Being a genius vs. Having a genius, Elizabeth Gilbert

This TED talk was about an artist being a genius versus an artist HAVING a genius. I would say that right about now, I would ask my genius to help me think of new ways to present my art. As of now, I have a lot fo sketches on paper in pencil. Yes, I like them, but so many of them can get boring. I need to find new ways to present my art. One way I have done this is by drawing on a television screen. I hope that my genius can help me along the way, to find new ways to present my art. Brainstorming is one method, but I think brainstorming is a waste of time. I would much rather have my genius pop a few ideas in to my head every now and then.

Austin Kleon

The quote that I found most interesting happened to be the very last quote on the page. Most of the quotes were long, and elaborate, but I liked this quote because of its simplicity. The quote is, “It’s not where you take things from—it’s where you take them to.” - Jean-Luc Godard. I have never heard of Jean-Luc Godard, but this quote is meaningful. It is saying how it doesn't truly matter where you steal an idea from, it matters what you make it. It matters what you and your creativity can do with a little "push" from someone else's work.

A strategy that I feel would work well for me is "Write What You Like". In an art sense, make art that you enjoy. Imagine art that you would like to see, and go out and make it. I spend too much time making pieces that I settle for, and I make them over and over again. I need to being to mark art of things I want to see made. This will make making art much easier, thus helping with my overall project for the Senior Studio.

The Critique Handbook by Kendall Buster and Paula Crawford

I believe that critique is going to be a very big part in this class, just judging by the structure and students we have in this class. For one thing, this class is very 'free' and 'open ended' with very limited guidelines. This makes critiquing crucial because with no guidelines, there is much room for improvement and it is much harder to get started when you have nothing to work with. Also, the students in the class are all very talented artists, and we are very lucky to be working all together, and making beautiful art. Each and every one of us can contribute to each and every one's piece's of art.

Art & Fear, by David Bayles & Ted Orland

The first quote I found interesting was, "What you end up caring about is what you do, not whether the doing came hard or easy." This I find to be very true simply because art should not be about time. Art has no timer that once it hits zero, the piece is finished. I can make a piece that I love in as little as 5 minutes, and as much as 5 months.

Another quote I liked was, "We have met the enemy and the enemy is us." This quote relates very well to me because I am my greatest critic. I am always finding something wrong with my work and having to fix it, and there is a part of me that never wants the piece to be done, and theres another part of me that wants to finish as quick as possible. In many ways, it can be good and it can be bad to be my own enemy. In one way, it pushes me towards me goal, and another way, it pushes me away.

The last quote I took away from was, "For the artist, the dilemma seems obvious: risk rejection by exploring new worlds, or court acceptance by following well-explored paths." This is a question that comes and goes in my mind a lot. I usually make traditional art (i.e. sketches, paintings etc.) but I always wondered what it would be like to explore new worlds. I just never really had the courage to take on that challenge, and I think that I am working on it day by day. Building up the courage is the first part of the process of trying something new.

The Creative Habit, by Twyla Tharp

Scratching is how ideas are born. To scratch is the idea of taking concepts from around you, and making new ideas out of them. Something I have a habbit of is throwing out work when at first I don't like it. I immediatley get rid of it, but from what Ms. Tharp said, anything can spark an idea, and sifting through old work can help. I shouldn't care about what people think of my little doodles, I should keep them and learn from them, and see what I can take out of them. They can evolve into much bigger ideas and be helpful in learning from my mistakes.

Inside the Painter’s Studio by Joe Fig

One artist that I was very interested in was Alexis Rockman. I feel that his work really shows how he lives his life and the environment in which he creates it. Through what I understood in his interview, he is a man that is well put together, but also has a childish side. He wakes up early every morning and works through the day, but also works in his pajamas. It shows he is dedicated to his work, but he has his own style and works with what feels comfortable for him. His work is a combination of the way he lives his life. The visual aspect of the pieces show great detail, but the content of what he paints is mostly fantasy life, which is going back to the, not so much childish, rather imaginative side of him.

I also feel that I relate mostly to Alexis. He talks about his early life, and how he never thought he could really do anything with contemporary art until late on in his life. As of now, I would love to work with art in the future, but not exactly sure how it will fit into a job. Also, he talks about the way he works, and how he listens to music and he feels comfortable in the way he works, and I try to do the same.