2. Reading. Task 2.1. Creating Art

 

You know the feeling when you open up an old sketchbook or find a really old piece of art you made and think, “Wow, I thought this was a masterpiece when I made it. It’s so bad!” Most of us have experienced that feeling before, and it turns out, it’s a really good thing. You might feel the need to blame yourself for having made something “bad” in the past, but it’s actually a reason to celebrate. This is a sign of growth.
I’ve experienced many periods of time when I lacked inspiration or felt a “creative block”. No matter how hard I tried, it was impossible to draw or come up with an idea. Even worse, the fear of making a mistake, making something ugly, making something that might reveal my lack of creativity or experience, or making something that’s been made before has kept me from trying to make anything at all.
I was relieved of a lot of this fear and set free to create when someone shared Sol LeWitt’s famous letter to Eva Hesse with me. These two artists were corresponding about Hesse’s creative block. He wrote, “Try to do some BAD work – the worst you can think of and see what happens but mainly relax and let everything go bad – you are not responsible for the world – you are only responsible for your work – so DO IT.”
The idea of TRYING to make BAD work completely changed the way I approached my creative process. By releasing the pressure of creating a masterpiece during each creative session, I started having more fun, trying new ways, and developing better techniques and taste. I started to accept that I’d have to make a lot of bad art before I got to the good work. This idea motivated me to keep creating. I couldn’t wait to look back at the work I’m creating today and think, “Wow, my work has come a long way. I’ve really improved since I made this!”