Is Creativity Important To You?

I have never given it a thought. My creativity is what it is.
As long as I stay authentic, my work attracts buyers.

Ronald,

you are seeing limits on some art, but seeing creativity as taking those limits off of other art.

Does it only work that way?

I see some artists here who chase craft rather well.

I see some artists here who chase innovation, but on what terms?

Or more specifically terms and theory from when?

Is creativity the ultimate in craft, Rembrandt?

Or is creativity the ultimate in theory perhaps Miro?

Dave

Creativity is very important to me, I've been creative my whole life, however I'm not into things that are shocking or daring, I just create what interests me, I don't even have a market it mind. Like with Marlene, authenticity is what's important to me.

Isn't it just as false to create specifically for the purpose of being shocking or daring?

I think this is a great question to pose. Most of the paintings I do do not appeal (as an item to purchase) to middle America. I do do photography that is very solidly in the middle. You know, butterflies, flowers, etc. As you are probably aware I like to paint out on the edges. I don't know how many times I have been told, "that's a great picture, but who wants to buy a painting of a woman they don't know?" Yes, it is true but my work has a whole nother goal than commercial sales. I don't even put my work up for "product" sales. It's very much like the lottery, you can't win if you don't buy a ticket.

There are artists here who seem to do quite well out on the fringes. I would expect you are one. Your work is excellent but does not fall into the puppy dog/kitty cay genre. Leah Sauldner, is another, to which I say Bravo!

David I was be in your gallery and i almost dead :D what are you doing to this beautiful art histoy ? :D:D why are you croping and pasting and spliting :D :D :D OMG another reason to keep going to do what i did :D :D D: D :D: D

Is creativity important to me?

Is a bear Catholic?

Does the Pope live in the woods?

Are you kidding?!!!

Wait ......something doesn't seem right about this answer...mmmmmmm.

Bill Tomsa

http://billtomsa.blogspot.com/

Creativity allows one to see more than one way to solve a problem.

Selling or not selling is not some measure of creativity, its a measure of appeal to the market its offered.

The digital the feeling is mutual.

I still like talking to you. If we can call it talk.

Dave

LOL

Creativity is the heart of what I do. I don't create for others, I create for me. If others like it, that is an awesome affirmation, but if not, I just keep going. The best part of my creativity is I never know what I am going to do next. I go with my inspirations (and the dozens of personalities in my head that are always shouting suggestions).

Ronald,

I only believe in creating for others. I have enough theory going on to last a few life times.

If I also only created for me, I would suck up into my own ego. Not a good idea.

I seriously create for the viewers only.

Dave

Looks as if I am taking two days off from producing any art or creating any art to fit the thread.

I have wasted today in chat instead of production. I need to go about my business elsewhere now.

And tomorrow might be my last beach day.

Cya,

Dave

If you are doing exactly as you wish and yet your work appeals to the middle of the road taste, would that mean your taste are middle of the road?

Creativity? Maybe in style but certainly not in subject.

I love the work of Scott Christensen, he is a landscape painter, one of the best of the best in the world. Landscapes are the most popular genre of art, does that mean Scott Christensen is "middle of the road"? Is his creativity somehow not as worthy as that of an artist that sticks a cross in a jar of urine?

Ronald,

In my case it would mean I am going commercial.

I am unabashed about going commercial.

Dave

David King, Scott Christenson is indeed a skilled landscape painter. His work is tonal similar in nature to such artist as Percy Grey, an artist active in the 1930's or so. Does his work appeal to middle of the road taste? Yes without a doubt. Piss Christ by Serrono? Not very middle ground taste.

Nope, I don't make art for markets, I make art and expose it to the market, if the market likes it fine, if it doesn't that's fine also because I'll find a market that does. In today's connected world I believe there is a market for everything. It's just that we need to be as creative in finding the market as we are creative in making the art.

Yes creativity is important to me.

Well David King, you may have answered your own question. But that opens up the discussion of art as decoration vs art as social practice. A great landscape is in fact hard to come by but has little affect on the social consciousness of the world. Piss Crist is much reviled and talked about but did and does affect the social conversation around art, religion, and politics. On that level at least it is far more successful than any landscape. But I would hang a good landscape in my home.

