Art & Soul

update

2009-02-17T11:42:00.001-08:00

Just keeping the blog by posting an update

Rudee & Gilmerstein Strombole

2005-02-15T10:45:00.000-08:00

Event: Cow Chip Throwing Contest
Scene: KGRC Radio has a large crowd lined up to witness the annual Chip Contest.
The Story: It's a hot summer day. A restless crowd awaits the the first toss of the chip. A loudspeaker barks across the crowd explaining the rules of how to legally throw cow shit 100 feet or more. This must be the Midwest! A cry goes up in the sea of chippers lining the street. A blur of red and purple splits the crowd as two Super Heros dressed in leotards approach. Mounted on two small Moped cycles, putt-putt-putt the Mopeds approach the review stand. A voice booms across the crowd, "Ladies and Gentlemen, it's the one and only Strombole Brothers, Rudee and Gilmerstein."
A masked man dressed in purple tights and red cape, advances to the microphone. The crowd comes to a whisper as Rudee speaks,"Yahies and Yentelmen, my broother and I tank chou foir the varm velcome. Vee have traveled many mules to come to des place. Vee come to Chip!" the crowd goes wild chanting "Chip, chip, chip."

And so goes the beginning of the tale of Rudee and Gilmerstein Strombole.

Gilmerstein's tumor will soon take his life. So I reflect on happier days when Gilmer and I took on the world and almost won, but were beaten... by a trimmed chip.
Rudee 2-15-2005

Defense Mechanism Breaks a Spring

2005-01-21T10:58:00.000-08:00

I just had a defense mechanism break a spring.

I'm writting a pseudo-script to use when I MC the upcoming Quilta Awards at QCT. I had an revelation about the silly defense mechanism that I have used, mostly unconsciously, for most of my life. I realized that I have consistenly berated myself in front of people. I think it has something to do with lowering expectations to take off pressure in case I fail. Then, anything above failure is a success. Huh, sounds stupid to me, but the subconsious is wierd. Of course the end result is if you present yourself as an idiot then you believe that you're an idiot. I find that I say that a lot to myself, "you idiot, that was stupid".

I have always pushed myself to do things that are outside of my comfort zone. I think the only good thing about my silly problem is that it does allow me to experiment and not worry about looking like an idiot, hell, I am one anyway. I don't care if you think I'm an idiot, I know I am, so what? I mean, how else could I do the stupid TV commercials I do or stand on stage in my underwear, just for a laugh.

Of course the negatives far outweigh any positive effects. I have developed such low self-confidence any more that I just don't trust my own judgement very much. I have run from any leadership skills that I know I have.

So, what I'm trying to figure out now is how do I keep the good and get rid of the bad.

I have been getting more involved in leadership activites both at work and away. Doing the MC for QCT and for the MAF forces me to think and act diferently. Working on the MAF (Midsummer Art Faire) steering committee and working especially with Kathy and Jewel has helped remind me of my leadership skills. They are pretty rusty from unuse. Getting more family out of the business has had a effect on my confidence too. I helps not being second guessed all the time and having employees who respect your judgement.

Well, getting the thoughts down in writing is a good start.

Creativity in acting

2004-11-20T16:25:00.000-08:00

A few random thoughts about creating and acting:

I’m currently in a production of “It’s a wonderful Life.” I have one of those wonderful bit-character parts that I love to do. I think I enjoy character acting so much because it involves more personal creativity. I have so much more of an opportunity to “make” the character into a creation of my own. I think I would die in a romantic lead or any other stereotypical acting role. I couldn’t enjoy playing he role as much, because I would be constrained by what people expected.

Some Observations on acting:

Acting is the most fun when the lines are memorized, the blocking is done, you put on a part of your costume and just have fun. It is just like being a kid again.

Most of what successfully happens on stage for me is not planned in advance. It comes from “being in the moment” and listening. These are the actor’s number one tools. Occasionally, an eureka moment will come and I’ll try it out on stage, but most times it doesn’t work as you had thought. It often it still takes a lot of pushing and molding to make it fit the character.

