The Creative Process

We continue with our creative pursuits in the mountain retreat. Trust you’re doing the same in your situation and in your way. If so you’re probably finding that success is not always as immediately attainable as you might like. There’s no magic, no guarantee, no Midas touch that turns every work to gold.

I alluded to the process of their making in my presentation of the Beatitudes paintings a couple of weeks back. I unveiled them and reflected on the meaning of each one. I plan to bring out some of that in upcoming blogs. But first, I want to share a response that came from friend Scott Anderson who was in attendance. Following is an excerpt from his email (in blue) with some commentary by me.

How it looked at Heritage Christian Fellowship. It’s a presentation I could make again and again . . . if anyone has any ideas.

Hello Hyatt . . . I don’t know if you intended it or not, but I found the subtle points you brought up about working through a challenge were as valuable as the lessons you taught about the beatitudes.

First, accept the challenge
(At first I had no idea how I’d approach this proposed commission . . . and would never have done it if I’d not been asked. Being asked was a gift.)

It’s really just problem solving
(That’s how I see creative thinking. The more creative person just imagines a larger problem. After that it’s basically a series of steps, with more ideas and problem solving all along.)

You may have physical distractions
(In the midst of this whole project I was dealing with a torn retina, limiting my vision to only one eye, and no depth perception! Still, one can compensate.)

There is no existing template
(Painting the Beatitudes had not been done before, at least that I could find. There was nothing to emulate or take a departure from. It’s so often that way.)

You need a lifestyle of prayer
(I don’t remember praying at the outset though I likely did, as praying and thinking are about as natural as breathing . . . in and out.)

You must do research
(When the idea came to use faces–within a matter of minutes, really–then began the quest to find the right faces, with the right emotions. The seeker finds.)

It is an imperfect process
(There’s a lot of trial and error. There’s no “downloaded vision” that comes to you, not usually. Rather, you start, it takes on its own life, you follow it.)

You have to abandon it at some point and just declare it done
(Finally, after dealing with the last of pesky parts that you just can’t get “perfect,” you have to just stop and say, “That’s it; it’s the best I can do.”)

You have to put it out there
(In the end you let it be seen. Art is for the wall, not the closet. Your light is for the hill. You’re still aware of the problem areas, but nobody notices. They see the big picture, the original inspiration. You rejoice together.)

Thanks Scott, for your observations and insights.

Now to apply it all to new works.

For all of us.

_________________________

PS This Saturday evening the work of daughter Allison Moore Adams is being featured at an opening at OC Contemporary Gallery on PCH in north San Clemente.  It’s her series on “Ground Breaking Girls.” All invited.