Hear me roar!
RSS Links
Creativity
Creativity and You: A Lesson by Ira Glass
You have probably seen that quote floating around the social network recently. I saw many people comment thank you on their friend’s wall post and quickly hit the share button. I know that I was one of those people. When I read those words, I felt that proverbial lightbulb go off above my head but at the same I felt like I had been punched in the gut and with the woosh of exhaled breath, I felt amazingly positive and uplifted. In a word, I felt hope: hope in my ability to achieve all of the dreams that have been hovering in the ether, those dreams almost suffocated by doubts and fear. But, no longer. I am going to throw myself out there more often, be more creative and just let the progress fall into place.
On a recent trip to Washington, D.C., I experienced a number of emotions. Some were of excitement that being in a large metropolitan city can instill: the multitudes of people on the move constantly; easy means of transportation via the Metro; the beautiful architecture. Others were brought on by memories of another life and a possible altered future had different choices been made. Being a shy, naive student in high school in this area was very hard but thinking back, I was at my most creative in this atmosphere. I found the area very overwhelming before but now, I find it exhilarating. I couldn’t help but wonder if I had taken the internship after graduating from university to which I had applied and been accepted, if I would have tapped into that creative source I had found in high school. Unfortunately memories of unhappiness and low self-esteem, plus the misguided notion I should wait to hear back on a different application, kept me in Cincinnati. I have no regrets in my current life, but it is fun to dream about the other road not taken.
The reason for going to D.C. was to see one of my favorite bands, Elbow. Their music surges through my soul and I feel uplifted to a heavenly plane of existence when I listen. When I think of how talented these gents from Manchester are, and that they are around my age, sometimes, I feel that I have let myself down in not having more courage in my talents, but also the reverse: they inspire me to continue. It can be my time too if I put in the work and if I believe in myself.
Which brings me back to Ira Glass’ message: in order to kick start the process, I think I will take the lyrics to Doves There Goes The Fear and make it my theme song:
Out of here, We’re out of here
Out of heartache, Along with fear
There goes the fear again, There goes the fear
My design for life
To create an image that reveals something about the artist as well as engages the viewer takes skill. You just don’t sit down and bang out something that embodies multiple emotions on the first try. This is a life-long pursuit. —Michael Mabry
I came to design post-college, while waiting tables and wondering what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I graduated with an English degree with the intention of being an editor but really wanting to be a writer. Without the structure of a normal schedule, and a slow decline into what I would consider now, a mild depression because I was not even coming close to living my dreams, my writing fell away. One day a course schedule arrived in the mail for a branch of a local university and I flipped through it. I stopped on the description for “Desktop Publishing.” I felt like lightning struck my brain, the message was very clear: this is the path to my future.
Art has always been a draw for me, along the same lines as photography, music and good prose. I had never really had the nerve to pursue art or photography in high school except for one art class in eighth grade and a pottery class my senior year. I had wanted to do photography but at the time couldn’t afford the camera or film required. The idea of putting myself out there when it came to art was enough to cover me in hives. My writing always came much easier and so it while I cannot say it was easy for me to share my writing in my high school (or college) creative writing classes, it was preferable to hanging up a drawing and listening to a critique from people who were born with the skill to put to paper what they see in their head.
When I read the description for desktop publishing, my first thought was, “I can totally do this.” I looked into cost and also found that I could afford it. So I enrolled. I attended classes on Photoshop, PageMaker (totally dating myself), typography, type design and story boarding. With each and every class, I found more confidence in my abilities, so much so I decided to take another drawing class. I learned about negative space and perspective. I also learned that even if I practiced everyday, a Picasso or Michelangelo I would never be. And I was, and am, okay with that provided I can create in other ways.
Twelve years on and I still am learning what makes good design, typography and how to do that crazy thing in Photoshop. My new obsession is finally figuring out GREP styles in InDesign. Talk about a great program for type aficionados (and type A personalities!) I am also taking classes in photography and am seeing the results of study and practice. I am enjoying Photography so much that I am still working out whether I want to add that to my professional life somehow.
The one aspect of my creative life that has not returned in full-force is writing. I used to spend as much time writing as I did reading (which was my entire high school career when I was not in school or doing homework). If I was not writing, I was thinking about characters, plot, the color of someone’s clothing. Now, I struggle to string together a conversation and my lack of faith in my skill has led me to quickly desist in putting fingers to keyboard. My goal is to round out my creative life by publishing this blog to the entire world and maybe some of it will spill over into the fictional world as well (especially with NaNoWriMo coming up in November).
Thank you for stopping by and reading about my design for life.
