Winter has deserted us here in LA. 75 degree temperatures. Blazing sunshine. Thirsty cats.
But this morning that changed. A heavy curtain of fog is draped across the hills. I can barely make out my neighbor’s house across the street.
And in the wild garden the clever leaves have been busy collecting moisture.
I love the way Ira Glass talks about creativity. About how you know what looks good. You have taste, but you’re still producing crap. His advice: keep going. MAKE MORE.
oh yea…thank you for this Ira Glass piece….I KNOW what I’m doing is crap, but I will keep at it!!!
Happy New Year ma…enjoying you journal journey!
I love looking at your earlier work because that is where I’d be if/when I start. And THAT’S OK. I am where I am and I’m having fun.
Another retro look,
Loving this idea..
and how it progresses, and how similar it is…the early infulences… Teesha’s style there…and the time when you did altered eye in faces..yep yep..
nod nod…
and how you slaved over each page..I re,member one grid took me all afternoon and it was still crap.
I like the water drips on his little chin. You could use some goldfish in that rain barrel.
I think that MAKE MORE thing is the key.
The secret.
The magic “here’s how you do it.”
If you don’t make anything, you won’t make anything great…..
I have read about research on this — taking a class of beginning ceramists, and telling half of them “Take this whole class period, and make the best three pots you can,” while telling the other half “Take this whole class period, and make as many pots as you can.” Guess who made more good pots……
Once when I was looking through a magazine for words to cut out (and potentially use in collage), I came across
“What I lack in talent I make up in volume.”
That is my creative mantra.
Make the work. Just keep churning it out, even when you aren’t happy with what you are making. Look it over, see what you like the best of what you’ve done, learn something from that, and make some more……
The other thing, I would say, is “keep experimenting.”
Listen to that voice in your head that says “What if I….” and give it as much free rein as possible. Maybe what happens will suck, but maybe it will make your heart sing…..
so you’ve been talking to my boyfriend Ira?? ha!!
feels good to be back “out and about” and your lovely slice of heaven is one of my VERY favorite places. thank you!
The cats are so pretty. My 3 are in a loveable mood and keep following me everywhere I go.
We’re going to be having bad weather here today and I think the rest of the weekend. Our cooler weather is now 65% and 100% humidity. Everything sticks together.
I hope you are having a great weekend.
Great pictures! I love, love, love the cat reflection. The weather was a surprise today, but it was kind of cosy…yes?
AUGH! You are killing me with that photo of Wyatt and his reflection in the water. Fabulous! Bravo! Ole’ etc etc etc. Take a bullfighter bow. I’m falling over dead in the ring now.
Wow, just watched your journal videos…thanks for sharing them! I’ll certainly be checking back for more–and that Ira Glass is a hoot!! Happy 2009!!!
YOU are good.
I love Ira Glass. Thanks for turning us on to these lessons of his.
I was shocked when I went out this morning in the dark and saw the fog. AFter yesterday?!
I drove to work in it, and it was like magic. It’s so cool tonight. Really nice.
sharing the sad or scary stuff is hard.
Well, I am enjoying your visual journal journey. I, too, am begining a visual journal (for the first time). I hear you about trying to find your voice. I floundered for a while in December, thinking about what I wanted it to be. Then I dug around in my past for a while. (Not often a good thing.)Finally I got it. I feel like mine is portraying my authentic self now. Check it out and tell me what you think.
celeste – I’m using a Fujifilm Finepix S5200 bought for $268 buckeroos in 3/2006
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1905073,00.asp
it has served me well and has been a good camera for this price range. however, i’d love to get a nikon SLR for my next camera. maybe in the next couple of years.
Two of my favorite people, Ira and Mary Ann, in the same post. This is going to be a good year!
what camera are you using?
need to get one for baby video (and art :))
love seeing the growth of your artwork.
Wow! I really needed to hear that Ira Glass interview. Thank you so much! I think you are becoming my Creative Guardian Angel, lol. Ok, this year I’m going to make lots of art… even if it’s crap. And I think I’ll be watching this interview everyday, for a while. Thanks for the inspiration!
I love seeing your old journals. They are so different from what you have been doing lately. You should write a book and call it The Journal Evolution! Now that is a good idea!
This is funny, every year one of the resolutions I make (and invariably break ) is to sketch more. So seeing this is giving me an idea, its kicking around my brain. I think some thing interesting may come out. I’m enjoying seeing your artistic evolution, growth is good to see. Its encouraging. So is seeing your garden. Thats another resolution I have, to clean up my poor garden. But its cold and dusted with snow right now. Happy New Year. Mary PS That Wyatt is so cute he could have his own blog, I don’t know if he is talented or can write but he is damn cute.
Thank you so much for this, Mary Ann. I’m not a novice but rarely satisfied with my work. It means a lot to see that others have had to work to find their style and their voice. And seeing your old journals is a treat. I wish you a creatively fulfilling 2009.
I’m loving all these videos of your early journals… keep em coming. I’ve given fellow readers a heads up on my blog… hope you don’t mind. Happy New Year! 🙂
Your last posts must have been written for me alone!!! Exactly where I am in my artistic soul. Oh, to be 20 years younger with so much time to learn more and practice!