It’s All In The Getting There
April 11, 2010
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I went on a road trip with my sister the other day, and we had the greatest time. It took us a couple of hours to drive to our destination, maybe all of ten minutes to complete our errand (visiting an antiques restoration expert) and a couple of hours to drive back home. In passing, if you like to drive, take the 401 from Ottawa to Kingston – beautiful scenery, rock faces, hawks on the wing in a blue sky, and tons of cool little shops I’m dying to visit in the Gananoque area! In a week of so, we’ll be going back, and we hope to make more little trips in the summer months.When we got back to Ottawa, it occurred to me that the trip and our plans really parallel the journey an artisan takes.
There’s a starting point, when you find something you’d like to do or try.
There’s the map you read to get there (classes you take, books you read, experiments you try), and there’s the destination (the final creation).
And, like our drive, there are tons of things that distract you or feed the experience so that it becomes so much more than just a trip.
This is what I love about being an artist, it’s not all about the finished project, it’s all about what you learn while you’re creating. You meet new people, have new experiences, try new things. There is visual, textural, and auditory input from all around you. And somehow, all of these become entangled in your creative process, sometimes without you even being aware of it when it is happening.
The next time you take a class, or start on a new piece, maybe take note of the externals, and not just the map (instructions or techniques) you are following. What is your mood? What scents or sounds are you aware of? How do the materials you are using feel?
All of this is your journey. And the best part is you get to do it again and again and again, whenever you wish.
Happy trails til next time.
Wyvern
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Susan Lydic |
August 18, 2010 at 5:16 am
Beautifully and poetically stated!