Art and Creativity: Are You A Serial or Parallel Creator? Or Something Else?

in #art7 years ago

It seems that there are almost as many approaches to the creative process as there are artists in the world. 

Because we have a gallery, I find myself talking to artists on a regular basis, and it never ceases to amaze me just how many different ways people go about creating their work.

Approaching the Creative Process

Flower
Calendula

Experience tells me that it is almost a rarity for someone to get an idea, sketch it out, and then complete it to finished execution in one linear process.

Although I have done so on occasion, those occasions have typically been special commissions that had a very clear objective in mind.

When we are working with our own creative flow, it is seldom so cut and dry. 

Personally, I like to keep things very flexible, and I often end up working on a dozen pieces at once. It's not really because I prefer it that way, but more because it simply happens to unfold that way... and I was never very good at concentrating on just one thing to the exclusion of all others.

My work also tends to be on a fairly small scale, so I don't have to worry about things like actual "project management" on each piece.

"Serial" Creativity

Flower
Lantana

A friend of mine-- who's a fine watercolour painter-- likes to create work in "series." She tends to come up with a theme, and then starts to work on variations on her theme, often going to 20 sketches or more before a brush ever touches the paper.

However, she has a very clear idea of what she wants each piece to become, and once the painting process starts, she begins and finishes one piece at a time. 

I know quite a few artists who engage in this type of "serial creativity." With the artists at the gallery, we especially see this when someone is working on a "themed" show opening... whether at our location or somewhere else.

And Then Consider Your Medium

Flower
Daisy

Of course, your medium also matters, in terms of how you approach the work process.

Those who work in ceramics would have a very different approach to each piece of work from those who are oil painters. A ceramic artist needs to accumulate a certain number of pieces before it becomes viable to do a firing in the kiln. 

Conversely, with a medium like blown glass, you are pretty much forced to complete your work one piece at a time, because it each piece can only be worked while it is molten... except for minor finish work like polishing bases.

As someone who does tiny painting on rocks, my work tends to be "staggered," because I deal with a multi-step process: I have to find and wash the rocks; then I have to paint each one and let the oil paint cure for 5-7 days before I can apply a finish coat... these are all distinct steps that get repeated with multiple items each time, or the process would become extremely cumbersome.

Painting... The Field is Open

Leaf
Maple Leaf

Painting perhaps offers the greatest flexibility. 

We know some painters who quite literally go start-to-finish on one canvas before moving on to the next, and we know others who have 20 pieces going in parallel-- doing a touch-up here and an adjustment there.

The bottom line, however, is that you have to find the approach that works for you! As best we can tell, there is really no "right" or "wrong" way... only YOUR way. And as long as that keeps working for you, don't let external voices try to persuade you that what you're doing is wrong

Because it isn't!

Thank you for reading! Red Dragonfly is a proud member of the @sndbox creative initiative.

The Red Dragonfly is an independent alternative art gallery located in Port Townsend, WA; showcasing edgy and unique contemporary art & handmade crafts by local and worldwide artists. All images are our own, unless otherwise credited. Where applicable, artist images used with permission.   

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As a writer, I find that my best approach for sitting down and getting my creativity out is to plan everything in one sitting first. I'll sit and start free-flowing ideas, from bullet lists of abstract thoughts to fleshed out sentences or compilations. I use the app Todoist to jot down random thoughts I have throughout the day, and then revisit everything at night when I have time to be creative (for myself). Thank you for sharing these great ideas! I always love reading about other peoples' processes.

<3 Lexi

Hi Lexi, thanks for the share!

As both a writer and artist, I find that a lot of my writing ideas come to me while I am painting, so I always have pad and paper handy. I don't always remember the context of my notes when I go back and revisit them, but at least a quick jot down keep the ideas from completely leaving the building.

I would like to think that I am more of a serial artist. Looking at my work, I think I am moving in that direction. I never finish a complete series before starting on a different theme or a new project though.

I can appreciate that... and I sometimes wonder if "finished" is even a real thing!

Come to think of it. I think my approach is more of the serial creativity because when I write, I don't like postponing once I begin or else I let other events cloud my ideas.

So @reddragonfly.... What is your kind of approach?

I've studied the surrealists, dadaist and their progenitors. I've actively used a technique dubbed automatic creation, akin to the blind-contour technique, in which you rawly, unabatedly, and daftly express your mind onto the canvas. I find this works extremely well for writing, as you can then utilize collage to piece together the pile of ideas you just expunged from your mind.

Thank you for your post, it is very well done and insightful :)

Personally I work on one piece at a time until it's finished. Otherwise I end up with a studio full of half finished works and nothing I can offer for sale. lol As a working artist I like to have fresh new work coming out often. Especially with social media if you're out of sight, you're out of mind.

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