Day 14 of 100 Days of Blogging
GUEST BLOGGER FRIDAY!
The Mystery of the Creative Process
By Catherine Foster
There is an air of mystery and
mysticism around the creative process. Everyone is creative. This is our
birthright. I have heard it said many times over from people,
"I am not creative. I can't draw! I just do not have a creative bone in
me!… etc. etc. " The truth is everyone has creative potential and can
develop their creativity.
There are many views on what the
creative process actually is. Is creativity by nature spontaneous or does it
consist of the original use of an accomplished technique? Several
experts say that the steps to the creative process are:
1. Preparation
2. Incubation
3. Illumination
4. Implementation
Can the creative process be different
for different people? I truly believe that there are aspects of the creative
process that are the same for a writer, a dancer, singer, song writer,
illustrator, graphic artist, sculptor, painter and even a computer software
designer. We each may have a little different process of the order in which we
experience this adventure.
This is a diagram from Elizabeth King
which is a wonderful demonstration of the artists creative
process:
Truthfully, I can only speak from my
own experience of 37+ years as an artist, expressive arts coach, experimental
artist, and energy healer. This is the typical creative process I go through:
1. Illumination: There is a spark
that is ignited within me. Sometimes it is a vision, a dream, a meditation or a
desire to express a particular emotion. Often there is a
link to an ongoing thought process as in a series I work on. "The Fabric of Life"series
or my "Peace Prevails Project" are just two
examples.
2. Opening up to Possibilities: Other
times my creative process is just a desire to experience joy and fun. Whether I
am doing something that is representational, or a piece
that is more abstract, it seems that I always start out loose with more free
flowing color and designs.
This does not fit the typical step
advised by "experts" in the creative process. More and more as an
artist and energy healer, I find great joy in this step as I experiment with
bringing up emotions to clear as I paint with my fingers on a wood surface.
There is an aspect of surprise as to what a feeling looks like is both
perplexing and exciting when the end result is viewed.
3. Incubation: There are times that
the incubation step does apply. For years I have been incubating artworks I
plan on creating before I leave this world. Part of my joy in the creative process is letting my mind go and allow the imagination
take over. When the time is right, the energy propels me into action to
physically create the artwork.
4. The preparation step is exciting
and fun for me as an exercise mind mapping. The "how do I take a vision or
idea into the physical"? There is often a lot of trial and
error where I research what is needed to accomplish the imagery or vision.
Sometimes it means talking with other artists, asking questions,
and picking the brain of my engineer husband to collaborate with me. The
process of letting the brain work out different ideas, mediums to use in order
to create the effect that I see in my head is an adventurous journey.
5. Flexible : Often the creative
process can take one on new roads during the physical creation. I call this
step being in the moment and flowing with what the artwork truly
wants. This requires listening within instead of letting the ego determine what
needs to be created. There is ongoing internal conversation with the artwork.
Sounds maybe strange, but yes if I listen to the art as it is being created it
will tell me what it wants. Whenever I try to make the art become what I think
it should be, it ends up a disaster, but if I let myself follow that inner dialogue,
the creation is successful. The artworks where I paint with my fingers directly
with paint on the canvas, is this same process. It encompasses feeling the
energy of an emotion, letting the energy build and then flow out through my hands
being flexible and open to what wants to be expressed. Example of X-perimental
My process incorporates working with
energy, praying, singing, dancing, especially in the first step.
This is typical
of my creative process in the artwork whether it is for myself or a client for
a commissioned piece. As the artwork progresses, I usually tighten up on the
piece with the detail at the end of the creative process.
(Video: Step One-painting on metal-Catherine Foster)
Writing this blog is a creative
adventure in using more of the left side of my brain than the right side. The process
is similar though to the steps above as I started out loose and then tightened
up the verbiage at the end. I just found myself doing the steps in a little
different order than listed above.
In completion, my curious mind would
love to hear what your creative process is. Is yours similar to mine or you
have a different process you go through.
Please comment on what your adventure
in creativity is.
Thank you, Catherine Foster
I feel essentially effected reading your blog Catherine, and more so reading your sites. I've been planning an interfaith and multicultural trip for women to go to Israel and connect with their female lineage and their place in it, the stories, the sacredness of the land and the sites, to make ceremonial prayer for peace-- hold a slot along the Western Wall where women are in 24-hour daily prayer vigil. Yes, spa and shop and share Sisterhood together, too. But something has been gnawing at me in terms of the overall theme I've been wanting to bring out as I prepare to start telling people about the trip. I found it in your site. Peacemaking! It must be what G-d has been wanting me to direct my focus to since I recently applied for the Executive Director position for the Council of the Parliament for World Religions. I didn't get called for an interview and I'm good with that. I feel joy in recognizing the messages coming to me, and your message, Catherine, is loud and clear! Thanks so much for your beautiful and inspiring contributions in our world!
ReplyDeleteI love your vision Jacke! So cool to see all of the pieces coming together.
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