Open Studios/Open Process

East Bay Open Studios is coming up on the first two weekends in June, sending thousands of people to studios and exhibition spaces. Viewing and buying original works of art can be exhilarating, but some people think original art is too expensive for their budget. Artists usually try to offer work in varying price ranges to make original art available to everyone. 

A finished piece of art is like a stage play in that all the work and problem solving that went into its creation remain hidden. It’s easy to think that the finished product just fell into place. But the hours of hard work that went into the piece, must also go into the price, though a reasonable hourly wage is never something the artist imagines receiving. 

So I thought I’d dedicate some blog posts to the ongoing creative work happening in my studio to let people see a bit of the artist's process and perspective. 

There are days when the creative process is exciting, and there are days when it is equally difficult and exhausting. There are days when great surprises happen, only to be followed by an experiment that falls flat. 

Yesterday, for example, I did foundational work on a new piece while continuing work on a painting in progress. Laying materials onto a new canvas before I begin working with paint can seem like a boring stage, but at this level I can do imprinting and patterning into a wet surface that add an interesting dimension to the work later on. I never know what the end "product" will look like. So I have to trust that the process and my decisions will eventually lead me to Art (with that capital A).

In the photo detail above (from a painting called Goin' South, 101), I cut a gash into the canvas and slowly filled it with canvas strips, sand, and snakeskin. The gash healed on the canvas as a cut would heal on skin. This type of process, I think, gives my work an organic presence the viewer relates to physically, for the first moments of interaction with the work before thought takes over.

 The coach in me is wondering how this works in your world. If you think about your work, or maybe an avocation or a sport you engage in, is there a foundational element that plays out in the end result? What is an important foundational step you haven’t thought about on a conscious level? It’s possible that bringing that step into consciousness will cause a new leap in achievement or enjoyment.

Don’t forget: Open Studios will begin on Saturday, June 1, 2013. I will be at 401 26^th St., (between Broadway and Telegraph) in Oakland, California. There are twenty artists in our Uptown Artists Group, so plan to come and spend some time with us. We have live music and refreshments! Please come by my exhibition, and let me know you are a blog reader.  Hope to see you there!

Leading and Following

Well, my novel is essentially finished, and in the hands of one agent. (Please keep your fingers crossed that it receives enthusiastic support from someone who will promote it to achieve its highest potential) The title is Persephone’s Tango. I will certainly be blogging about the process as it, hopefully, climbs the proverbial ladder of success(or whatever else it may do). I mention it in this posting because I want to write about a piece of Tango Dharma, as it is called in Persephone’s Tango.

The distinguished mentor with whom our heroine is studying Tango, talks about leading and following. She points out that it is commonly presumed that the man leads and the woman follows. La Maestra points out that in order to achieve the dance, both partners must “relinquish their autonomy”. One of the students asks “But doesn’t the woman relinquish more than the man?” Rather than explain in words, the teacher demonstrates in the embrace with one of the gentleman in the class. When the music begins, he tries to take a step, but his partner has her weight on her heels and, though she is a slender woman, he cannot move her. His attempts to create the dance are thwarted by his partner’s unwillingness to relinquish her autonomy.

“What can you do with this partner?” she asks.

“I have to slow down . . .to bring her with me . . .and I have to mark the lead more firmly.”

            “Yes!” says the teacher, “you compromise with the partner, if you are a good dancer.” You learn what is needed to create the dance, then give what you can to that end.

            Compromise must be the unspoken commitment of both partners entering into the dance. In the class, the young man has an epiphany realizing that he’s not in control at all. The fact that he was the designated ‘leader’ had convinced him, even before learning the dance, that he was given control.

            The lesson for the ‘follower’ is just as important. The follower brings her full spirit to the dance. She (we’re using the traditional roles here for simplicity; obviously, leader and follower are gender-neutral terms) relates to the music with her unique energy, and with her body. Each partner brings aspects to the dance that are not even in their control: their height, weight, length of stride, the flexibility of their body, for example.

