“Courage is more exhilarating than fear”. Eleanor Roosevelt
We express our being by creating. It is a necessary sequel to our being. Creativity is how we got where we are today. From the first invention to our sometimes undecipherable cyber world, mankind has been creative. And creativity takes courage, because in most cases it changes the status quo.
Almost every profession requires some amount of creative courage. The need for it is probably in direct proportion to the amount of change, at any one time, that is needed in a business or profession.
Look at our world today! Most people were not expecting this. It has had an extreme impact on every facet of our lives. Businesses and educational institutions are going to have to bring their creative “A game” to the table to make a new future. And it will be interesting to see how artists reflect this time in history.
It is the artists that make the recording for a period in time, in the form of images, poetry and prose, music, drama, dance. Mediums that take a great amount of creative courage, because they communicate the real gut feelings of a time in history, like fear, disappointment, pity, hope, joy. The arts will create a dialogue with their viewers that many people are afraid to have in regular social discourse. It will not just be a recording of happenings; it will be the honest conversation! Artists do this why? Because they express what Carl Jung called the “collective unconscious.” History has told us that it is the “artists” in all the disciplines, that express the “spiritual” meaning of our culture.
The Sun Still Rises Collage
Whenever I go out to talk to a group about my art, I say, “I am a joyful painter”. I find it difficult to go to the studio when I am upset. I go to the garden and dig, and I let “Mother Nature” take the angst from me. Then I go to my studio and celebrate nature. Because it is nature, the natural elements that motivate my work. But now, even if my work continues to celebrate the natural world, my titles are reflecting the time. I must tell you, after the last two months, I have beautiful gardens!
The one positive that has come from the pandemic from my standpoint is; I see that this period of isolation has done something good to the Earth. It has shown us what we need to do in the future, to preserve its wonder. I can only hope that this will be part of the “creative process” in making our Earth whole and functional.
I am considering a Zoom Class as a creative option to class. We need a way to stay more connected, and not lose the sense of community. If you have some creative thoughts on how we can connect and do our art, please let me know.
Again, this week I would like to share some of the work my students have done during our period of isolation. The last entry here is by Madeline Azzopardi. It is a beautiful slide presentation of all the work she did in isolation called Winter’s Prayer.
Stay Safe. Carolyn
Janice Rous Textured Surface
Janice Rous After Dance Collage
Donna Bradley A Glimmer of Hope Collage
Rebecca Romanowski Acrylic
Ginger Bayer Collage
Paula Pascucci A Study in Pastel
Margaret Billups Beach Time Watercolor
Click above…Work by Madeline Azzopardi
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