Words Become White Sound

So many times we listen to others with our ears only. Words become white sound - meaningless white sound. During the creative process of drawing or painting the music artists listen to becomes white sound. But at other times words carry deeper meanings and artists become in-tune with their inner self. Things that lay hidden for years come to the surface and we blend new ideas with old understandings arriving at moments of totality. These moment are like soap bubbles being carried away by our own breath. Their clarity is there for a moment. Some linger to be captured in a brush stroke while other bust and fall to the floor lost for ever. Artists have to be open to such moments to create real art. They need to saver these moments and build on each to develop more till they can tap into themselves and draw on such moments when needed.

I can store such moments internally. Unlocking them with the aid of the muses I call on to create my art. Jordan is such a muse and even though I have only met Adrienne in person once, she is still a muse. All thanks to my clear understanding of Jordan, who has told me so much about her friendship with Adrienne. I picture Adrienne as a poet, and often simply text her to feed my creative bank - often when working on a still-life.

My friend Ronnie has the same affect on me. With Ronnie, all I need to see is one of her postings on Facebook, a tool I often use. There are many such people I know who I draw from to place me in the place I need to be for creating. Like I've said before, the art is a by-product of such states of being.

A photo Adrienne sent me of her and Jordan together will fuel my creative engine for months. I will send simple text messages to Adrienne and pull up videos of Jordan's Josephine to press on with challenging paintings.  Few people have this affect on me so I cherish these friends who do. 

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A Brighter Light

A friend passed away a while back. His family is faced with his passion for drawing and painting the human figure. What to do with 18,000 works of art on paper. He loved his art and kept perfect records of his entire collection. What he failed to do was build a name for himself and now his family is at a loss for a solution. His very distinct style, outside mainstream art, is another drawback for the family. Eventually they may have to burn or just dump many of his works.

What the family needs to understand is what artists gain from the creation process itself. Just experiencing the creative process is a reward in itself. The finished piece is simply a by-product of special moments of understanding. Understanding of oneself and how one fits in to this world. Drawing and painting can be more than simply making a picture. Even though one's art may disappear, it was that moment of clear understanding that never leaves the family of an artist. Artists share such moments with everyone they meet, even when they are unaware of doing so. Once I realized what it meant to be an artist I saw everything under a different light. A brighter light. Artist are visual poets, one may forget their work but the effect of their work is now a part of their soul.