"I hate writing. I love having written." -Dorothy Parker
I think the main benefit in doing pieces you are not invested in is pushing yourself into places you don't normally go, or don't want to go. I have on purpose cut out photos that I am not really drawn to and tried to use them in something. Not really liking the feeling of a piece and reminding myself that it matters not. Sometimes I get halfway through a piece and flat out hate it. (The piece below on the right was one.) So I keep going, add a few lines, fill the page. Move on to the next. Sometimes a few days later I will look at it again and find there is something in it, something beautiful that I didn't see.
I remember a story told to me recently at a dinner party. An art instructor seperated his class into two groups and asked them to produce a body of work. The first group was told that they would be graded on quality (how successful each piece was), and the second group was told they would be graded on quantity (pure numbers). As you may have guessed the quantity group was the most successful, producing large numbers of pieces that the artists were really happy with. The greater the number the less attached to the outcome the artists became. The quality group laboured over each piece, experienced more stress, and became much more self-critical. Interesting.
For me these pieces are largely about accomplishment. Even after doing a couple pages I feel satisfied, that I have produced some work, and given new life to my journal. The journal becomes less about documenting (it's usual role), and more about letting go. I have on occasion gone back to some of these collages as inspiration for my commercial work, (using color combinations, composition, etc.)
Posted by kerismith at February 03, 2005 09:27 AMKeri - your weblog is wonderful.
I first ran across the quantity / quality parable in a great book on living the creative life, Art and Fear, by David Bayles and Ted Orland.
Thanks for all the inspiration.
Posted by: Liz on February 14, 2005 08:30 PMHi Keri,
I've just discovered your journal and it's now firmly one of my favourites. I love your style girl. You make me laugh, you make me think and you come up with some truths that really knock me for six with their honesty. I love it. I'll be back regularly. Keep it up.
Terri.
I've been wondering lately about some excercises I could do to help me let go. This is a great one! Thanks for being an inspiration, miss Keri. :)
Posted by: penelope on February 6, 2005 02:43 PMomg this is intensly beautiful. you're on my links.
Posted by: amelia on February 5, 2005 11:23 PMyour journal pages are so beautiful and more importantly look like they were fun to do ! which is a great reminder, reinforced by your words, to let loose and scribble away, and mean 'ole inner critic be damned !
Posted by: Cin on February 5, 2005 01:00 PMThank you very much for writing, apparently, just what I needed to hear when I needed it hear it. (How cool is that? )
Posted by: AEM on February 4, 2005 01:00 PMThanks for the inspiration today. I have been trying to get back into the habit of journaling. Last night I bought a new journal with every intention of starting today...so hopefully it will happen!
Posted by: Kimberly on February 4, 2005 09:50 AMkeri,
thank you so much for sharing these with all of us. i can not begin to tell you how inspiring this has been.
jenn
Posted by: jenn on February 4, 2005 09:26 AMooooo yea...thanks for that hit of wisdom...
Posted by: fern on February 4, 2005 07:06 AMThank you for sharing your creative endeavours ~ really beautiful stuff.
Even your messes and mistakes are beautiful :D
As are all of ours ;)
Love and laughter,
Leonie
Thank you so much for sharing these pages of your new journal. It really helps me to see them. I can't explain it other than inspiration. I appreciate you. Never stop!
Posted by: pinky on February 3, 2005 10:32 PMKeri,
I love it. That is so good for you!
Happy Thursday,
~tine.
That is such a great story. That is totally the key for me, I stress over the quality of my work and therefore, I don't actually create. Instead of just diving in and going for it, without restrain.
Thank you.
thanks for such a great reminder. i remember in art school, we're always told to have a few paintings in process so we can go back and forth between them. i forget that sometimes in design. i like the idea of pushing into new territory very much too. something that i need to work on this year.
i've been reading your journal for awhile now keri. thanks for all the inspiration and sharing! :)
Posted by: grace on February 3, 2005 01:49 PMkeri
that is a fantastic quote.
I love it.
and I love the collage.
rock on
rhya
Keri - yeah - I would have guessed the quality group would have been more successful - putting more attention to finer details. But - now I see the moral of the story and get how quantity worked out better. That is a good lesson I will hold on to. Thanks for that!!
Posted by: Jen on February 3, 2005 12:47 PMThat's a really powerful message. Letting go is so hard, though, especially when being creative - which is all incredibly ironic. Your post is forcing me to examine my creativity process and what's *really* going on.
Posted by: chel on February 3, 2005 12:45 PMHello Keri - I'm not sure I would have guessed the quantity group would have been the happiest and most successful if someone had asked me to predict the outcome. It is something to remember.
I'm enjoying your collages.
Best wishes from Wales
Michael
Posted by: Michael Nobbs on February 3, 2005 12:40 PMStunning! I'd write more, but I want to go collage in my journal now! :)
Posted by: espaņa on February 3, 2005 12:19 PM