CO-CREATIVE EXERCISE - different views on art

ADD YOUR OWN OR A FAVORITE OF SOMEONE ELSE TO ENHANCE ALL ARTISTS.

How did Shakespeare describe “Hamlet' to the owners of The Globe Theater? How did Michelangelo describe the Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel to Pope Julius? How did Mozart describe The Magic Flute to the Imperial Court at Prague?

In this age of intellectual shorthand, we are constantly looking for reference points that allow us to describe ourselves and/or our projects in an 'elevator pitch', imagining that we are traveling on fateful journey with that munificent but extremely busy patron who can only give us thirty seconds of their time.
 
We oblige ourselves to squeeze a lifetime of devotion of a work into a shrinkwrapped package, hoping someone will pick us out of the pack, perhaps because we have put a clever label on it. “If you loved Such N Such, you'll go wild for My New Thing”, we proclaim.

Originality is a ledge we walk along, afraid to peer over the edge because the fall will hurt us, trying to stare straight ahead and denying our fear of rejection.

But who is our most precious audience? Ourselves.

Are we ready to connect with the innermost critic and the most loyal lover of our creative core?

Are we chasing fame? Are we desperate to be remunerated for what we do?

The torment of artists, is, I will respectfully submit to you, self-imposed. We may spend endless hours in the gym in search of the perfect body that will be ours only fleetingly; we may huddle with our guru in solemn meditation waiting for awareness to arrive. We may lay awake at nights wondering if our movie was commercial enough, if our story was sharp enough,if our painting was important enough.

But whatever we create does not belong to us. Each work is our child. It has its own life. We are simply the parent. To be moral, to be vigilant, to be pragmatic, to be loving, to be disciplinarians of ourselves and them, to be cognizant of their true nature, is a challenge every parent has come face to face with.
 
Simplicity, then, and not compliance, becomes essential. 

How many times have we heard great writers say, “The story told itself. I was simply the medium.”?

Our greatest ally is our humility. Our greatest asset is the gift we have to make something from nothing, or something from everything.

Can we honestly say, “My work speaks for itself” when asked by a curious member of the audience? No. Our work SHOULD speak for itself, and ultimately, it will, or won't, depending on how well we have crafted it.

So when we describe our work, we can learn from the Masters. They describe their work with sincerity and, more often than not, humility. In that state of mind and spirit, the description emerges, just as flowers bloom in the sun and rain. 

quote by David Morris  -  I liked this and wanted to start a new co-creative thread for anyone to add their own take.  Thanks - Lee

Re: CO-CREATIVE EXERCISE - different views on art

Beautifully said, Lee!!! Bravo!!!

Being a Mozart enthusiast, I am rather thankful that you concluded with him.

Joining in on your point about our work being our children:

Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They came through you but not from you and though they are with you yet they belong not to you. –Kahlil Gibran

blessings, my friend,
CG

Re: CO-CREATIVE EXERCISE - different views on art

I consider myself an artist of the heart - if i don't feel it, I can't fake it. That is why I chose to sing Jazz for a few years in clubs around NYC, the fans of Jazz let you release the song the way you feel it in the moment. Many producers literally want you to sing every note the way they say…I call that souless singing. Audiences may enjoy what your giving them, but singing from your depths is a spiritual seduction.

Singing at a place in Harlem there was one gentleman who didn't move from his seat until I finished my set - always. His wife came to me and said, “You're our favorite, my husband makes sure he gets that seat whenever you're here - sing your heart out honey.” - We shared the same feelings, I just happen to be the one singing.

It is almost painful to have to perform if you're not in your spiritual zone…for that matter…or act, paint, talk about writer's block - so comes the term “sell-out”

This post causes me to wonder, is the difference in what we receive from art based not on the “talent” of the artist, but their come-from when they produce their works? If they're focused on sales? Pleasing their sponsors? Thinking of what the audience wants? or sharing with us what they feel within their depths - being raw and exposed for all to love, hate, laugh, cry - feel.

Possibly the distinction of the artwork at the Metropolitan Museum that I sit in front of, fall inside of and lose all concepts of mind; the music that makes me rise from my office chair and dance; the singer that I have to sing with; the book I read until 5 AM and the movie I could watch all over again - is based on how exposed the artists allow themselves to be when they created it.

