It's no secret that I love texture, and lots of it... combining scraps of every conceivable tissue, corrugated, patterned and printed paper with media, fabric, metal and other bits that are within arm's reach, then diving into color...
I can do this all day and it never feels repetitive, each piece a fresh blank board waiting to be transformed.
Sometimes I end up with a great beginning. And, since I don't usually have a finished image in mind when I start, I wind up staring at the background with no clue what to do next. I've gotten through this as many times as I've finished art that I mostly love, but this bridge place, the water rushing beneath, the sky - and path - dense with fog that filters through my brain is very frustrating. Yes, I need an image, found objects, a theme or emotion to express...
Like most mixed-media artists, I've read my share of books on process, the muse, letting creativity flow, blah, blah and blah. Yes, they are good, often great books, very inspiring and chock full of fabulous art... but do they help? Not always. What works for others is often alien to me - I believe the creative process is as individual as dentures. Or glasses. Or a prosthetic. I enjoy workshops and projects based on other artist's work but what I really want is to create in my own, albeit faltering voice.
So what happens when a dead-end is perceived,
if not reached? Does this ever happen to you? Everyone? If I didn't know
better, this is the place where I'd stop, give up, call it quits. Who ever feels like that?! A fake it till you make it, stubborn, mind-blocked pout that doesn't make anyone happy. Trust me. If this rings any bells I'd love to hear about your way of coping with the blind curves, blank spots, other ways of dealing with the madness of getting stuck in one's own mind. Until I figure it all out, I'll just say I have a work in progress. Or blurred vision.
Comments
Can't wait to see the next creation!
Rachel
Hope you are doing well and having fun creating.
Hugs,
Gaby