Creative adaptation and health are more connected than most discussions of constraint acknowledge. What forced medium change produces that chosen change cannot.
The performing artist encounters similar material challenges but of course the material IS the body and voice (along with imagination and emotions). And all the work begins with breathe. The actor always has to warm up before rehearsal or a show and we always start with breathing. You seem to suggest that visual artists also might consider warming up. (Probably many do- I don’t know.)
I’ve always advocated that EVERYONE should take an acting class because it gives anyone an adaptable practice of optimizing physical, mental and emotional readiness.
You never cease to amaze, Kathryn. This is a wonderful, insightful, passionate piece. I was moved to tears by its conclusion. You have opened a door to a world I never realised existed. Your piece had a very personal association for me. My extraordinary wife, Les, used to paint on silk but had to stop because the chronic pain she has lived with for over 35 years meant she could no longer deal with the processes that sit alongside the painting. Then COVID came along and she began to experiment with some acrylics that she had stored away at the back of a cupboard some years earlier. Coming to terms with the new medium was a slow burn, but she persevered and is now producing some of the best work of her life. As you say, I'm not sure she saw it as a win initially. And I suspect she would have made the transition more smoothly had she had access to your wise words beforehand. Nonetheless, she made it. She's a strong woman! Thank you, as always, for challenging my perspectives on life and creativity.
Thank you so much for sharing that story. It's so hard when we lose our medium and there is often a period of grief. And the messy middle where you aren't sure if it's totally lost and you definitely aren't sure what's next. I am so glad that she was able to come through the other side!
"So good. The split between adaptation as consolation and adaptation as creative intelligence is a sharp one. The constraint does the forcing and the presence does the registering is a line I will keep."
Thank you, Felipe! That distinction took a while to land for me too, it's easy to reach for the tidy version of a hard story before you've actually sat with what changed. Glad it's sticking with you.
Wonderfully put!
The performing artist encounters similar material challenges but of course the material IS the body and voice (along with imagination and emotions). And all the work begins with breathe. The actor always has to warm up before rehearsal or a show and we always start with breathing. You seem to suggest that visual artists also might consider warming up. (Probably many do- I don’t know.)
I’ve always advocated that EVERYONE should take an acting class because it gives anyone an adaptable practice of optimizing physical, mental and emotional readiness.
I can definitely see the value of taking a class like that regardless of your preferred creative medium.
thanks for featuring my piece in your article!! i really enjoy this subject, can't wait to dive deeper into your work :)
You never cease to amaze, Kathryn. This is a wonderful, insightful, passionate piece. I was moved to tears by its conclusion. You have opened a door to a world I never realised existed. Your piece had a very personal association for me. My extraordinary wife, Les, used to paint on silk but had to stop because the chronic pain she has lived with for over 35 years meant she could no longer deal with the processes that sit alongside the painting. Then COVID came along and she began to experiment with some acrylics that she had stored away at the back of a cupboard some years earlier. Coming to terms with the new medium was a slow burn, but she persevered and is now producing some of the best work of her life. As you say, I'm not sure she saw it as a win initially. And I suspect she would have made the transition more smoothly had she had access to your wise words beforehand. Nonetheless, she made it. She's a strong woman! Thank you, as always, for challenging my perspectives on life and creativity.
Thank you so much for sharing that story. It's so hard when we lose our medium and there is often a period of grief. And the messy middle where you aren't sure if it's totally lost and you definitely aren't sure what's next. I am so glad that she was able to come through the other side!
"So good. The split between adaptation as consolation and adaptation as creative intelligence is a sharp one. The constraint does the forcing and the presence does the registering is a line I will keep."
Thank you, Felipe! That distinction took a while to land for me too, it's easy to reach for the tidy version of a hard story before you've actually sat with what changed. Glad it's sticking with you.