van gogh,he gave his paintings to his brother theo, for paying
his rent, all his food and painting supplies, unfortunately theo
died a few months after vincent from melancholy, both of them very
young, and neither, ever seeing money for the works,
what an investment that was though, if you had ever seen the
amazing beauty and sheer girth of those works, both in amount and
quality, and lived vincent’s psychological and emotional life,
practically with him(letters to theo), culminating in intensity
around 88-90, and then witnessed the flow cease, you might die of
melancholia or insanity!!, it was found that he completed on the
average, 3 works a day, and have you ever seen his drawings???,
they are, believe it or not, even more monumental than the
paintings, difficult book to find, with them in it, J.B.de la
Faille collection, dp
It's kind of like the difference between someone who likes music and has a big CD collection, and someone who actually sings or plays an instrument in their home, however well or poorly. By actually doing it rather than just consuming the art, they enter into a new realm, a much more creative space. In the case of playing an instrument, the brain has been shown to be doing different things, and growing pathways in it. This is empowering.
I like the way you’ve put this. I have always felt that it’s better
to do than to buy, or watch, or read about. If you actually make
something yourself - music, a crocheted potholder, or VanGogh and
his works of art - it comes from a totally different place than if
you just admire what somebody else made. Ditto with sports -
watching is one thing, doing is another.
I think its a shame that TV and the media have put such an emphasis
on the few, the superstars, that many talented people just give up.
When I was a kid, lots of people sang for pleasure. Not many do,
anymore.
Making or doing something for yourself has so many positive benefits
that I think have been belittled or downgraded for so many years, as
have the skills that so many people used to take for granted
(knitting, crochet, weaving, building things, even as simple as dog
or birdhouses, even cooking, all things that I constantly hear “but
you could buy one cheaper…” but self-respect is priceless, even if
a potholder is not). “Empowerment” is probably the best word I’ve
heard for that.
Sojourner
So true. But we also need the listeners/buyers/watchers. We are all
valuable, whatever part we play… I’ve found myself being a more
conscientious consumer - because I’m also a do-oer … I find it
more important to simply consume sometimes - if that makes any
sense. I like the feeling that I’m doing something to support the
do-er [hoping that karma will pay me back someday, lol].
JMHO.
~Alysia
Hello All, Iv’e enjoyed all the sharing of ideas, processes for
several months now, but have not posted till now…This has been an
interesting subject, running the gamut from A to Z, …My addition to
these thoughts is that what we do, whether a fledgling beginner or
someone who has been at the bench for many years, is Process,…a
journey of self discovery by our own hands/hearts…There is “room"
for all, beginner, and master,… after all we all started as
inexperienced once…Sharing these processes with like minded
individuals is really the important aspect of this “Jacobs ladder"
that Orchid blesses us with…In reading these posts of late, I was
reminded of two quotes which seem quite pertinent, one by Kahil
Gibran in his book the Prophet, who said ;” Work is Love made
visable”., And the other by the late Joseph Campbell in Reflections
on the Art of Living, who observed, "a definition of art–“art is the
making of things well,…that underlies art no matter what its
function or category. If you’re not interested in making things
well, then you’re not, even in the most elementary sense, an artist”.
Thanks for the sharing, Blessings to All, Thomas
Thomas Gilbert…artist/designer…windwalkerdesigns.com
You know, some may look down on the simple “beaded bracelet” thing,
but I can tell you that for me… when someone comes into my store
and I help them build their first beaded bracelet (or necklace),
and then they walk out of here so excited, well, that just makes my
day!
Yesterday I had a lady come in who had a broken necklace of some
vintage Swarovski crystals that belonged to her mother, who is now
deceased. She wanted to share them with her sister, so I helped her
turn them into something she can dangle from her car mirror or
where ever she wants, and another for her sister! She doesn’t
really wear jewelry, so she wanted something practical for her to
remember her mother by. She was very grateful, and I know she will
be telling others that I was willing to take the time with her.
I don’t consider myself to be a jeweler, yet, but I do make pretty
things. I hand make glass beads, I fuse glass pendants, I design
pieces with Art Clay Silver and I design/bead seed bead patterns.
This year I have started to learn how to do silver soldering and am
slowly putting together my first few items. I have just as much
fun teaching/sharing with others as I do creating it myself.
Kerry