Acting seems to be more like working on a potter’s wheel than working in paint. There is a change in acting that comes when you finally know the character that I would liken to throwing a pot. The clay really does speak to you in a way that you just know how to form the shape. So, too in acting, once you get to a point, with the character, that you know him well enough, the character starts taking shape. A nudge here and a poke there, just a little at time and shape or character starts to form.

Acting involves a lot of drudge or boring work. Memorizing lines, standing offstage waiting, sitting and waiting for the director or someone else to finish. It is hard to fill the time reading or playing a game, because you have to keep your concentration on being ready. There is a month of preparation before you ever get to do the “art of acting”.

Once a show starts and adrenaline kicks in it can be a fun ride or it can be a nightmare. Applause is nice, but you don’t really get to hear it or not as long as the audience hears it. It is a quick moment in time. If you are acting for the applause or recognition you will be disappointed. I have to force myself to take compliments after a show. Barb, the director, makes the cast stand in the lobby after a performance to receive the patrons as they leave. I hate this, but do my job. Sometimes you go away feeling pumped up and sometimes you feel sucked dry. No doubt the fun is being-in-the-moment while you are onstage.

A funny thing, it always seemed to me that after a show was over there was no tangible evidence of your artwork left. It almost seems like you have nothing to show for your time. Yet, I have had more post reaction to shows that I have done than I have had to my artwork. Except maybe for Heart of a Cobbler. Maybe theatre has more impact than artwork in a gallery. Just a thought I’ll have to explore more.

I’ll write more as the show progresses.

Purpose

2004-11-19T06:12:00.000-08:00

The following is copied from a note I sent to John Stanko. He does a great Monday Morning Memo that I would highly recommend. http://www.purposequest.com/mmemo.htm
This note was in response to a series he did on creativity.

