Sun-Streaked Forest Collage
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” Maya Angelou
As artists we are inventors. We explore and try new things and if we are truly being creative each thing we create moves us forward. Our skills improve and our curiosity grows.
Creativity is a characteristic of a person that forms something unique and valuable out of his or her prior knowledge. What we create may be a physical object or intangible idea or premise. Like all things the more we use our creative powers the better we get at it. Therefore, the more we create, the more creative we will become.
As artists and inventors, we must always look for, and find new ways to use what we know. We need to be curious. To ask what if? Because curiosity is that wonderful thing that helps move us forward. It pushes us to know more about something, to poke around and figure something out. It is a growing desire to see what happens when we shake something up.
Curiosity is an important quality of mindfulness…the ability to be present in the moment. It helps us grow and stops us from becoming obsolete. It is about being fully engaged in the things we find interesting, and finding novelty and meaning even in experiences that are familiar to us. It primes our brain for learning.
Sometimes when we are working, we get bogged down in the outcome and lose the spontaneity which is needed to be creative. When that happens, we need to step back and remember it is the journey that counts.
We are the origins of our work. Each of us is “one of a kind” so our work is going to be different from others. If we are true to ourselves and let our creativity and curiosity take over our creations will be unique.
I value this uniqueness. I don’t have a need to look around and see what trendy is. I want to focus on what matters most to me. I want to be known for something that is important to me, that makes me feel alive and excited, and I hope I can impart that feeling to my viewers.
For me it is nature. I have spent a lot of time in my garden lately. Maybe too much. My knees and back really ache. But for me it is “mindful research” for my next painting. It’s the lines I see in the roots, in tree branches, and the bark of a tree. The textures I feel when I dig or move mulch. The colors I see in the flowers I plant. Have you ever looked at the inside of a snapdragon? The colors go from a deep yellow to purple with the slightest bit of orange red, and most is not visible. I can’t begin to count the number of tints and shades of green there are in a garden. And the shapes are so varied, not just those of the plants, but the shadows as the sun moves across the sky.
What are you curious about? How many ways can you find to express that which you love?
Carolyn, Your creative spirit always amazes me along with the titles you give your art work. Blessings to you, love them. Sally