I would love to live in a world where people risk their pride, dispose of their prejudice and act from their hearts & souls. Maybe we as artist are the catalyst for such a world. We have the ability to bare ourselves in a way that  connects to the essence of truth. Not by trying to be the best, but by living and giving our truest selves can we encourage everyone to come bare their souls with us? Home can be felt beaming from our creations and connecting us to a spiritual oneness.

Perhaps we'd be a lot closer to having manifested a world of love, peace, abundance, sheer bliss - governments have yet to accomplish this…why not the artists?:) ARTIST: A Rebel That Is Sending Truth…a truth that is the beauty of ourselves and our world, the complexity of gods in human experience, the pain and suffering we cause unnecessarily - an artist can share a truth that resonates from our spirit to the receipient's and back again…when we're willing to let our souls be exposed.

we are one
aki

Re: CO-CREATIVE EXERCISE - different views on art

Thank you humbly Aki for this masterpiece.  I read it over and over and hope everyone reads this Truth.

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What a wonderful thread. Art. Hmmm….

I like art better than nature, because nature is only God but art is nature and people. Totally cool.

I never saw a sunset I didn't like better as a painting. What is that? I'm a human junkie, I guess. Nothing is as beautiful in all the world as the exposed and expressed soul of the true human being being human.

I am an artist of the heart too, but one of the eyes and the ears and the tongue and the skin as well. As I writer I need to “put weather in” in order to sell anything.

Love & Peace,

Tom

Re: CO-CREATIVE EXERCISE - different views on art

I thought that this was a wonderful post, and I enjoyed reading it quite a bit.

As a writer and artist, I agree - we are mediums.  Once our art is created, we have to let it go.  And humility is really the best way to approach it, because we do stand on the shoulders of giants when we create our works.  We all have teachers and inspirations whom we should be grateful for.

Yet we are craftsmen as well; we have to know our tools well and use them carefully and lovingly in order to produce quality works.  It also requires lots of practice and patience, and much sacrifice.  But the sacrifices are always worth it, because in the end, creating is what we must do. 

In my personal opinion, trying to really commercialize or package your own creation can be a limiting factor.  Getting published without “selling out” is a really difficult task!   This is why I have personally decided to have a “day job”, so that I may never have to rely on my art for money.  This might not work for everyone but it does allow me freedom, which I am really grateful for.

Finally, you must always put your soul in your art.  However you do this is your choice.  But I know that my best ones have my soul in them.

Re: CO-CREATIVE EXERCISE - different views on art

I think I agree with everyone here, even if it's contradictory :-)

Yes to 'letting go' of our work. Every time I 'hold onto' a piece I've written something happens - it seems to tarnish and wither a little. If I let it go, it flies.

I have always said to my writing students: be the typist. Write what 'wants to be written'.

I try to follow this dictum myself. If I find myself 'controlling traffic', the storry becomes clichéd and ends up in the 'unfinished' pile.

I don't know what to say to people who compliment my work. If I agree with them, it sounds egotistical to say, oh yes, I liked that one too, but the truth is it doesn't feel like 'me' who wrote it. I find myself squirming.

Thing is, I'm not really that interested in people liking my work - well, that's not true, but what I'm really interested is why they like it. I'm interested in what doesn't work for them. In this way I, the typist, can refine my fingers so the muse can speak more freely.

I loved what you wrote, aki. I'd love to hear you sing - or you being 'sung' :-)

It is almost painful to have to perform if you're not in your spiritual zone…for that matter…or act, paint, talk about writer's block - so comes the term “sell-out”

I have a slightly different angle on this - well it's different to what you are saying — I think.

It is my experience that how I feel 'about' the writing, or the state I'm in when I'm writing, has rather little to do with the writing itself. So, I can feel really shitty and blocked and write something that 'works', and I can feel 'in the zone' and write something that doesn't. I've seen this time and time again with other people - they can think they've done a really really bad mornings work, when in fact it's brilliant.

For me, there is a specifc state - perhaps its what you mean by spiritual zone, where the work does flow all by itself, and there is no 'me' involved – this is when writing is the 'best' for me - it has no goal, no end, no 'point' other than itself, the actual act of writing.

The place which is spiritually bereft, for me, is if I try to write for a specific market, or try to write with a 'goal' in mind (whatever that is, 'good' writing, for example).

I keep looking at 'paid markets' - magazines which want specific kinds of articles geared towards specific kinds of people. I feel part of me sink as I flip through. Perhaps one day I'll be able to do this, perhaps I'll have to… or perhaps I'll find a way in which it doesn't feel like a 'sell out'.