My work doesn't appeal to middle of the road taste in subject or price...it is not average.
Not sure why selling to the middle of the road is what determines success or controlled creativity....but carry on.

Is what Serrono did really creative though? Definitely shocking, but what else is there to it?

Mass produced prints are generally sold to the middle of the road.

Is breaking taboos the only thing considered creative?

I'd say most home owners and office dwellers are this so called "middle of the road". Museums are more interested in the shocking taboo breakers. Big difference in having to live with something everyday vs trying to attract ticket buyers and get press.

Consider that before modern museums, the museums were the collections of private collectors. Rich people collections displayed in their homes i.e middle of the road beautiful images. Or churches using the images for propaganda. The artwork designed to win over followers with their beautiful depictions of heaven or scary warnings of hell.

Edward, yawn.

Edward, what you fail to take into account is that those images, centuries ago were truly frightening and educational to an uneducated population. One must put themselves in the mind of an average person in the early centuries. The message in a superstious world was that if one did not live a good life according the the precepts of the Church God would cast them into the pit to eternal damnation. Pretty scary then. Serrano was in fact reopening just that conversation and I would say pretty darn effectively.

I'm not failing anything. Serrano wasn't aiming at the middle of the road. He was aiming at the museum world. Hello? This is a platform designed to sell to "middle of the road" people. So what - creativity doesn't apply here? Give me a break.

If anything constraints can lead to more creativity. How hard is it to create something no one wants?

Creativity is innate in me. I have no choice in the matter. (^_^)

A market force is just another creative force to me. If I can work with it, then I do. If I cannot, then I do not.

Prime examples: T-shirts, duvet covers, tote bags.

These caused me to focus my creativity in different "containers" that I would not have otherwise considered. I designed SPECIFICALLY for these things.

They were the canvases and the guidelines. Without them, I would not have done what I have done lately.

Many years ago my work might have been considered radical on the edge type of stuff but these days it is fairly middle of the road. Going back to another thread concerning Duchamp and the use of found objects, that was highly edgy especially when you consider the times. Most artist are nowhere close to that. Most artist are much more conservative. That defines me in a few ways, I live in the suburbs, I getting inspiration from the suburbs, I hold down a job, live in a track home, have two children. You would be hard pressed to find someone more middle of the road than that. I could never find happiness putting a coffee pot in a gallery and calling it art, I like to make stuff. However by Duchamp and others putting stuff in gallery settings it created the question, is that art? If not why not? This is egghead aesthetics at a very high level. I love the fact there are artist out there, brave enough or crazy enough to keep asking this type of question!

What you mean most artists? You mean most non-starving artists? If you want to sell you can't be on Planet Z when your buying public lives on Earth.

Duchamp used culture as his latest experiment. I think he was brilliant. But I suspect that he had moved beyond art by the time he placed that urinal. This was total social experimentation, and he just happened to slide it into a definition of "art", because he realized that people would fall for it.

If the woman who gave him the urinal did not take ownership of the idea, then she does not get credit (to answer THAT question). Duchamp took ownership by his proximate association with the object and his further efforts to place it in a social context. He did more with it than merely transferring it from one set of hands to another - like me giving you paint and then you painting a picture with it that becomes famous. Why should I be famous for that and not YOU?

Its not like just anyone walks in and plunks a toliet on the table and the world explodes in applause. You have to be in the right circle, right background, in the right city, at the right time etc.

I think that artists get bored, and then they get wild and rebellious like children wanting more attention in the crowd, ... and so we see strange occurrences like urinals or controversial knitting or vomiting, all in the name of art, but really these might be better placed in the name of boredom or disillusion.

It can be fun to go in these directions for self entertainment, but we have to remember that other people in society are still watching, and so ask ourselves whether we are doing anything for THESE people, or are we doing art only for ourselves. Is OUR boredom also THEIR boredom? Is OUR disillusionment also THEIR disillusionment? Do most people still like flowers, sunsets, ocean scenes, etc., and should we still do art for these people who do have or are just now coming into consciousness about these?

