My recent Twitter post is a quote from Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert comics. One of my previous incarnations was in adventure programming. The basic pedagogical premise behind adventure work is that risk taking and new and novel experiences facilitate personal growth. There's a great connection for me in ART and CREATIVITY, with RISK TAKING and ADVENTURE PROGRAMMING.
While I don't actively 'use' my degree in Outdoor Education, as I recently stated to a fellow alumnus, I 'use' my degree everyday. Whenever I force myself to ask for feedback on a piece of art that is iffy, I'm risking ridicule, failure, disappointment. I'm also risking joy, success, accomplishment. My response is what determines the outcome. Growth is painful, artistically. To venture into uncharted territory is risky. But, as with all challenges, there lies, behind the door marked fear, tremendous reward and satisfaction.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
The Artist's Way
It's been over a decade since I went through the book, The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron, with 4 other female artists. There was a crafter, a metal smith, a jeweler, a writer and me.
For 12 weeks, as laid out in the book, we met with each other once a week and reported to each other our progress with that week's activities, "Spilling onto the page" each morning, going on artist dates and the assignments, the writing assignments. This was the most revealing self-reflection I had ever done.
Often the blank page before me said as much about the answer to the question as anything I could have written. My inability to face myself at times, was paralyzing. But Julia knows this. And through the book, I was guided to gently unravel the knots that tied me in binds, preventing me from being truly free in my ability to express myself artistically. Finally I could see the critic, the censor, the naysayer, the time stealer - all internal obstacles that needed to be dealt with, then the external ones, the blocked artists who set traps along the path. I learned to shield myself from their attacks.
I feel truly blessed to have gone through this process with four women who committed themselves to the process as fully as I did, who were fierce enough in their loving to be brutally honest at times. We set to flames each others' denials and lullabies that kept us from acting on, reaching toward, and believing in our own dreams. We comforted each other through the painful grief of losing those very comforts.
Amid the ashes of transformation, each of us, in our own time, took flight. The crafter traveled to a cake decorating class, the writer began working for a theater, the jeweler opened her own shop, I, a singer/songwriter at the time, took voice lessons at a local music school. For three years, we held reunions in August. The growth and expansion in each woman's life fed the others.
Over a decade later, I still very much refer mentally, psychically, spiritually back to those 12 weeks. I still have the binder that holds those notes. It's a touchstone for me.
Have you read the Artist's Way? Have you a similar experience?
For 12 weeks, as laid out in the book, we met with each other once a week and reported to each other our progress with that week's activities, "Spilling onto the page" each morning, going on artist dates and the assignments, the writing assignments. This was the most revealing self-reflection I had ever done.
Often the blank page before me said as much about the answer to the question as anything I could have written. My inability to face myself at times, was paralyzing. But Julia knows this. And through the book, I was guided to gently unravel the knots that tied me in binds, preventing me from being truly free in my ability to express myself artistically. Finally I could see the critic, the censor, the naysayer, the time stealer - all internal obstacles that needed to be dealt with, then the external ones, the blocked artists who set traps along the path. I learned to shield myself from their attacks.
I feel truly blessed to have gone through this process with four women who committed themselves to the process as fully as I did, who were fierce enough in their loving to be brutally honest at times. We set to flames each others' denials and lullabies that kept us from acting on, reaching toward, and believing in our own dreams. We comforted each other through the painful grief of losing those very comforts.
Amid the ashes of transformation, each of us, in our own time, took flight. The crafter traveled to a cake decorating class, the writer began working for a theater, the jeweler opened her own shop, I, a singer/songwriter at the time, took voice lessons at a local music school. For three years, we held reunions in August. The growth and expansion in each woman's life fed the others.
Over a decade later, I still very much refer mentally, psychically, spiritually back to those 12 weeks. I still have the binder that holds those notes. It's a touchstone for me.
Have you read the Artist's Way? Have you a similar experience?
Sunday, February 7, 2010
New pieces are being added every day. I particularly like this new one that is so different from anything I've ever made. The idea came to me very late at night. Originally I was going to include large blue coral beads on the ribs themselves, but started pounding away at the ribs before I put the bead on. Meh.... So, I added the Lapis beads along the spine. I like it much better this way. Thanks to Marcus for the idea of the name. I agree that they look like ribs. That first rib that goes off in the other direction I like to think is the one given to Eve. She refused to wear like all the other ones, but instead, went off in her own direction.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
About Me
- Shannon McMullen
- North Hollywood, CA, United States
- I believe we are the Universe's attempt to understand itself. Art in its myriad forms is an expression of that attempt to understand.
Posts
