blog. I'm no longer uncomfortable sharing my creativity with any one - here, on Flickr, pretty much anywhere.
CREATIVITY PROMPTThe prompt today was "picnic" which immediately brought to mind red gingham tablecloths and watermelon. Well, I have no red gingham except as the liner of my picnic basket, but I do have the watermelon - and it was a great excuse to make a new batch of cucumber water! It was well and truly a day worthy of a picnic with big fluffy clouds, a light breeze and brief bits of glorious sunshine.
Again, I took a couple of dozen photos and many of them were when the sun was hidden behind those big fluffy clouds. This was captured when the sun came out for a brief 4-frames! I'm sticking with the vertical :)
MESSAGE BOARD CONVERSATIONS
Through Day 2 there was a conversation based on the journal prompt inspired question: What is your definition of artist? My response on the message board was:
Like @Angela, I used to think you had to make a living if you to be labelled an "artist", or at the very least you had to be formally trained. I've now come to believe that if you authentically represent some part of yourself, open your interpretation to share with others, in whatever medium you choose, then you are an artist.
(This realization became more clear when my daughter and I had a conversation which resulted in a "tour" of the graffiti at our local skateboard park. Very eye opening. Lots of self expression going on there!)
My spirit is that of an artist. My brain just needs to catch up.
What about you? How do you define artist? Are you an artist or are you still hesitant to give yourself that label? I think I need to let go in order to be open enough to become the artist I am. I have to be accepting of criticism, accepting of opinions, accepting of complements (the hardest of all!). I have to live my idea of "embrace imperfection" and have fun.
Have you joined the Creativity Boot Camp? What do you think? Are you enjoying it so far?
Now I'm off to mull and then do the Day 3 assignments. This is fun!
