Excerpts on Creativity: Part I

Marcos Chin graduated from the Ontario College of Art and now teaches Fashion Illustration at New York's School of Visual Arts. From the web site Behance he had this to say about discipline and maintaining a healthy balance between his commercial and personal work:

"To me (they) are not mutually exclusive. During slower periods of work, I spend a few hours plotting down any ideas that I might have into my sketchbook, ideas that might inspire a new drawing or painting later on. I think it's important for creative professionals to do this, to explore new parts of themselves and thus meaning in their artwork, in order to grow. As a result, I have recently enrolled in night classes, taking a silk screening course and a fine art painting class because I was beginning to feel that my drawings were flatlining in some capacity - I had begun to lose interest in what I was doing, so by trying something new that was art related, I became (re)engaged in my own (commercial) work again."

Pearls Before Breakfast

Below is an article about Joshua Bell. He is hailed as one of if not the best violinst of our generation. The man whose tickets sell for $100+ dollars was asked to play his violin in a DC subway to see what the response would be. The following is an expert from my friend Stacy's blog.

Pearls Before Breakfast
"I read it. It's a very long article. But I've read the whole thing and recommend it to everyone. It actually made me tear up to think that we are so busy and wrapped up in the day to day that we wouldn't notice a masterpiece blaring right in front of our noses. And I wondered as I read it which person I would be. As much as I want to be the person standing along the wall taking in the moment, I think I'd probably be the person barely noticing there is something different going on. And isn't that enough to make you cry? That life, art, and beauty presents itself every day and you just don't have time for it?"

Spring forward

There's something awesome about the change in seasons especially the change that happens from winter to spring. It seems I know so many people now who suffer from seasonal depression. Columbus' winter gray skies are... well... special. With spring comes the return of plants, flowers, birds and a host of other things we are so eager to see after a long cold winter.

It's important to remember that we have seasons in our life as well. I really believe that often people miss the bigger picture of what God is doing in their life and just focus on day to day and week to week. Those are each important but it's helpful to have an understanding where you're going in the bigger picture. Think about your spiritual season, your vocational season or even your creative season.

Right now we have been really busy with work (our computer animation business) which is a HUGE answer to prayer. God is awesome and has blessed me to be able to have a business and get paid doing something I creatively love. For awhile though my time spent at our business was less creative and more about business strategy. It can be frustrating but I have to look at the situation and say that this is a season that the Lord has us in right now. I am ok with how things are because I believe this is the season we're in right now and God is going to move us into a new season.

So, as I sloooooooooowwwwwly see spring overcome winter I can't help but reflect on what God is doing in my season of life right now.