So many people think they aren’t artists. They have this idea that art has to look a certain way and that they weren’t trained in visual arts so they can’t possibly be artists. Many people are intimidated by the thought of creating art. I have watched women literally fall into anxiety at the thought of it.
I think the problem is that they are focused on creating a finished product. They have an idea in their head for something that they want to make and either they don’t have the skills to create it or they think they can and somewhere in the middle of it they realize they cannot do it and they shut down.
When you create art for product you find yourself in a world of rules; rules of composition, color, and line. These are the terms of art school and they are important in the world of design. They can help you create things that are pleasing to the eye but is that only aspect of art? I don’t think so.
The field of product art is established around critiques and fitting your art into these rigid rules. There is so much time spent focusing on what is wrong with your creation that your soul can be deflated at best and crushed at worst.
Process art throws all the rules out the window. It is the thing that sets you free from rules and critiques. There is no one there to tell you what you “should” have done or even what you “could” have done. You do not start with a preconceived idea about what you are making. You start with curiosity and experimentation.
Process art is about following your intuition and doing what feels good in the moment no matter what it ends up looking like. It’s about playing with color, line and movement and seeing what emerges on the paper. Red feels exciting? Use it! You have an urge to add some dots? Go for it!
This is the foundation of Freedom Art™. Pure joy in the process of creativity, the way a child explores and plays with art supplies. It’s an opportunity to let go of rules and expectations and let your creativity flow no matter what the finished product looks like. This is the place where everyone is an artist.
What are your experiences with art? Have you experienced either ends of this spectrum? I'd love to know!
I have experienced both. I personally like to create just to create. Process art. I was talking to someone the other day, an artist, who is completely product based. He doesn't understand creating just to create, he has to have an end product he likes. But he was so in his head, that even "thinking" about how he would proceed (he's a sculptural/3D artist) and the next steps he needed to take, planning it all out, was enough. He didn't even feel the need to finish it in real life, since he finished it in his head! I'm like... I don't even care what it looks like in the end, or if it's wall hangable, I just have to enjoy making it.
ReplyDeleteI love this! It is so interesting to me how we are all different. I started out with a more traditional art background but when I let that go I felt truly alive. Your friend sounds like a real mind type and I'm always fascinated watching their minds work. Thanks so much for sharing this! Have a great day! Xo
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