What inspires you in your creativity?
What is the process you apply to being creative in your field?
Something that makes me smile, or feel some sort of emotion inspires me to start creating. When I was writing, it would sometimes just be a thought that would pop into my head and I would have to write and write to get the whole idea down on paper. With painting, it is a different process. Once I find what I want to paint, I just start drawing. I know with some pastel artists that they draw on paper first and then transfer to the support, but I prefer to draw onto the surface I have chosen. I am beginning to sketch in charcoal before painting, which is improving the quality of my work.
Pastels work layer upon layer. Sometimes in those first layers you can‘t see the finished painting at all, just a mass of colour. But as you add each new layer the image begins to grow and I get a thrill as I see the subject emerge from the painting. With paintings of animals or people, I have to paint the eyes first. Once they are right, everything else falls into place.
Where does the confidence or motivation come from to keep doing what you do?
For quite a few years I was without a creative spark. Through bodywork (biodynamic massage) I began to feel the creative urge again. I started a writing course after I woke up one night with a fully formed story in my head that I had to get down on paper. That story was published as were several more. Criticism didn’t slow me down with writing at all, especially if it was constructive, it was just rewrite and more rewriting.
With pastel painting it is not too dissimilar. I just keep layering and layering the colour until the blend is right. If you make a mistake or something needs altering, it can be done. If something just isn’t working, I put it aside. I’m not going to waste energy worrying about it, I’ll just move on to the next piece as I can always revisit it in the future.
I am my own worst critic but there usually seems to be a point where I am happy with a painting, where I know that it is where I want it to be. I had problems doing the self-portrait for Black Sheep Pen. I really didn’t want to do it, but I had good motivation - friendship. I persevered and the final version I am happy with. I think that is what I do – I just hunker and down and get it done, even when the job is something I don’t want to do. Even if I collapse in a heap at the end of the journey, I keep going. Sometimes that can be positive, but other times it is better to let go.
Painting feels like freedom to me. In the moment of painting, I forget about everything around me and just focus on the painting in front of me. There are no issues, troubles, responsibilities in that space. This is a way to escape the everyday, which sometimes tends to overwhelm, and just focus on a process, a colour, a face.
How do you evaluate your success as a creative person?
I love to see a smile on someone’s face when they look at my paintings, or that moment of silence as they appreciate the artwork you have created. But I also get a great deal of pleasure knowing that I created something that I can give to someone to enjoy, that the painting or other hand-crafted item was made by me especially for them. I used to think that I needed someone else to say ‘That’s great’ or ‘How wonderful’ about something I have created, that I needed approval, but now it is how I feel about the piece that is important.
As far as success is concerned, it is early days yet. But it is a great feeling to see my paintings hanging on the walls at home, to have sold a few paintings, which means other people appreciate my work, to receive some awards in recognition of the work I am doing and to have my 5 year old daughter say that I am an artist, not just her mother, feels good.
Where should people start, when they don't know where to start?
I’ve never been one to play around with things – I like to be shown, so I get it right. Must be the perfectionist coming through! For a long time I thought about going to drawing classes but didn’t. Maybe it wasn’t the right time, or maybe I was procrastinating, fearful that I might not be any good, that I may not succeed, that I will fail. Fear is a bugger, isn’t it? So for me, to start was to go to a simple course at a community college and try drawing, an eight week course with no pressure, just to see what I could do. My confidence grew after that course and I looked around for an art class, which I found at my local arts & crafts group. I have been going to classes there for a couple of years and have been enjoying learning pastel painting.
My daughter starts school next year, so I am going to broaden my artistic training whilst she is at school. Formal training would be great as I would like to learn the proper techniques but at this time I choose to support my daughter’s start at school rather than go to an art college. She will only start school once; art school will be there the next year, or the year after. So I am going to make the most of my time - my local arts & crafts group offers classes in sculpture and pottery, and I am going to broaden my exposure to other media including watercolour, oils and acrylic over the next year.
So if you get the creative urge, learn something new, take a short course, ask a friend to teach you to knit/sew/draw, find a place like a local art group where you feel comfortable to create, and just go for it. I wish I’d done it sooner.
Thanks for sharing so generously Elaine! So, our creativity task for the month is to try something new and unthought of creativity wise. Why not try expressing one of your more successful ideas from your preferred medium in a completely new and unexpected form? Sculpt it in plasticine instead of painting, write about it instead of taking a photo. Enjoy the holidays, however and whatever you are celebrating, and please come back for more next year. Now, please enjoy Elaine's short story:
We Have the Technology
Captain Waldec glanced down at the report. His crew had been busy, but then he expected nothing less.
“The blue planet has no defense against us. Even their spacecraft are unarmed. I believe there will be little or no resistance.”
“No weapons at all?” Commander Pasturel sounded surprised.
“They have nuclear capabilities but we can neutralise them.”
“There is little time, Captain, before our fleet arrives. Ensure you have completed the research study of Earth.” The comms screen went blank.
The Captain turned to his First Officer. “Juro, concentrate on the satellites. Prepare to remove their communication array before the attack.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sir?” Observation Officer Kinwe’s voice was raised in alarm. “I’m tracking a small craft… this just isn’t possible!”
“What is it?”
“I’ve never seen anything like it, sir. It’s travelling over the speed of light.” Kinwe checked the readings again.
“They don’t have that technology!” The Captain leant over the screen. “Can we move closer?”
“No, sir. We are undetected here.”
They watched as the blip on the screen accelerated and then stopped, and then repeated the process.
“What is it doing?” The Captain pondered aloud.
“Hopping, Sir.”
“I can see that with my own eyes, Officer Kinwe.”
“Sorry, Sir.” Kinwe swallowed and kept his eyes focused on the screen.
“To accelerate and decelerate in that short a time, the engine must be extremely powerful. Scan for more information.” The Captain paused and then murmured under his breath, “If they have concealed this, what else don’t we know?”
“The craft is three rimms by one rimm, and has ten life forms on board, sir.”
“Is that all?” The Captain began to pace. “To move that fast we would need an engine three times the size of that craft.” He stopped and gripped Kinwe’s shoulder. “Three rimms, you say?”
Kinwe nodded quickly. His hands flew over the console. “It’s impossible… impossible!” Kinwe muttered over and over as he scrambled to find out more. “I cannot get any readings on engines, weapons or what radio frequencies they use.”
“How can they mask those? Even we don’t have the technology to do that.” Alarm flashed across the Captain’s face before he hid it behind his usual stern expression.
“Captain, shall I contact Command?” Juro asked.
The Captain squared his shoulders. “Yes, tell them to abort. Kinwe, pull yourself together and gather every detail you can about that craft.” Who knows what they have aimed at us! he thought. “Pilot, get us out of here.”
*
Flying across the Pacific, Santa Claus turned towards Australia. He liked the southern hemisphere – much warmer this time of year.
“Ho! Ho! Ho!”
The sleigh began to descend into Sydney, a little red beacon lighting its way.
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