            The ideal Tango couple has been described as one body with four legs. That suggests the degree to which each partner must contribute and participate. Spiritually, there is a deep experience of communion that comes from this practice. In fact, I would say that all the work and practice to become a good Tango dancer, is done for the achievement of that level of communion, more than for the entertainment of an audience.

            It is valuable, I think, to meditate on this lesson, and apply it to whatever work or recreational activity you do with one or more other people. Imagine how it would be, if everyone relinquished their autonomy and the celebration of their ego for the sake of creating a singular event mutually and harmoniously. Autonomy is a valuable part of our democratic way of life, but it also holds a somewhat mythic place in our minds. Aren’t we really more powerful in life, when we learn to make the “with” choice, and hold that sacred, too.

A Job for the I.C.

After finishing another line edit of my 401-page novel manuscript, I emailed a friend to share the sense of celebration. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve reread and edited that manuscript, and she’s heard me celebrate every time. She’s listened to years of struggle and hard work on this novel, so it’s no wonder that her reply had a certain amount of wonderment. “I can't get over the patience and discipline you have to have throughout this process!  Yikes.  How are you able to do this with fresh eyes???” It was a very good question, and it made me realize something important about The Inner Critic.

            Whether I’m painting or writing, I inevitably come to moments in the creative process when I have to evaluate what I’m doing before I can go further. At those times, a serious artist has to be demanding. I’ve learned when a text needs to be improved. I know when I need to risk pushing an image or a surface beyond a comfort zone. I also know when I’m being lazy (if I’m honest with myself, I can hear a little voice in my head say, “I’m tired, that’s good enough”). To create a body of work I can feel proud of, I have to stand up to a level of scrutiny within myself that equals the keen eye of a real critic. That is the time when I put “the inner critic” to work.

            I’m not talking about unleashing the demeaning echo of someone from my past. The working inner critic needs to be an educated and honest evaluator. The Inner Critic I’m talking about has to be part of the  ‘higher self’. It is the voice that challenges me to raise the level of my work.

            Athletes exhibit that type of “inner critic” when they push themselves beyond past accomplishments. Often in sports, the coach plays the role of Inner Critic. In fact, a good coach can command a high salary because s/he has integrity and a reputation for being fair, tough, and knowledgeable. Even if s/he is harsh and pushy, it’s understood that their demands are for the good of the athlete and the team. The paradox of that role is this: The voice I’m talking about nags you out of a belief in your abilities, not out of a need to belittle or dissuade you.

So, how does an Inner Critic develop integrity? It will only have as much integrity as you give it. A good inner critic needs to be educated and cultivated. If you are a visual artist, study art history, attend gallery and museum exhibitions, and build a community of artists with whom you can develop a dialog about the work. If you’re a musician, listen to other musicians, attend concerts, and read a lot of music reviews. If you’re a writer, read a wide range of authors, write every day, and again, build a dialog in community with other writers. Attend classes and lectures. Read current critical thought in your field. It is every individual’s responsibility to educate the critic within. Only when you’ve done your homework, can you trust that inner voice.  

A constructive inner critic does not say “I like that” or “I don’t like that”. If that’s all you’re hearing, it is a voice of ignorance and judgment, and it’s probably someone’s non-productive voice from the past. Let your Inner Critic ask you questions. This is where my coach training and my work as an artist come together (for myself and for clients): both depend on asking good questions. A good question provokes thought, inspires risk-taking, and engages the dynamics of the creative process.

Success in the arts and in sports is the result of perseverance. Let your “inner critic” become an asset, and you’ll drown out all the foreign critics that slow you down.

