Being Creative

For the longest time, I have wondered if I am the least bit creative. Oftentimes I find myself thinking, “Gee. I wish I had thought of that.” There are some crazy creative types out there who blow my mind. It is a lot to think about.

This past weekend, Mark and I went to Santa Fe to visit our family. Our older granddaughter, Eleanor, had an art exhibit with the other students who had been through this summer’s Georgia O’Keeffe Art and Leadership camp. Some of the work was derivative, of course, but some of it was amazingly creative. The next day, Ella asked me to take a look at something she had drawn and give her my opinion. Sometimes she texts me images as well. I hesitated, then explained to her that what she does and what I do are completely different. Here’s how.

Even though I try not to subscribe to rules, there are some basics that go hand-in-hand with what I do. Values, for instance, have to be correct and in context for certain things to be believable. The ground plane needs to appear as if it is lying down, not just appear higher up on the canvas. That is generally accomplished by making it a lighter value than the uprights (trees, etc.) NOTE: I say generally because there are times when this is not true. It all depends on the angle of the sun. My work depends on design, color harmony, drawing, and edges… You get my point. The creative part for me is how I use those and other artistic devices to creatively say what I want to say in my voice. More on ways to find your creativity in a moment.