Love,
Sandra

Re: CO-CREATIVE EXERCISE - different views on art

Loving this thread:) Usually you don't have so many artist so readily available to communicate with - this is a joy!.  Hey Kathy… you should start working on us having a big Artist get together - wouldn't that be awesome!

Sandra - I agree with the seemingly - even if it's contradictory :-) because I have found spirituality is often what it seems and the opposite. All contradiction really shows is everyones truth, vision or side of something, no angle is necessarily wrong. For a vocal sample: www.myspace.com/jakirich what you'll hear won't be all of my singing similar to how a writer writes a book and the next book is completely different, but the books come from the same person…

This thread…it has really made me consider every aspect of my artistic being and come from for each medium that I express…Thanks for that… I don't know that I've ever considered the differences I feel when writing, singing, designing, drawing, directing, acting - lol…being…I'll have to add my 5cents later…went up from 2cents due to the economy:)

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I just hired a coach. My art coach.

Not sure how it's going to work out, but so far I am really loving being a part of team me. It's great having somebody telling me what to do, since I suck so bad at telling myself, or at least doing what I say. When I tell myself it's time to write these days I usually go, “Yeah, fark you, asswipe.” Except I don't say fark.

But now it doesn't matter what I think. Coach is in charge. I was a jock in high school and have always loved being part of a team, working as a we. We is so much more exciting than just me.

What this relates to is what Sandra said about not being interested in what people think of her work. What I was bumming out about was that people seemed to not think of mine at all. My work that is. I had just poured my guts into this gigantic project, something of a Grand Coulee Dam of my psyche, and all it evoked from the universe was a yawn.

Eek.

I was commiserating with coach about this during our first pep talk and he said, “So? Who cares?” And I really got it. Maybe it's my social conditioning but I can really relate to circling the wagons. Time to circle the wagons, boys. Who cares what the fans think? It's us, the team, it's what we think of ourselves that will translate into performance on the field. And we just might become better citizens in the process. Play the game, even if there's not one butt in the seats.

I was talking to him about The Mordant Misadventures of Wodanaz and Lily-Rose, a writers' game Sandra and I have been playing. It's an imaginary correspondence. We each named the other's character and away we went, with no idea where we were going, just responding to the other's letter as it came.

Problem is, it could have existed in a vacuum. Not a single person said one word about it. Not a friend, not a family member, nobody. So I quit posting up new letters. What was the point? Sandra and I have continued our fake correspondence, battling our way through many disagreements, and it's been a blast if painful at times.

But I didn't have the gumption to put the thing up anymore. It was silly to think people would read that much on a computer screen, even though it was meant to be a weekly serial, two letters a week max. Until coach reminded me it doesn't matter what the fans think.

Sandra has been beating me over the head with this concept for many months (in her loving way) but I think I finally got it.

Here we go, me-ee, here we go!

Love & Coachability,

Tom

(off to post more letters, since we've amassed a considerable backlog)

Re: CO-CREATIVE EXERCISE - different views on art

Great news, Tom! Keep us posted as to how it goes. As I said to you, I had never heard of a writing coach.. hmmm, now maybe there's a job I could do to pay the rent ;-)

Love,
Sandra

Re: CO-CREATIVE EXERCISE - different views on art

This has been a great read…Aki,your piece was exta-ordinary and I agree with Kathy,it deserved a second look,not to diminish anyone else……After being an “artist” in many different mediums,I am finding that living my life as “art” is a beautiful challenge.Being in this space,adding to it myself and co-creating with what already exists.I have found that nature will readily play and reveal herself,speak to me and give me ideas,rewarding is this dance and limitless.Seasons add so much to the palette.Thank you to all ……..creators.

Re: CO-CREATIVE EXERCISE - different views on art

Hello All..as silence once again sings its infinite songs to the world, one cannot help but sing along :)  Well expressed Lee, and Everyone, indeed Art is the expression of Ourselves to ourselves :)  It reminds me of children playing, chasing each other gleefully, and in that moment, one could take a picture, paint a masterpiece, write a poem, or even stick a bunch of old computer parts together into a new expression..reaching into the collective consciousness and adding a little magic of Ourselves, which those children knew all too well, mixing it together into something that remains part of the whole experience, no matter how we view or perceive it. 

