I am always doing what I cannot yet . . .
“I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. ”
I read this quote recently and really appreciated coming across it. I am a curious and inquisitive person. When I see an artwork that appeals to me, I try to figure out how it was created. Imagining the artist at work sparks ideas on what I can create. Then I gather the materials and begin to experiment. Or, I look at a piece of fabric or paper scraps and imagine what I can create with them. I try it out. I like it. Or not. Either way that’s not the point. The satisfaction came in doing it and figuring it out. If I happen upon something I really enjoy, I stay with it for a while. When it becomes easy, or predictable, I put it aside and start something new. And honestly, there are many projects that are incomplete because another idea called to me to figure it out.
Picasso changed his style many times over his long career. In every stage, he was very prolific. He achieved fame and success while he was alive. He did not rest on his achievements. He kept creating for the challenge of it. There is always something new to explore.
My granddaughter visits regularly. She enjoys making art with me and baking with my husband. Besides that, she enjoys observing what we do and wants to learn how to do it too. Little things to us are adventures for her. Like walking up the driveway to see if we got mail. “Can I get it out of the mailbox?” she asks. Or in the morning of a sleep over, she wants to go out with Grandpa to let the chickens out and check the rain gauge to see how much rain fell overnight. She’s four and half and reminds us how interesting our simple tasks are because they are new to her.
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
Last weekend she and I decided to make a Valentine’s Day card for her parents. I had an idea in mind. When I gathered a few supplies, they sparked her own ideas. I allowed her to take the lead. She created what she wanted instead of relying on me to instruct her. She was taught by her mom how to cut paper with scissors and how to use glue, tape, markers, paint and brushes. With her skill set and her imagination, she is ready to go. She loves visiting my studio because I have so many supplies. Everything she touches sparks an idea. Creativity and imagination just ooze out of her. It is fascinating to witness. I remember being in awe of my children’s creativity too when they were little. It comes naturally for children.
I recall the creativity of my childhood. I engaged in lots of imaginative play. In the realm of art, I knew the basics of cutting and gluing and drawing. I did love to color with markers. I loved notebooks, decorative stationery, pens, and pencils. I wrote notes. There was more I wanted to do but did not know what or how. My mom and grandmother were not artists or makers, (though they were creative) so could not mentor me. And there were no art classes in my elementary education. I could only go so far with what I had and what I knew.
Many years later, as I entered into my second half of life, the desire to create and learn the skills and techniques necessary to bring forth my visions led me back to school to study art. I learned how to be a “real” artist. To be a success in the art world, the advice is master a skill and style and stick with it. Be known for that. Don’t try too many things because it shows a lack of focus or clarity of vision. Plus, it is harder to market. This is logical advice. I just have a hard time following it. Maybe it’s because there is still more to explore.
“The first half of life is learning to be an adult; the second half is learning to be a child.”
I do want to be taken seriously as an artist. Because I am serious about art. I am serious about being curious and following the muse. I trust that if I do, what I create will be satisfying to me. Or not. And that is okay because I keep exploring. I am allowing myself to be a child through my creativity. “That looks interesting,” I think. Then I try it. When I do, it sparks another idea. I try that. And so on.
“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”
“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.” – Picasso
I may not become a successful “professional” artist by the world’s standard. But I believe I am a successful artist when I am allowing myself the time to explore what interests me. It is in the exploring and creating that I find joy. This is my focus.
How about you? Do you allow yourself the freedom to explore? To enter the day with curiosity? I hope so!