Are You a Shadow Artist

Do you find yourself standing on the outside, pressing your nose against the window of creativity? Watching those who you think have artistic talent with envy? Wishing that you were on the inside creating something worthwhile? There are many of you out there.

In her book The Artist Way, Julia Cameron calls these people shadow artists. They hide in close proximity to practicing artists. They buy art. They support the arts. They find occupations near the arts, or occupations where they can use their creativity in a sensible way. I believe there are many shadow artists living among us.

When I took my first painting class in college, I remember telling someone it was my hope to finish school and be a painter someday. When my professor heard me, he said, “If you paint, you already are a painter. And if you continue to paint, you will continue to be a painter.” That comment really took the mystique out of making art. When I make art, I’m an artist. There’s nothing special about it.

These labels we place on ourselves like artist, dentist, banker, clerk, painter, potter, are just words to describe what we do, not who we are. And the interesting thing is, is that we are never just one thing all the time. We are complex creative beings capable of holding many interests, and passions.

Are you a shadow artist? If so, it’s time to come out of the shadows. What excuses do you give for not making art? “If only I had more time. I can’t even draw stick people. My spouse, friend or family member is much more talented than I.” These excuses are based in fear. Don’t let the fear of not being good enough, or the fear of looking like you’re wasting time, or the fear that other people won’t understand stop you from making art. Making art is not about them. It’s about you.

Ask yourself, “If I could do any kind of art, what would it be?” or “If no one was ever going to see the result, what would I try?” Write these answers on a piece of paper. Then decide to explore that path in some way. What do you gravitate towards? Painting, film making, writing, quilting, making pottery, computer art, photography, drawing, collage. I am giving you permission to do it? You will find that as you start making art, your inner artist will come out of the shadows.

If you already are involved in some kind of art making, try something different that you’ve always wanted to explore. If you paint landscapes, try a self portrait. If you make pottery, try sculpture. If you seem to make similar types of art, think of something completely different and try that.

It’s good to let yourself take an artistic risk. For some reason, we tend to put so much weight to making art. Like we will die if it doesn’t turn out the way we want it. Try making art for the sake of the process instead of trying to create a product. So many times we fail to start because we think we need to create a final product that will be validated by others. We do not need a reason to make art. It’s in the doing that the magic happens. Just like life is not about your final day here on earth. Art making is not about the final result. Life is about the journey of daily living. And making art is about the journey of the process. We learn about ourselves in the making. What happens after the art is made is a completely different matter all together. Art Saves Lives!

Feed Your Soul and Live a More Creative Life

Many people are suffering form creative anorexia. Just like our bodies need nourishment to survive, our souls need nourishment to flourish. Living a healthy life requires that you fill your creative reservoir. Many people view this type of activity as unproductive or wasting time. But to be healthy, it’s important to feed your inner artist. This will also help you become more creative in other activities as well.

I remember when I was in college, I would get an assignment for a design class, and the first thing I would do was to take a walk about and look around. I went to stores to look at packaging, or to the bookstore to peruse magazines and books. I’d look at color schemes and design layouts, and even things that didn’t necessarily relate directly to the assignment. I’d take notes, and draw things out. I had no particular agenda, just putting visual images into my mind for marinating. This would help stimulate ideas. Some would come in handy for later assignments.

After college, I got a job working as a designer. Wanting to be industrious, I felt it necessary to work at the computer all the time. I felt that wandering around looking at things was not exactly productive. At first, my creativity seemed to flow just fine. I had new ideas and concepts that the clients loved. After a while, I ran out of ideas. Wanting to still be productive, I developed a bag of tricks that I knew clients would like. I figured they didn’t really know I could do better. But I knew. I struggled to figure out why the fresh ideas had stopped.

Seeing my frustration, my boss at that time took it upon himself to educate me in the practice of creating balance in my life. He would give me little excursions to go on and tell me not to do any work on the weekends. He would ask me what I had done for fun. During the workday, he would tell me to get out and take a walk. I went out and walked around downtown and started looking at different shops and environments.

My boss understood the creative process and encouraged me to continue to put images and experiences into my soul so that I could be more creative.

I started taking art classes which got me back into making art for non work related purposes. It was while doing these extracurricular creative activities that I began putting together the business idea of Art Village. You never know what creative endeavors lie within until you stop and let your creative self speak to you. I believe that no matter what occupation you’re in, in order to do it well, you need to take times of creative rejuvenation. Do something out of your daily routine.