Ok, on to creativity. I have discovered two recurring themes in my personality/purpose, compassion and creativity. When I work in either of these areas, I feel alive/ plugged-in and on purpose. I have been interested in art, since grade school. I have always been "creative". But in the last five-ten years I have grown and nurtured my creativity in watercolor painting and photography. I started with a couple of seminars and grew more and more. I have been in several local art shows in the last three years. I recently won Best of Show at the Quad States Art Show, which includes entrants from Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis. My submission was three photos I had taken while in Zimbabwe. (I won a $1,000 prize, which I donated back to Sue Mbaya at Compassion Ministries for use in their orphanage work.)
Wow, what could be better, as I followed the leading of the Holy Spirit and responded to the compassion God gave me, then God also gave me the desires of my heart. The desires that He had placed in me. I can tell you it feels pretty good to be obedient to God and then see Him work through me, accomplish some awesome work and as a kicker win an award for it. (That is really what this entire message is about. Go back and read it again.) I can tell you story after story about how God has used my creativity in the last year. Some very amazing things have happened, but I'll try to be brief. Ok, here are some things I have learned, especially since Zimbabwe.
1.) Don't discount the desires in your heart. If your desires line up with God's word and they will Glorify God, then go for it. Oh, and Glorify God here doesn't mean they have to win ten million people to Christ, it can be as easy as WWJD.
2.) If you keep God first in your life, then fear of success and "fame" is unfounded. Yes, fear of success limits more Christians as artists than does fear of failure. We fear "pride" and wallow in false humility. I'm guilty.
3.) Creativity comes more from trusting that God is using you and stepping out and trying, than it does from waiting for a lightning bolt from heaven. Just DO IT applies to artists as well as it does to athletes.
4.) Talent is over rated and misunderstood. It is impossible to judge or compare, but is the number one thing people talk about. When you realize that God gives you the talent to do exactly what He needs you to do, then it frees you from asking am I talented or not? Woo wee, that will free you up from asking "Am I talented enough?" The answer is YES, so stop asking. The question is will you allow God to use you.
5.) Fear is the great killer of creativity. Start small, take baby steps, whatever you are comfortable with, but START.
6.) Starting is the hardest part of being creative. So, take the pressure off of yourself that you have to "create now". The best thing is just to start simple. Make yourself do something every day, even if just for 5 minutes. Soon the pressure of trying to create "a masterpiece" leaves and a funny thing happens, you start creating work you really enjoy and like. It becomes fun.
7.) Follow your passion. This is where creativity looks similar to vision. Passion drives you and shows you the way when you get lost along the road. The passion about the subject that you are conveying, not the passion of doing the work. These are too separate things. Don't confuse loving what you do with loving
8.) Stopping to look and reflect on what you have done is a must. Step back and look at it. Art is about seeing. It is too easy to get into mechanics and forget what you are doing or your purpose. You have to be open at this point to accept change. You may get back and look at the piece and what was a boat may now look like it should be a building. It is only when you see the whole that the parts make sense.
9.) Don't over reflect or over-think. You must be able to start again, even when you are not sure about what to do next. Never be afraid to "ruin" your work. From what you learn you can start again. An unfinished piece stopped from fear is just as ruined as if you tried and failed. Only difference is you failed to learn.
Well, there's a few ideas for you. It sure isn't all-inclusive, but that's another fear, eh?
I highly recommend the book "Art & Fear" by David Bayles and Ted Orland. This book has freed up more of my artist friends than anything else. It is a must read.
Also "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamot is a good creativity book. She does use some vulgar language in her writing. The language makes me question it as a recommendation. It is about writing instead of fine art.
Also as a note about I read what you and some of the people you quote say about creativity, You seem to limit creatively to oblivious things like painting, dancing and drawing. The recognized fine arts. But I can tell you I use creativity just as much in fixing a pair of shoes as I do in painting. Often even more so. Creative thought is more problem solving than inspiration. Doing a painting is constant problem solving. How do I mix this limited paint palette to get the color I see. How can I use my brush so that I can fool the eye into seeing what I want it to see. The eureka moment is not the original idea that inspires you to do something new that has never been done before. It comes when your mind shuts down and you flow in your gift. Then when you stop, look back and say "Wow" I did that, that must have been God. Hmmm, kind of sounds like that could happen whether you are a speaker, a writer, a missionary or a housewife. It is more about learning to listen to the Holy Spirit than it is about magic. Here I am, God, use me.
Ok, now as to you not being able to draw. If you can hold a pencil, you can learn. Ok, so maybe you won't be Van Gogh, but drawing is a skill not a talent. You probably have the same lock-up that most adults do. You tried to draw as a kid, it didn't look like what you wanted it to and swore to never do it again. Too bad you fell for the talent lie. With just a few easy tips. You can draw at a level you would enjoy. (Seeing is what is hardest to learn for artists and you already do that pretty good.) So, get the book by Betty Edwards called "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain". She has a couple of easy lessons that will free you up and surprise you in minutes of how easy it is to draw. Try it, the experience will at least teach you something. Art is all about learning and growing.

Mission Statement of a non-club? Hmmm

2004-11-05T13:45:00.000-08:00

Art & Soul... Hmmm where do I begin. It started with several of us who were former Rose Camastro-Pritchett art students. (Rose, formerly Rose Mentestti, was my high school art teacher. How that's for weird?) Anyway, when Rose left town and went to Chicago, we found that none of us were doing any art anymore. So, we started meeting together for the sole purpose of encouraging each other to work. So, I guess our unofficial mission statement is "Encourage each other to DO the work we love and help each other grow as Artists." We meet once a month, in the summer, we meet at Madison Park and in cooler weather we tried to meet at each other's house. We dropped meeting at each other's house because we each tried to "entertain" to much and have "tea" parties. We have cut all that and focus on the work now. We show up with a couple of recent works we have done and we will critique each other, focusing on the why and not the "how to" in our work. Our group now consists of Bev Ward, Jacque Kirlin, Jewel Gwaltney and myself.

