The ruminations of an artist on art & life...art quilts, beading, knitting, drawing, painting, printmaking, bookmaking are all my passions, I love to explore creating....

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

"The essential ingredient for creativity is wasting time. " (Anonymous)

I am currently a student at the California School of Professional Fabric Design
http://www.fabricschool.com/
studying to be a designer of fabric, housewares, wallpaper, wrapping paper, rugs....we learn to create designs both by hand painting and on the computer. As a lifelong artist, with experience in a variety of mediums--including painting---I am finding learning to be a commercial artist & designer a challenge. Creativity on demand has never been one of my strong suits---but I am finding that I can do this! and I enjoy doing it. The classes have pushed me to think and create in so many new ways; at times, I fought having to try some new technique--only to find that I really enjoyed the process once I got myself into creating. For me, much of the time, creating art is more about the doing of it--the process--rather than the outcome. With designing for a client, I am forced to think about the finished product--and not get too lost in the process. This is a new way of artmaking for me.

I have also had to abandon all those old concepts I had about the distinction between FINE ART and COMMERCIAL ART. It is all art---and I now find the design "art" creeping into my "fine art." I am still painting and doing beadwork, and other mixed media art, and I find having to create a design---having an assignment to do by a certain time---has fostered my creativity in other areas of my artmaking. There is always the push-pull of having a life besides artmaking--the balance---of artmaking to other parts of my life. I am still not so good with that--it is all or nothing--it is long 8 hour days in the studio--then a day (or 2) playing...and if I have to work a day job! whew! it is back to multi-tasking and juggling too many demands. Ah! for a room of my own & that fixed income....

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