Random Thoughts on Creativity and Technology

Technology today is amazing.  I do not know how I would navigate through each day without my iPhone (which is my super mini-iPad) or my new Kindle Fire (an entertainment and reading center).  And...of course...I don't want to overlook computers. They are the core of advancing technology.  I do everything using them...financial statements, photography, writing, reading and social banter.   Fabulous!

Software must be included in any praise of technology. Without the software, we would have products without a brain.

With all of these advancements, thinking is still necessary.  This morning I was considering creativity:  something from nothing.  Within the photographic process, which has become a click and print phenomena, there is the need for creative thinking.  So many are shooting and clicking with no thought.  To truly create anything worthwhile, one must think about what they are doing and the goal they wish to achieve.  What mood?  What message, etc.?  Without thinking, all we end up with is an image...nothing more.  Creating an image does not make that image good.  Before all else, we have to decide what we want to say?  What story do we want to tell?   Then, tell it.

My camera has a double exposure mode which I have never used.  I wonder what would happen.  The hands I shot last week involved a lot of running between camera and a table.  It was taken using the timer for self portraits and those family shots where the photographer is included.  I may try out that double exposure feature today, although I realize using Photoshop will produce the same thing and most undeniably more exact.  Using Photoshop layers, one can end up with exactly what is desired.

On that note, I will close thrilled to be living in this age where creativity thrives

Today's Project:  Try using double exposure and see what happens.

You Gotta Have......

What does it take to be creative?   There may be thousands of answers to that question. However, a friend said it all when he said, "You've got balls!"  In response, I roared with laughter. He is right...balls it is.  One must have that certain something needed to push forward, to create with total abandon.  Today I am sticking a bright neon-colored sticky note on my laptop.  "You Gotta Have Balls!"  

It takes guts to be creative.  Risks are necessary.  We have to push ourselves on many levels:  First, to follow an idea.  Next, to manifest what we see in our minds.  Then, sharing.  Once an idea has come to fruition, it cannot hide.  It must come out. It has to be nurtured and born.  Ideas have a life of their own and the artist is the vehicle.  The artist hones what he sees, then makes it real.

Be advised:  The more you want to do something--the more you want to create--the more obstacles appear.  The job of the artist is to go around those roadblocks and do it anyway!

So, today go Do It!

Remember:  "Be Good, Do Good, Share Good."  "Excellence Wins." --EB

Creativity Blockers

Ego and conceit block creativity's light. -- EB
Ego and conceit block creativity. -- EB
If you think your work is great, it probably isn't.

An observation: Self-absorbed, ego-based people are boring and obnoxious. Grateful and appreciative artist's are delightful.

Remember: Creativity is a gift. Talent may be how hard one works to hone creative propensities.

Sounding Off--Climbing Up On A Soapbox

Okay, here goes... It has been a while since I posted a Soapbox entry. Today's issue is on ethics in the arts, or do unto others...etc.

We all are inspired by the work of others. The challenge is to then take that inspiration and walk a different path--to do something unique that is completely our own. This approach can be applied to any art form (and in the real world of business too).

I am interested in ventriloquism. I am inspired by a man who is having a delightful time imagining and creating a life for a sock monkey. So, instead of doing what he is doing, I purchased some vent figures and puppets and began creating my own character persona's and routines for them. I even enrolled in a course for ventriloquists and am practicing like crazy. Writing the routines is the most challenging thing I have done in a long, long time.

Recently, when I shared a puppet publicly, some liked the idea so much "they" decided to copy me. (I am using "they" instead of "he" or "she" for obvious reasons.) They informed me that they will probably buy puppets identical to what I have (which, by the way is impossible...but that is another story). A momentary Bummer...sheesh, and just when I was beginning to have some fun. Lesson: Do not share what you are doing prematurely...refine your craft, then share. Lesson learned. Well...no problem...no big deal...I shall follow my dream...

Okay folks, here is where I draw the line. I realize it is a free county and I realize the fun of being creative (which I encourage wholeheartedly)...however...go and do your own thing. I do not find copying attractive. Copying is stealing. We have copyright laws because people steal by copying and want to take the easy way out. There is no free lunch. There is no easy way. Becoming an artist requires a lot of work, determination, monetary investment, practice and originality.

So...be inspired, then take that inspiration and transform it into something that is yours and yours alone. Forge your own path. This is true in photography, painting, sculpture, writing, dance, the performing arts and actually in any endeavor. This is the way of a true artist. Any other way is fake and not what being an artist is about. Be yourself. Express yourself. Why would you want to be a copy of someone else? What fun is that? Set an example...be yourself.