           

Inauguration

As I watched the second inauguration ceremonies for President Obama, I thought about the significance of the ceremony. When a sitting president is re-elected, we don’t just say, ‘oh yeah, you can keep your job for another four years’. Instead, we go through enormous planning and cost to mark the ‘re-beginning’. The ritual of the second inauguration calls on the person in office to recommit, and restate the goals and intentions set for the next term.

         Those of you who have read my blog, or who’ve been my coaching clients, probably know where I’m going with this. Yes, I’m asking you what are you ready to recommit to in your life? You are stepping into your future, too. I know that you may have just set resolutions for the New Year (are you still holding to them?), but I am talking about your long term intentions in life.

Resolutions are often symptoms of intentions. If, for example, I say that I resolve to eat less saturated fats this year, my long term intention is to live a long and enjoyable life. I want to be energetic and optimistic for as long as I live, and I know that my health will be at the core of that optimism. So if you did make resolutions, look at them now in a new light. What does your resolution mean about your long-term intentions? What are you really committing to?

         Listening to the President’s speech I thought about the courage he exemplifies in making his intentions public. I know they are political agenda items and that he doesn’t carry them alone, nevertheless, when I thought of making such a declaration just for my own life, I got a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. That feeling made me realize the reason for a second inauguration, and the power of personal declaration. I also knew I wanted to blog about this, and yet that queasy feeling got worse when I thought about it. I didn’t want to look into the next four years and name the things I’m willing to fight for. I’m a progressive liberal, I said, I will support the President in his work toward more effective gun control, equal marriage under the law, women’s rights to control their bodies, and the necessary steps toward wise planetary decisions. Gee, that was easy. I didn’t get any feeling in my gut. So now, what will I commit to in my own life? And why should I tell anyone else about that commitment?

(Ah, the queasiness begins.)

         The question arises: What if I don’t do it? I could lose face. I could feel failure.

         Then I felt in my bones one of the most powerful aspects of coaching: accountability. In making that Inaugural speech, the President holds himself accountable to all of us, just as he did in the First Inaugural Address. And during the campaign people held him to his stated intentions. (You promised us jobs and I’m still out of work.) So that campaign was a time for him to acknowledge that he didn’t accomplish all his intended goals. But that didn’t stop him from committing again, and starting again. If he can do that on such a grand scale, I guess we can do it in the intimate corners of our life.

         So, it is my intention to re-commit myself to the dream of creating and supporting myself comfortably as a writer, artist, and life coach. I recognize that others may look at me and say, ‘of course’. But only I know what a hard decision that is. Only I know the fear of stretching money at the end of the month, or the vulnerability I endure by using a credit card to pay for supplies or marketing services. Only I know how much scarier it gets to still be struggling as age creeps up. But all that makes my declaration stronger and more powerful.

         Each of you who reads this will increase the strength of my inaugural declaration, so I thank you for that. If any one wants to write and make your declaration to me, I’ll be happy to receive it.

*The painting included above is titled "Launch". It was completed in 2010. Dimensions: 36" x 36"

Advent

I have always loved Advent calendars with their little doors and hidden images. If you are not familiar with them, they are put up during the month of December to count the four week leading up the birth of Christ. We have just begun Advent in the Christian sense, and it got me to thinking about what it means in regards to one's life. Pregnancy is an Advent season, for example. We go through other obvious Advents like waiting to move into a new house or apartment.
Advent is a time of anticipation and expectancy, it is also a time of preparation.
What are you anticipating? What are you preparing for? Or what could you be preparing for? What would be an exciting event for you to celebrate in the coming year?
I know it is customary not to start thinking of the new year until after the Christmas holiday, but then there is a lot of pressure to come up quickly with some clever or obvious declaration for a "resolution". What I am thinking about is not a resolution, but a new "thing". It could be a new attitude or an addition to your routine that is 'just worth a try.' A resolution suggests a commitments to something even before you know if you're going to want to keep it. So this season, think about the holidays as a period of Advent. What is dawning on your horizon, and how do you want to prepare for it? Happy Holidays!