by talk on creativity
You must watch this amazing video at TED.
Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses — and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person “being” a genius, all of us “have” a genius. It’s a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk.
Gilbert is the author of the bestseller Eat, Pray, Love. It came highly recommended and lent to me by my sister-in-law. Not usually the kind of book I’d choose, I read it last summer and enjoyed her writing. Now seeing and hearing her powerful message was an inspiration for me. I think you will feel the same. (Thanks, Elisa, for pointing me to it!)
PS. I just remembered a very old post on creativity that is worth reading again. It’s a reminder that our simple daily acts of creativity are just as important as the ‘masterpieces’ that may come along, sometimes just once in a lifetime.
Added Feb.20th, 2009:
Very related to the above is a post by Elaine Lipson called Visiting the Muse. Written in her always warm, articulate and thoughtful way, it made me nod my head in agreement. Have I ever told you that Red Thread Studio is one of my favourite artist’s blogs?
February 19, 2009 in Being an Artist, Books, Films by Marja-Leena
On creativity. So let’s be creative. I’ll do three hundred words on grammar if you’ll do a lesser amount on how to choose a paintbrush, or why acrylics?
Barrett, you do like to tease me with these challenges, in fact I think you asked me this once before.
A number of years ago, I decided the best work of art anyone can work on is their life. Poems, paintings, photographs, music, words, color all a part of it … a bit here … a bit there … all put together in a masterpiece of humanity.
Elizabeth Gilbert has done an accelerated self-guided wisdom course, so she is as wise as an old woman but still young. Lucky her. I wish I had known wise things at her age. I know about that genius, or muse, but I have mostly ignored it and paid the creative price. That’s why my creative output is so small.
Younger women like her have discovered that men’s notions of genius don’t suit them. All that posturing is fatal and leads to narcissism and eventual self destruction or destruction at the hands of others. Her mention of Norman Mailer as an example of “genius” is not accidental. He is a horrible example to follow.
What a great idea she had, to take a one year sabbatical from all the things women are supposed to do and find out what you really want to know, to get your mental house in order. To explore the best of other cultures in depth. Fabulous!
I always learn fascinating things from your blog, Marja-Leena!
Joan, that sounds like a great work of art. Are you doing it?
Hattie, it sounds like you’ve read Gilbert’s book. Yes, she is wise for her age and had such a great year, something not all of us are able to have at that time in our lives. I’m sorry that you paid the price, but you know, it’s not too late!
I’ve been away from my printmaking work for a few months for health reasons though I still do my photography, but I’m getting lazy. These links are good for me.
Creative people are part of my workday, and I have seen close up that the posturing does indeed lead to a crash and burn scenario (not necessarily a spectacular one, mostly just quiet and pathetic). Joan’s words above ring true. Similar thoughts ran through me, finally, three years ago. Together with good friends, I was able to pull forgotten interests out of my past without being tempted to re-enter that past. “Don’t let the lazies getcha!” was one of the things I was told.
Marja-Leena, thank you so much for the link to my blog. The blog adoration is totally mutual — visiting your blog is like arriving at a beautiful sanctuary, where there is always clarity and grace. Thank you.
I am working on it! Everything I is part of it. Occassionally I’d like to leave out a part that I’m not proud of, but I figure that if I amends in some way, it might count as making that uneccessary mark not look so bad. I think as long as we learn from our mistakes and go forward it will still be a masterpiece.
Rouchswalwe, great to hear you how you’ve ‘recovered’ your creativity, with the help of friends. How inspiring!
For me, the routine of going to the printmaking studio early in the morning several days a week and seeing my artist friends there has been a major part of my creative life. I look forward to getting back there in the fall.
Lainie, thanks to you too!
Joan, sounds fantastic! You inspire me. Will you perhaps write a bit about it on your blog sometime?
Tease you? Never! The earlier challenge was different. How do you choose the appropriate medium for a given artistic project? Probably impossible to answer. But choosing a brush? My problem is I’ve been asking questions since I was 15 years, 11 months and 24 days old and I can’t stop now.
Here’s another. This particular set of photographs of English Bay is fascinating because there isn’t much light and yet the detail is beautifully sharp. I thought cameras couldn’t do that. I take it you’re able to override the auto settings to either widen the aperture or lengthen the exposure. Were the shots taken with your super-duper expensive camera (which you explained some months ago) or one of the lesser ones? Of course Photoshop does have a “Sharpen image” feature but it doesn’t work anywhere near as well on shots taken by my cheapo.
Barrett, being curious is what made you such a good reporter and editor, I’m sure! As for choosing a brush, as you know, it depends on the job. When I used to paint, I had a variety of sizes, shapes and types of bristles. Generally, oil paints called for natural, acrylics for nylon. Never could abide the small fine point ones myself, preferring the bigger ones, but sometimes they are necessary, even in printmaking when applying small areas of stop out (for etching). For applying acrylic medium for collagraphs, I use cheap brushes. House painting… good quality heavy bristle brushes that hold lots of paint and don’t lose hairs… that last quality is important on any job!
It was late afternoon that day in English Bay, with brilliant sunshine low in the sky, approaching sunset. The ‘cheaper’ camera is automatic with some choices of settings, I think it was on the regular one (see I’m not a pro!). When shooting against the light, compounded by the reflections on the water, the lens automatically darkens so that’s why the monochrome effect appears. Sometimes, I’d stand behind a tree in such a way that the sun would be blocked. You don’t see detail in the areas that darkened. Amazingly, I did not need to adjust any of these in PhotoShop other than resizing for the blog. I was surprised how well they turned out. (Hmm, I should move this part of the comment to the English Bay post, instead I provided the link at the top of this paragraph.)
Great post with a wealth of links, and also a really inspiring comment thread.
I know in theory, and sometimes in practice, about life being the creative work, but sometimes I just lose it.
Hmm, brushes…
Lucy, about life being the creative work… sometimes I just lose it…. me, too! It’s important to just pick yourself up and get back to it, isn’t that what Elizabeth Gilbert says?