I encourage anyone who is feeling blocked for ideas or stuck for answers for a particular problem, or just feeling overwhelmed and stressed, to get out and go on an artists date. For an experiment, this week, decide to block off an amount of time to feed your inner artist. It could be for one hour or one day. Write it on your calendar. This is your time to take your inner artist out. If you are too busy to carve out a tiny piece of your time, then that is all the more reason to do it. If you can do it this week, make an appointment for next week and the next. Arts Saves Lives!

Express Yourself in a Medium that Speaks to You

This week, I was talking with some friends of mine about art, life, finding a voice and making stuff. As we talked, the question came up. Is there a difference between art and craft? And does differentiating between the two even matter? There seem to be many opinions on this subject. I interact with many people who participate in a wide variety of activities at my studio. I find elements of both art and craft are present. I also think both are necessary to foster inventive thought and create a safe environment to take creative risks.

Some people place different media into categories of art or craft. I notice, when I go to the bookstore that animal cartoon drawing is in the art section and pottery is in the craft section. For the longest time I thought they didn’t carry any books on clay. Then I found the craft section with all kinds of inspiring books.

Some say that craft is functional and art isn’t. Can something functional also be considered art? A person could use oil paint to create an inspired and thought provoking image on a canvas. They could also use oil paint to paint that same image on a chair. Is the chair with the scene painted on it craft because it’s functional or art because the image painted on it is inspired? It’s difficult to label the work by just observing it.

I think, an element of thought and inspiration is usually present in order to call a work art. However, it can sometimes be difficult to see that from the outside. We can see examples of this in history. The impressionists ran into this dilemma when they submitted their paintings to the Paris Salon in the 1860’s. Their paintings looked like unfinished sketches that were common at the time. But the artists were expressing a new philosophy of painting light and capturing fleeting impressions of a specific moment. Even though they looked like unfinished practice runs to the art critics, their philosophy and new ideas expressed in the works created a revolution in the art world at that time.

Craft is important because it gets a person making something. The technical part of learning a craft is necessary to move a person toward their art. When I was in high school, PBS aired the Bob Ross Painting show every Saturday. I admit some of the first paintings I ever did in oil were in front of the TV. I learned to make happy clouds and mountain peaks adorned with cheerful trees and tranquil lakes. Using Bob Ross’s proven method, I could create a beautiful landscape in less than half an hour. As I look back on those paintings, I don’t consider them works of art. I was just copying and learning techniques. I enjoyed the process and painting those paintings were the springboard to growing and advancing as a painter. Since then, my paintings have become my own expression. If you ask me about my paintings, I have reasons for my approach and subject matter. People may like them or they may not, but I believe them to be art.

I have seen the same transformation at my studio with our customers. People begin by painting a mug or plate. Then, they sign up for a pottery class or painting class. As their skill develops, they begin making artistic choices and expressing their individual ideas and art is made. It’s very cool to see.

So how can we judge what is art and what is craft unless we understand the intent of the artist? I believe that everyone is an artist because everyone has something to say. I don’t think it is necessary to bog ourselves down trying to define what is art and what is craft. Make what you like. Your art will find you. Express your voice in whatever medium that speaks to you. It’s important. Art Saves Lives.

Being Creative Improves Quality of Life

I recently saw a video clip that was made decades ago about what life will be like in the future. It said that by the 1980’s technology will advance so far that people will only have to work two hours a week and the rest of the time will be leisure.

I don’t know about you, but that is not my current reality. It would make sense, that as we swim in the ocean of shiny technology and labor saving devices, people should feel relaxed and energized all the time.  However, people seem to be more worn out than ever before. Why do so many of us feel exhausted at the end of the day? One word can sum it up – stress. When we are stressed, our brain sends signals to our bodies to release adrenaline that, when released continually, causes muscle aches, irregular organ function and gastrointestinal problems. It is physically draining. Our bodies are doing hard manual labor and we don’t even realize it. Many of us live in a sustained stressed state. Our bodies were not made to withstand that kind of continual activity. Eventually, our bodies will rebel by forcing us to stop.

So what can we do to bring more relaxation in to life? One way is to engage in some kind of creative endeavor. Make art. Find a change of scenery. New visual experiences are relaxing and can jump start creativity. Take a class, read a magazine you wouldn’t normally read. Go out to lunch with someone new. Go to a gallery or museum. Grab a sketchbook and draw, or paint. Doing things like these helps us become more relaxed and think more clearly. It gives us room to find creative solutions to life’s challenges. When we are stressed, we can’t think clearly. Our minds get foggy. Making art and being creative clears the fog. When we are in the act of making art, our minds give us space.

