Tenets for Art & Creative Life
It all begins with an idea.
I started making this list after reading the great Bruce Lee’s writings about will power, imagination, memory and other topics. I was uplifted by the positive and self-actualizing tone of Lee’s writings. I’ve always liked the idea of having a personal manifesto; a container for my ideas about living and working as an artist. This list is informed by a lot of things I have read over the years. Things I have absorbed that have really stuck, yet this list is aspirational and evolving. These “tenets” are less truths and more so practices and frames that work for me.
All knowledge is self-knowledge. I send all information through the filter of my own experiences. When I am exposed to a new idea or worldview, I examine myself in relation to the new idea. Sometimes it alters or expands my own frame of reference. This can feel destabilizing or exhilarating. But it is necessary for growth and creativity. I feel myself expanding. I crave this expansion and it nourishes my muse.
All art is metaphor. Metaphors are about relationships. I examine the power dynamics of these relationships. Sometimes I craft a metaphor by starting with the idea and choosing an image that rhymes with it. Other times, I start with an image and the metaphor comes later.
I create before I consume. Researching proper technique, exposing myself to “inspiration”, looking at other artist’s work - these are activities with no set duration. They can often lead me astray. They are especially alluring in this age of social media. Spending precious time consuming art online is usually procrastination masquerading as productivity.
Desire and longing is the impetus for all art. Desire to be seen, desire for significance, desire for connection, desire for oblivion, desire for ecstasy, desire for survival, desire to merge with the divine, desire for control, desire for truth, etc. Each of my desires can be traced back to my inner well of general, nameless desire. With desire and longing comes energy. This energy is neither good nor bad. It is neutral. When I have knowledge of my own energy and am unattached, I can shape it. The skill of shaping and containing this energy is my Art.
All art is communication. Even if I have an audience of just one person, the viewer is necessary to complete the art. Viewerless art is therapy. Paradoxically, if I focus too much on my viewer, my art loses its vibrancy.
My purest creativity comes from non-doing. Emptiness and spaciousness are necessary for artistic action. I must have time to sit, to be, to stare at the horizon, to listen to the birds or traffic. If I cannot access this inner void, my creativity will be too forceful. When I am busy, I create space.
There is no such thing as writer’s block (or artist’s block). If I can pick up a piece of clay, I can make something. It might not be good. But if I do not start, I’ll never know. Waiting for inspiration will always be disappointing. It is best to just make, make, make.
I interrogate coherence. And while I’m at it, I also interrogate beauty. I embrace ambiguity and let my art be an act of discovery.
When I know better, I must do better. As I hear the stories of others, I develop compassion. I alter my actions to live with compassion. I work to expand awareness of my own ignorance and privilege so I may live with even greater compassion.
Art and Craft (and also Design) are not categories of things but, rather, ways of making and thinking. Artists critique tradition and convention, Craftspeople uphold tradition and work within convention. Art is revolutionary, Craft is evolutionary. Art embraces risk, Craft is risk averse.
All objects that are made have meaning. There is no such thing as something that is “just” functional. Function is an idea. But even beyond function, anything that is designed carries historical, economic and social significance.
Contradictions are inevitable. At times, they are the most interesting part.
I don’t need to construct in order to deconstruct. I question the binary of construct/deconstruct. However, an awareness of what my work is pushing up against will make it better. And place it in context.
I don’t need to understand the full history and context of what I am making to make something dynamic. However, context and history make things more interesting. Context and history help me avoid cliche. There is not enough context and history - especially in the crafts.
Cis, white, men have an advantage. I regularly examine my privilege and oppression. I want to be good. I want to do good. I don’t want to offend. But this is impossible. As a cis, white woman I cannot get this right. White privilege is not my fault. But it is my responsibility to live into my privilege with awareness and sensitivity to others.
The older I get the less I trust strong opinions. Attachment to fixed views causes suffering. It may, at times, make me feel safe. But with an over attachment to fixed views, I can never be fully free. And so I choose to hold my beliefs loosely.
The moment I claim an identity, I put myself in a cage. But life without identity would be very lonely. It is shared identity and common experience that builds community.
Sharing my art is an act of generosity. I resist the narrative that art is selfish. I give myself to others through my art.
The universal is in the personal.
Cultural appropriation is tricky. I resist the desire to be “good.” I embrace complexity but always act with compassion and deep listening.
Once I share my art, I no longer own the meaning of it. Once my art is shared, the impact it makes on the viewer or the viewer's interpretation of the work are out of my control.
Ideation is like a muscle, if it gets exercised, it gets stronger. The more ideas I am working on, the more new ideas will come. When new ideas come in the midst of a big project, I record them for later use.
Entertainment is like paying someone to run your mind for you. If I consume too much entertainment, I will fill my mind with the fully-resolved ideas of others and there will be less space for my own creativity to grow. If I consume too much entertainment, I link my reward/dopamine system to these other sources of stimuli and, therefore, diminish my ability to find pleasure in the gentler and more subtle experiences that my art may require.
Digital “connection” is different from live connection and may, actually, make me feel even more lonely. Live conversation, in real time, is often clunky or awkward. The awkwardness is very important. I must experience discomfort in order to grow.
Iteration not failure
Collaboration can be deeply rewarding. I collaborate thoughtfully and intentionally.
As I rise I will bring others with me. My “success” may be tied to the success of others. This brings me joy. I am open to mentoring (and being mentored).
Blog Post Title Two
It all begins with an idea.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
Blog Post Title Three
It all begins with an idea.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
Blog Post Title Four
It all begins with an idea.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.