Index:
2012
Finish work
Following footsteps
Digging
Dirt and beets
Thinning seeds
On self centeredness
Lost and found, again
Two feet walking
I a line
Culture gone bad
Making waves
2011
The Perfect Fit
Cancer
Uncertainty
Time marches on
It's about time
Hovering
Lost and found
2010
Time stands still
Perspective
Stream of consciousness
Control
It's
About Time
So Thanksgiving went well. No nervous rashes and plenty of well-fed family. I was pleased by a few moments of excitement in my voice as I talked to Jim's mother sharing insights on nutrition. For meals, we kept things simple and conformed to conventional recipes. The timing was right, mood was elevated, and we operated under a good mix of planning and "going with the flow."
I focused on finishing and continuing artwork already underway. I noticed no gravity toward a theme, but shouldn't expect one to settle during the hubub of the holidays.
I reviewed completed artwork to see if the anti-cancer concept fits. There are a few matches. No earth shattering amount, but not slate zero. One great fit is the Hypothalamus pictured to the right.
Hurray for the Hypothalamus! This image was first influenced by the radiator of a motorcycle. I also saw a match with my day job, where we create and maintain machines that radiate cancer. Later I was researching the parts and functions of the human body. One of the many functions of the hypothalamus, a tiny organ near the center of our brain, is to regulate our temperature by causing shivering, constriction of blood vessels, etc.
Hypothalamus honors my priorities to first confront an issue by learning about and respecting the workers already on the job. This piece feels more complete than many of my works, with branding, context and purpose. It does feel awfully niche and do-goody, but niche is supposed to be smart, and perhaps the do-goody feeling can fade.
The research and phrasing took time. It did not pop out nearly as quickly as did the original artwork. But that does give the work more gravity and myself more justification for referring to it as my work. And it's worth it, right? Certainly it is so specific that it will not exist on this Earth if I do not do it.
Will my empathy for the overlooked workers of the world cause my heart to be faithful and return to the desk to draw, research, and write? Will my drive to cultivate this appreciation allow me to risk embarrassment, to design and wear this work, and invite others to do so as well?
It would be delightful to become brash, and I suppose that is not possible unless I push barriers beyond the norm.
So many questions. Okay, time for refinement #3 on this blog's name/approach/theme: "Modern Art for the Open Road: Follow along as I apply the creative process to confront problems and find balance. Current activity involves a new focus, "a preemptive strike against cancer."
This is it for now in the way of refinements. I am hopeful that soon I will dig in with delight, carve out a nice history of work, and grow in assuredness and acceptance. This introductory waffling will just stand as a reminder that fear, uncertainty, and the temptation to deny creativite growth is ever present.
Take me back to Cindy's Blog Homepage / Pembroke Designs Homepage