OK, now here is the honest part, we have never had any intention of "growing a club" or creating a new guild or something. It's all about "us." This may be purely selfish and self serving, but not all groups need to be for "everyone." Sometimes, us four and no more is OK. If we stay small and grow ourselves, then we are more able to go outside and help others grow. I see this as a small cell group that could splinter into other cell groups, but works best by staying small. this keeps the group free of club rules, dues, meetings, committes, and other non-productive, time wasting stuff. We are free to do our real mission, "Encourage each other to Do the work we love and help each other grow as Artists." Simple.

Supplies

2004-10-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

I just finished Julia Camron's book, "Supplies". She describes the book as " A trouble shooting guide for creative difficulites." I found it an interesting and helpful look at the people who creative people deal with in their lives. There are the encouraging people, Fuse Lighters, Booster Rockets, and Angels. Then there are the more numerous, discouraging or destructive people, Wet-Blanket Matdors, Experts, Piggybackrs, Worrywarts, and the Black Gypsy, just to name a few. It is helpful to recognise these people and put a name to them. By naming them it seems to make it easier to deal with them and discount the negative words or tactics that they use.

An example of how this helps. I recently ran into a person who has been encouraging in the past (or at least appeared to be so.) This person started saying some things that at first sounded like encouragement, but had a funny zing to each comment. Since I was reading this book at the time I was able to see just how theis person was using some creavitity destroying manipulations. Their final comment was "Well, I'd wish you luck, (in an upcoming art competition,) but that would give you an unfair advantage." Mixed with the other comments they had given, it was a little obvious this person was bothered by my win of the Quad State show. Well, being able to allow comments like this to role off of your back and not to hold on to them like a precious, stuffed toy, is very freeing. I was able to respond with, "that's OK, I'll wish you luck anyway."

You know, what is also freeing is that I don't have to wory if the person was being spiteful or not. It is most important that I was able to reject all of thier comments as something unuseful and not hold on to them for discouragement or personal mental toture. Know what I mean?

I find that sometimes people can wear different names and be shape shifters. So it is good to recognize when someone who is usualy very helpful, slips on a new mask and temporarily becomes a discourager.

I'll share more about the games that people play on us and that we play on ourselves tomorrow.

A Jewel by any other name is still precious

2004-10-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

The world famous photographer Jewel Gwaltney had a showing today at the Inman Gallery. It was such a pleasure to see the world through the eyes of a world class artist is even for a brief moment in time. I am always amazed at how different the everyday world around us looks when viewed through a new perspective. Such simple things as rocks, doors, snow drifts, leaves and trees can be so beautiful, mysterious, or enchanting when captured through the lens of Jewel's camera.

But the real joy for me came from being a part of the creative process. I was able to stand with her and view the same object that she photographed, then I saw it transfomed in to an amazing framed work of art. Or to see a piece that has just come out of her darkroom, freshly printed and unmatted, which later shows up in a frame on display in a gallery full of people oohing and aahing. It is like watching a neighbor kid grow up into a caring adult. You are there to watch the whole process, but all you can say is I knew them when they were in diapers, now look at them.

A Jewel by any other name is still precious.

What not How

2004-10-14T16:28:00.000-07:00

At our meeting this month for Art & Soul the word of the day seemed to be WHAT not HOW. I started to read Julia Cameron's book "Supplies". The very first chapter speaks about firing the arrow. Being creative starts with deciding that you are going to do a certain something, the What. Then the how comes along with it. Too often we concentrate on How we will do something and get lost in the process. Get the What, then start. Simple.

I fear too often that we critique each other's work with too much How instead of listening (key word) to each other's What. As in What message we want to send, or why a subject is important enougth to us that we had to paint it. This ties into what I have said before about getting passion in our work. Passion doesn't come from How, it comes form What and WHY.

PS. Get Julia Cameron's book, Supplies, WOW! It rates right up there with Art & Fear.

Here I AM!

