I have been talking a lot about wanting to write and wanting to continue developing my digital art understanding. Creating and illustrating a picture book would allow me to meld those two wants and a class assignment into one task; it would be so efficient and productive.
With timely serendipity I stumbled upon this video. Masterful artist Shingo Tamagawa told me exactly what I needed to hear.
By developing his own process of expression and following his passions he learned to love and value the process of creating. I am inspired by the way he talks about his artwork and his practice. At 16:38 in this video Tamagawa says, “It shouldn’t just be about working in the most efficient and easy manner… I am not making animation in order to be efficient. I make animation to create new things and generate new emotions that I haven’t felt before. I believe everybody has that joy inside them.”
I have not been exercising this creative joy, I have been feeling stuck. In the midst of a global pandemic and while experiencing some struggles with mental health I have set unreasonable goals for myself. For some people writing and illustrating a picture book is their entire job! I am excited to make things for the sake of creating: not for a title, not for a finished product, not for efficiency, not for productivity, not to monetize. I am going to go back to the basics and create for the sake of creating. I want to fall back in love with the arts and document the process and I forgive myself for asking too much.
Inspired by a classmate and fellow recent blog owner, Recess Knitting, I created a list of questions to refer back to as I move forward re-learning to love making art.
- How can I incorporate different materials and mediums?
- How can I incorporate more play into my art explorations?
- finger paint?
- How can I change my mindset around the efficiency/practicality/productivity of creating to instead focus on the process?
- How can art influence mental health?
- how do I feel while/after painting?
- how do I feel while/after drawing?
- how do I feel while/after making art digitally?
- Am I enjoying myself?
- if not, why?
Hope you are doing well, forgiving yourself, and staying hydrated,
Sincerely,
Ashley
Photo by Charles Deluvio on Unsplash
GIF by Lizz Lunney on Giphy
Recess Knitting
02.02.21 — 2:49 pm
I absolutely love this post Ashley. Thank you for being so honest and more importantly for being kind to yourself. I think that flexibility is such a form of self-care and love. Allowing yourself to change and re-adapt your plans to fit your changing needs is hard to do, but so important. I am inspired by how you are listening to your own needs, going to try and incorporate this more into my life. So often it is so easy to become bogged down by the pressures of productivity and efficiency. I would love to connect and have a crafting/ creating coffee and get back to loving art and making time for ourselves and friends.
Have you ever watched any Studio Ghibli films? The art is amazing and the stories are wonderful. Whenever I watch any of these movies I fall in love with art all over again.
Now to have a glass of water, thank you for the reminder!
ashleyadmoore
02.03.21 — 2:24 pm
I love Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki; the world building is awe-inspiring, the characters are so loveable, and the stories are, like you said, wonderful.
Looking forward to a coffee crafting connect!
tpenner
02.05.21 — 10:33 am
I’m glad that you pointed out that you were feeling stuck. I am also feeling a little stuck in my free inquiry journey, but I will follow along with the questions you’ve outlined here to try to get myself back on track!