Also, making art makes us feel good, whether it’s painting, making pottery, sewing, cooking, or gardening, when we engage in creative activities, our minds shift.

When we engage in a creative work, our brain triggers a more relaxed frequency. This energizes us. It is much healthier to take matters in to our own hands and deliberately take time to rejuvenate than to wait for our bodies to cause a crisis.

There was a time when relaxation came to us more naturally. The workday would end and people would come home and relax. With the increase in technology, our days have been extended. It never has to get dark. We can be in constant communication with clients, co-workers, friends and family. With cell phones, and email, we are inundated with information. People are working all the time. Or running around in constant frenzy. There never seems to be enough time and life never stops. We need to make it stop, for our own good.

People tell me all the time, “but I’m not very creative.” That’s the whole point. It’s in the doing that creativity shows up. Feed your soul first and your soul will give you something back. Art Saves Lives!

Art Village Gallery Opening

Art Village Gallery
Grand Opening Reception
Friday October 5, 2007 5:00-8:00

For the past two years, we’ve been displaying and selling artwork from artists around the area. We found that because Art Village was so full of artwork from classes, and projects waiting to be picked up that the artwork for sale got lost in the shuffle. So We’ve been busy remodeling our basement to turn it into a gallery for the sole purpose of selling artwork. This is very exciting for us because artists will now have a better opportunity to sell their artwork in a setting all their own.

To celebrate this new addition to Art Village, join us for our Gallery Grand Opening Friday October 5. We hope this will be a beginning to some great shows in the future.

Raku Workshop

A couple of months ago, we offered a Raku pottery workshop here in the Art Village parking lot. Raku is basically a fast and violent way of firing pottery which results in some really cool effects. What happens is, we take pottery that’s already been fired once. Then we glaze it with special glazes and fire it in a kiln. We heat the kiln to temperature at a faster pace than usual. Then, once the kiln is at it’s peak temperature, we open it up, and take the pottery out while it’s still red hot. We then we place these red hot items into a garbage can filled with sawdust, leaves, or newspaper and the materials start on fire. We close the lid of the garbage can and let the pottery smoke for a few minutes. Then we remove the pottery from the garbage cans and place them in a bucket of water. The process creates awesome metallic colors of coppers, greens and blues.

We are going to be demonstrating this again at Art in the Park on September 15, 2007. Pfiffner Pioneer Park in Stevens Point. Here is a slide show of the workshop.

Stevens Point Art in the Park

Art in The Park - Stevens Point
Pfiffner Pioneer Park
Saturday, September 15
10:00 am - 4:00 pm - Free Admission�

Saturday September 15th is the 38th annual Art in the Park here in Stevens Point. We are pretty excited about this year’s event because Art Village will be taking part in the festival. Usually art festivals feature arts and crafts booths where artists display and sell their art. That will definitely be part of this year’s event, but we are also adding an interactive component as well. Art Village will have various art stations set up to showcase, demonstrate and allow visitors to sample different kinds of art. Some of the demos include Raku pottery • paper making • photography • painting • drawing • mosaics, and more.

We’re gearing up for our fall classes and we thought this would be a great way to let folks know what kind of art classes we’ve got planned. This way, they can come down to the park and actually meet our instructors, make a small sample and try us out.

We’re also putting together a Community Canvas Project, where anyone can express themselves by creating a piece of art that will become part of a larger piece of art that will be assembled when the event is completed. Each person will have the opportunity to paint a square panel which will become part of a larger community painting. This is a great way to show your community spirit while expressing your personal creativity. Everyone is welcome to participate.

This is the first year that we’re doing this so we’re hoping to get a lot of feedback so next year we can offer even more. This is going to be a great time. Hope people come out to join us.

Art in The Park - Stevens Point
Pfiffner Pioneer Park
Saturday, September 15
10:00 am - 4:00 pm - Free Admission�

The First One

Art Village in Stevens Point, Wisconsin opened 2 years ago. It was our hope to create a place where artists from all walks of life could come and create art, learn new artistic skills and be in an inspired atmosphere that lends itself to creative expression. We put together a little video that shows how Art Village has effected the lives of some of our local artists over the past 2 years.