2004-10-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

So, that was different than before, but i think I know what 'I' did wrong. It came up in a small window, and The invitation bars were below the window and I didn't scroll down. So I just clicked on art and soul and it took me to the parchment page, where I tried to make a comment and then I had to establish a sign in, which I did. I did not know where the dashboard was and I have never seen this page and am not sure how I will get back to it! But, now that I have accepted the invite, maybe I'll find it again!

49th Birthday

2004-10-12T07:12:00.000-07:00

Today is my 49th Birthday. No really it is. (and may continue to be for a long time you say?) I wondered if 49 would be as hard as 39 was. 39 was far worse than 40 for some odd reason. 49 is good. It started really good, my granddaughters gave me a hand made birthday card. It had a rainbow and an eagle, sitting on a stool, painting a picture. They told me that they asked grandma what my favorite color was and she said, "well he's an artist and artist like all colors." So, they thought a rainbow would be appropriate for an artist. Now the significance of the Bald Eagle I hope is that they see me as someone to look up to. (At least I hope it is not a reference to my balding head, Ha.)

Then written in big letters it says "You're the best Poppy in the world." Wow! How could you top that. 49 is good. Life is good.

Monday Morning

2004-10-11T06:06:00.000-07:00

There is a chill in the air today. It feels like October. I am feeling more encouraged every day. September was a tough month. The word for October is "press-on". It is time to stop accepting "good enough" and press-on to excellenence. I heard a really good speaker yesterday, Paul DeJong, from New Zealand. He spoke about not accepting medocrity. I was suprised to learn how much I have done that lately. You know when you catch yourself saying things like, "Well, it could be better, but it's not bad." He gave examples about business, family and marriage. I realated to all of them. Well, it's not great, but at least it's not as bad as...

So, what are you settling for today? What could you do better? It's not about trying harder. It is about expecting more. My emphasis with Art and Soul has been to "Just do the work." I've wanted Art and Soul to be an encouragement for all of us to get our artwork done. Don't accept what life throws at you. Fight for your artwork. So what if the living room needs vaccuuming. Your art is a reflection of the real you. (Besides you know all that dirt you've been vaccuuming for years? We'll, guess what, it's what they cover your casket with when you die. They come in with giant paper vacuum bags and dump it on you. Ha. See, in the end the dirt wins, unless you put emphasis on what is important to you.)

Do the work.

Waiting for your response

2004-10-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

I'm just sitting her twiddling my thumbs, waiting to see if anyone will want to participate in this new Blog project. I think it could be another way that we can encourage each other to get more work done. Hmmm... what will ya'll think. Time will tell, eh? Ok so I'm just filling space up on the page so you can see what a Blog is OK?

Blog day one

2004-10-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our new Blog. What is a blog?

Blog = A Blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a Blog is "blogging" and someone who keeps a Blog is a "Blogger." Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the Blog. Postings on a Blog are almost always arranged in chronological order with the most recent additions featured most prominently.

Bloggers have had recent news with the Rather-Gate scandal. It was the Bloggers who questioned the authenticity of the CBS papers and caused the media to investigate further. What I have seen is mostly just online journaling. You can see and read all about a person. Usually some pretty intimate stuff, that I can't imagine telling to a best friend and yet they have it available to the world.

I was thinking of an art site where we could journal together. Anyone in our group could log-on and give an opinion on art, add creative thoughts, share an epiphany or just wax eloquent (but no bikini waxing.) Kind of like a permanent collection of shared thoughts. Like for instance, wouldn't it have been great if we could have some of Bev's thoughts from her French experience down in writing. Then our reactions and comments to her experience. Doesn't it sound like something that would be an encouragement to all of us. Anytime you felt like sharing something you could or if you needed a little creative boost you could read current or past entries. It would be better than email in that it would be archival (you can see all the threads) and would be an ongoing dialogue. I see it as a continuation of our meetings. It is easier to write than to meet more often, especially when Bev is in AZ or Jacque is traveling.