Its not like just anyone walks in and plunks a toilet on the table and the world explodes in applause. You have to be in the right circle, right background, in the right city, at the right time etc.

Yep, ... location, associations, and timing. When you talk about contextual art, you have to consider these as vital pieces of the raw material. Duchamp apparently had these materials, whereas anybody else did not. The knitting girl or the vomiting girl similarly have these materials too.

I create what I create...and I have pushed the limits of shocking.........shocking in what is considered beauty... also metaphorical ...symbolic and even gritty is found in my portfolio...... and others were just created entirely for fun....like a doodle gone rogue. I have a diverse range of images ranging from cute to really weird...... all nestled within a gallery of my ever changing evolving style which I hope to continue to improve and polish, I have much to learn and improve on....and yes I am guilty of being concerned about my target market because they are my business and I am in the business of art........but with that being said I still have fun,I still have love for what I do and I still draw what feels right, my work reflects the way I see the world and what I believe to be beautiful. In return I have generated a following. In the end to answer your question creativity isn't necessarily as important to me as the artwork being good. Anyone can be creative whether its good or not is entirely a different subject. But for me personally if I see a good piece of art that is what I believe to be well and skilfully done then the creativity is like the cherry on top giving it that extra special something.

Well I am a photographer and digital artist who would love to sell some of his stuff if he could. The reason I do it though is quite definitely because i want to create something that is beautiful whether it appeals to middle "England" or not. It is a love, not a business really.....Peter

At this time of the year, I have to crank out a lot of pieces to sell at the continuous and overlapping shows I'm now doing every weekend until November.

Since all the pieces start out as scavenged natural matter, I let the variations of that flora and fauna (flotsam and jetsam) dictate the creativity...By necessity I just go with the flow.

Middle of the road you say. You mean gainfully employed people who have a home and rooms with walls which pleasent scenes might add to ther feeling of well being while they relax at home? A sculpture or flatwork right?

I create base on my own interests not for a certain market but it happens many like / share my interests and brought my works. My buyers come from all walks of life and not just from the U.S. When I create the word of creativity never cross my mind and the word is so over use, I leave it to the hair-dressers, cake-decorators.

Alfred,

larger parts of what you just said I can say as well. Yes I am creating for a market, but I am doing it on my terms. Terms I enjoy a lot.

Will I have that luxury for long? I will find out in the next two years.

Dave

creativity is highly important to me, it motivate me to keep going and strive for new goals

I wouldn't be doing art except for the fact that it allows me to create.

I made a personal decision many decades ago to work in a different career that would allow me to make a living easier than trying to survive by art alone. I was able to do art when I was not at work but now I'm retired and can devote as much or as little time as I choose to what I want and when I want. Now, when I do artistic work, I can still do what I want and not have to worry about sacrificing my art by catering to clients wishes. If they are interested in my work it's also what I'm interested in. If not, my living is not dependent on it.

Creativity is very important to me but art is different, it's more of the editing and structuring of my creativity.

That said, I've never limited myself intentionally...maybe I should.

I would like to explore several more themes in the world of painting and I'm hardly done with experimenting, I think I would feel very limited if I had to pretend that I knew it all. It would be so hard to put my failures online, but some failures seem so wonderful after some time passes.

Create, promote, sell...

The main is to create, explore what you're able to create and share with other, just get suprised about your own works..

There's a lot of difference to be a full time artist or just artist, The question is to do what you like or to create what likes to your clients...

Sell is nice, but promote is something I don't really like to do (I don't like to repair my car too, but it doesn't mean I don't like my car)

P.C.

@ Ronald: I cant get over the "piss Christ."

It motivated or inspired me, however, to create a film yesterday(I live with a professional director) that was on the same level, but I'll be damned if I ever put it out there. It did make several young people laugh and beg me to put it online; I just couldn't. My satire film did not involve urine, but it did involve lots of hair extensions and make-up as I painted a religious painting about being anchored in... (religious in nature). I don't like to attack religion since we are religious beings, but I had fun with art and satire. Thank you for the inspiration.

