My take away from my Classmates: “creative path styles”

My take away from my Classmates: “creative path styles”

The path to creation is a circuitous one.

This semester, I have learned from my classmates, the beauty and variety of creativity. I have watched sparks of interest develop and morph and shoot new life in different directions.  Because of this rich and fertile creative ground, I have been an eyewitness to the creative process. In learning about the individual processes for each artist/teacher in the class. I wondered if there might be a way to identify “creative path” styles and if there might be a history we could look upon for a foundation.

Historic Potentials for Creative Path Styles

There is an order to making.  If we look at two creation texts Genesis and Greek myth of creation, we have different concepts of creation but they are similar in the key points. The similarity being that there is a process to making. The processes are different: one born out of order and one born out of chaos.  One with a single voice speaking, one with many influences.

In the very first chapter of Genesis (which means forming something), We have an orderly “step by step” instruction for creation. We have our values or light and dark pattern (“let there be light” and we separate it from darkness). We work on our big shapes first. We add variety (Sun and moon), line (firmament and earth), rhythm and texture. And we fill with interesting details.

After each step, we take a step back and evaluate and we take a break before we screw it up. It's a single creator.  We are the artists, sole and alone, and it can be lonely.

According to the Greeks, the universe was a mess of chaos. This mess formed night and the knowable place of death and darkness. Somehow from this dark unknowing sprang love.  Love begins to create order. Love creates light and day. Once light and day have been established earth appears. There are a lot of personalities involved in the Greek creation myth. It's a committee and often the committee doesn't get along well.  It doesn't work out too well for the original committee members who began the creative process.  Its become a community effort to create and ultimately all voices have a say. The voices may all be in the artist’s head. I know I talk to myself when I make stuff.

I think art-making falls in the spectrum with order on one end and chaos on the other.

Both result in beautiful work.

This class has been enlightening. There have been peeks at different artistic processes. I have seen many of you create in Junction, in medium ranging from beloved or unfamiliar.  It was a special moment in time to see the passion or that insight which draws us all to a particular form of art. I gained so much from watching each artist’s process of creation. Some moved out of something unknowable to create something warm and full of light and life and love. Some had an orderly process mapped out for the study and making of things.

 It’s all creation but so interesting to see the loveable warmth of fiber in Colleen—her work is whimsical and well crafted. It makes me feel like it is something very cosy, and instant favorite, a thing that became a memory, an heirloom, a tradition--the coveted object among every age.

Daniel’s door opening and closing, entrance or exit, showing a path or Daniel’s mysterious reminders left for passersby to become part of the art work and remember.

Andrea’s search for healing: Her tender surrender and sincere heart sketched on the canvas for the viewer to see that freedom and forgiveness are active verbs.

I have learned wonderful things from everyone in the class about their work and their process.