I look at the political landscape that is painted by the media and politicians, and think to myself, how much more wisdom is in those children who play openly in their imagination and feelings.. Some may think them innocents, for they needn't worry about the economic crashes or wars, but no, they simply know something hidden deep within the wisdom we quote now and then and in the artwork we share with each other and the world.  What is that truth, well, its in their smile :)  A smile that recognizes those aspects of Ourselves we have forgotten in our struggles.

Art can save the world!  A bold claim and perhaps a little sarcasitc, but not really.  For it is a simple thing to anyone who understands what art is about and our creative process.  For anyone who has found in them the strength to tell their story through fiction or non-fiction, for anyone who has discovered a moment and taken a picture of it in time, for anyone who has had a vision and manifested that vision in physical reality, or for anyone who has felt love in their hearts and touched another through an act of creation and seen the ripples move across space and time to open other hearts.  We still often separate art from something like this discussion on art, but it is really not, because it touches the same energy, Our energy.  All the beautiful colors I see here, that vibrate feeling tones in me and make me want to sing out..a song for the World!  And is this song the art, or is it YOU ALL?

Art can be a way of collective evolution and enlightenment when it is integral and focused on healing. 

I will leave US with two questions that touch upon this:

How would you use art to heal the planet or someone you know?
 
How does your art reflect who you are and what you are becoming?
 
Alex

Re: CO-CREATIVE EXERCISE - different views on art

Good questions Alex ~
How would you use art to heal the planet or someone you know?
I have a couple of short answers as I am more interested in the responses that are already here as being integrated already into this co-creative exercise.  I am reminded of Bodhi - one who has attained intellectual and ethical perfection by human means.  The more we train and practice on a spiritual level the more we heal the planet and influence those around us.

Supporting the artist by buying their books, paintings, music, movies, hiring an artist for graphics, copywriting, web design, making dvd's and educating our children, all help put beauty to the planet keeping humankind in a aesthetic state where we can get more things done.
 
How does your art reflect who you are and what you are becoming?  My art is gardening and family so be setting a good example and keeping the homefront created and nutritious keeps putting a good safe future here.

Re: CO-CREATIVE EXERCISE - different views on art

I liked your questions Alex, how about starting a new thread for them?

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I stumbled across this quote from John Fowles (who wrote The Magus amongst other things:

“To be an artist is not to be a member of a secret society; it is not an activity inscrutably forbidden to the majority of mankind. Even the clumsiest, ugliest and most ignorant lovers make love; and what is important is the oneness of man in making artefacts, not the abyss said to exist between a Leonardo and the average of mankind. We are not all to be Leonardos; but of the same kind as Leonardo, for genius is only one end of the scale. I climbed Parnassus once, and between the mundane village of Arachova at the foot and the lonely summit, quite as lovely as the poets have always had it to be, there is nothing but a slope; no abyss, no gulf, no place where wings are necessary.”

Re: CO-CREATIVE EXERCISE - different views on art

I copy/pasted to a new thread.     CO-CREATIVE EXERCISE - Different Views on Art PART II   Great idea Sandra…  Alex comes up with these and they are all illuminating exercises.

Re: CO-CREATIVE EXERCISE - different views on art

Thanks Kathy!   Yes good idea Sandra!

Re: CO-CREATIVE EXERCISE - different views on art

So many things above so beautifully said.

For a long time I did not think that I made any progress as an artist and had wondered if my work was good enough. I think so many artists go through the same thing, because in essence we see an extension of ourselves. Many times I wondered if my work and I would ever be noticed, loved, so I tried harder, because I felt a strong need to get the message out and hope it did get noticed and reach out to people. See what I am saying?

Then I tried to paint a portrait, my first ones looked like cartoons, but OK. Let me take it up a notch and see what I have got.   It took me a long time to feel satisfied with what I was doing and we are always evolving… I  wanted to match what I was seeing and feeling on the inside and make it come out even remotely like what was being visualized/shown to me. I taught myself, I made mistakes which became lessons. I also made discoveries! I know I have grown personally from this experience. I really believe that my work is a healing experience for me. I had to give my inner child that opportunity to grow in the ways she needed all along. I was scared. There is another what if.

What if I let her down and found out I was not good enough? That ability is not enough. What if I was wrong all my life or right, but I never take the chance and find out.

Still even being afraid you have to take that leap into the unknown and seek the truth. That's what courage is about. The truth does not let us down, but gives us direction.

I'm not sure if this makes sense but I hope it does.
Children have no such fears they “just do it” as we grow things change, we change. I just had to believe and let the rest go, keep it simple, keep working and listen for the light.
Liza:)