@ Kevin: "The message in a superstious world was that if one did not live a good life according the the precepts of the Church God would cast them into the pit to eternal damnation."
Kevin, those were great points directed at Edward. I'm still scared when I look at those amazing paintings! Of course that just makes me all the angrier at religion which I then turn into humor, but won't put my work out there. Go figure, some creative people are very repressed. I'll let the young people in my life learn from it.

@Edward, You made great points as well! I especially like the questioning attitude about taboos and the idea that putting a taboo out there isn't the only form of creativity! WOW and true.

Ronald, thank you for this thread and many others that you put out there and by the way, you are hardly middle of the road! Your art is way out there. I was actually trying to figure out some time ago what influenced your work. I actually took the time to research it.

@Alfred,
Doesn't it feel a whole lot better ( besides making much more sense) to be doing it rather than talking about it????

That message to Alfred is advice for all of us Marlene. You and Alfred are examples of excellence!

Without creativity, there would be no art. The question is, are we willing to stifle our creativity to a certain degree in order to sell art? I, personally, would like to get paid for my art, but I can't, in good conscience, do something that doesn't appeal to me. That would be wrong. If I don't like it, how can I expect anyone else to like it? Art should be authentic, if nothing else. It has to represent the artist.

Interesting question: Creativity is what its all about for me. It's life..energy..spiritual..connecting. If something I create sells, great! Someone is on the same wavelength. I seem to always be pulled toward something I want to express or needs to be expressed. It's a process, a connecting journey. The universe has a penchant for novelty and creativity. In my mind the best I can do is bring back a new idea from somewhere and express it. In real estate/architecture we aways used to say don't worry or fret about the buyer..it only takes one, and you don't know when they will come along, but they will come along. Create something unique of high quality that you know is appealing, and the unique buyer will come along. One can be creative in the way one is commercial. There is room for all kinds of artists from the mercenary to the idealistic. It's a dance between the two for most of us. Perhaps balance is always the key! I remember when I was young and creating metal sculpture. I made this owl at an artfestival...it sold in like 10 minutes so I made more. I sold them as fast as I could for the remainder of the festival. Was it commercial ..sure..and it was very satisfying because I was creating. I like artists because they essentially understand, value and honor creativity! Also agree with Marlene...would rather be doing it than talking about it..but then again this is a discussion and it's purpose is to talk/write about it..and besides...writing is after all creative!

Lisa and Joseph, thank you.
I'm concerned about artists who are spending way more time discussing and marketing than creating art.
What's even more disturbing are those who feel that playing on social media is real art work.
AT best, it is an adjunct to...but often, it only plays out to be a distraction from.

I think it's very important to read the intellectual thoughts of other artists. Although I can't be a follower to anyone's particular rant or ego, I can get ideas as to what I want to pull out of myself through the creative process.

This discussion makes me very happy that I've not sold a single item other than to myself on FAA. I don't want to be so "done" with the quest for creativity.

Marlene and Alfred in their remarks seem so "closed" but maybe that is the result of being so successful, don't you think?

As Marlene sometimes says in my own translation of her words: get to work and stop talking on the forum so much! Thanks guys and have a great Sunday!

AT best, it is an adjunct to...but often, it only plays out to be a distraction from.

From experience I agree 100% with this. I have dropped off the SM radar for over a month now.
My creative work finalized shot up. My future marketing will be through other means. I now limit my marketing time
substantially. Actually it is kind of weird for the last three weeks no marketing. Feels far better.

Full agreement,

Dave

Much rather see question like this than some attention seeking viewer hoping exposure begging topic like "how to double your sales on FAA"...having said that..I enjoy those as well lol...lighten up folks think of this a maybe a cool coffee shop aside where we can just kick back a bit, sip a nice mocha, take a break from visually creating for a moment and have a pleasant time talking about something vital like creativity.. and connecting with some creative folks.
If I go down to the coffee shop here Mt. looking for that ...I'm likely to get plenty of creative advice about to max out the hay before harvesting.... so for me it's here or nowhere.

nice line Brian..".I wouldn't be doing art except for the fact that it allows me to create"

right on Lisa "Creativity is very important to me but art is different, it's more of the editing and structuring of my creativity"

bravo Edward "Creativity allows one to see more than one way to solve a problem"