Reminder: Be inspired, then forge a different path. Be unique.

FYI: Some puppet and figure makers have conditions on use, so be sure to ask if there are any restrictions on how you use and promote the figure/puppet before buying. If you agree to the conditions, then by all means go for it, but please ask first, so you aren't unexpectedly surprised later.

In Closing: I sincerely wish you all the best as you walk your unique path...may many blessings come your way.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Rest of the Story: My figures are one-of-a-kind. "One of a kind" means just that...they are not available for sale to, or use by, anyone else.

ADDENDUM: Your ingredients may be similar [to another's*], but if the recipe is different, your cake will be different as a result--your cake will be your very own creation. Thank you Connie.

* my words added for clarity

Meet Jesse!

Meet my new assistant: Jess Dewitt (sounded out is Jess DO IT) Hope you will welcome him as he begins helping me encourage creative people and give helpful hints on drawing, painting and photography.

JESSE DEWITT

Portrait by Elisabeth Bacon

All Rights Reserved

Layers

Onions fascinate me. Creatively we peel away psychological and spiritual layers as we delve deeper into our beings and our souls. With photography, the deeper we go the more intense our images become. I firmly believe in the correlation between self and the created image. What we are can be seen in our work.

Am posting another image of the onions to compare with the one above...seems I am having compression problems when posting images.

Artists Play

This morning I was reading about the importance of play for artists. Part of play is seeing. Seeing what is visible and seeing what is hidden. For instance, The Staff image started out as a photograph of rumpled, white plastic shopping bags.

WHITE SHOPPING BAGS

After taking the pic, the play began with: Edit, edit, edit in Photoshop. First I took away any excess--anything not wanted while developing an abstract composition of shapes, forms and looking for interesting textures in the image.



Next, add details. Experiment. Crop and rotate. Repeat desirable patterns. Enhance. Refine. The result is often much better when we play than when we take total control of the process.

THE STAFF

Note for today (and every day) is: Play, play, play!

Entering Creative Dimensions

What makes one photographer stand out? How does one create photographs easily recognizable as theirs alone...something uniquely different from what others are doing?

There are steps in this creative process. I am striving to define these steps and in defining them move into other dimensions of creativity. Words cannot adequately explain what happens. Creativity is experiential. The process is experiential. Transitions happen and lessons are learned through doing.

Steps in the Process
1. Know your equipment
2. Know your craft
3. Learn to see
4. Step outside yourself becoming one with your subject
5. Enter deeper creative, spiritual dimensions

Steps four and five are crucial. One can transcend what is seen and bring other dimensions into the work.

Through capturing these dimensions, an individuals creative work becomes unique and one's "style" is born. My challenge is finding the words to define this experiential process.

What I want to learn now is what comes next? I am certain there is more...new breakthroughs and additional dimensions. This year my resolve is to explore these possibilities.

Looking Ahead and Looking Back--Now

The New Year approaches and I look forward to looking back in time for inspiration. Renaissance and Medieval paintings teach composition and lighting. Light in art and photography is everything. Without light there would be nothing. To become a better photographer pay attention to light illuminating objects and scenes...warm light and cool...hard and soft...light and dark.

Suggestion: Keep a record of what you see. How are you moved? What are you feeling? Can you paint, write or take a photograph expressing these feelings and emotions? If so, do it!

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Afterthoughts:

Creativity comes in many shapes and disguises. A couple of nights ago, we had a spectacular dinner, at a friend's home. The dinner was a combination of taste sensations and savory flavors--creativity in action. The woman preparing this meal created a royal feast. Pumpkin soup, turkey, stuffing, gravy, exquisitely seasoned mashed potatoes, a three-layer jello cranberry salad, rolls, blackened brussel sprouts and a baked sweet potato casserole. Everything was made from scratch using natural ingredients. Never have I tasted food this good. She gave her all and the results were breathtakingly delicious. I am honored to have met this master of culinary arts. Kudos to you, Margaret.

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The Lesson: We must follow our hearts and go where they lead us. Fearfully stifling who we are (and what we think and feel) is lying to ourselves and others. If we do not dig deep into our psyches, the work is less than our best. It ends up being superficial, or even worse...boring. Authentic creativity is true and honest. Creativity needs freedom to express itself and we, as artists, need courage to share these truths.