Summary: essay on art vs. craft and my rambling journey to find out my truth on this subject.
I have a notebook in my car. It is a spiralbound Strathmore sketchbook. I bought it about six months ago when I ran out of gas receipts on which to write directions, radio ad URLs and to do lists.
It is a bit of a sad sketchbook. Its promise isn’t really realized because it stays in the car. I don’t usually bring it into the house. It is a little bit bent from being jammed in the pocket of the driver’s side door. I don’t use colorful pens, pastels or pencils on the pages. I usually don’t sketch in it. I haven’t decorated the cover. It is utilitarian and serves a function
This sketchbook, by some strange twists in my mind, reminded me of an unsolicited “pep talk” someone gave me about being an artist at a recent art quilt gathering. The well intentioned person had just seen the Eye Spy quilt.
- Finished top with borders
Somehow, this quilt was seminal for me. This very plain (as in non-artquilty) and ordinary quilt for The Child jolted me back into art quiltmaking.
I think I started writing this blog do just that – to record the process, to give myself some accountability and to inspire myself at a time when I was trying to build creativity into the few nooks and corners of a very full life and overstuffed schedule. I realized, that day, in showing the Eye Spy quilt that it worked!!! It took some time, but it worked!!!! In recording my process, I was ready to come back to working on some of my half finished art quilts.
At that gathering, I was trying to explain these feelings to the group and mentioned something I heard Wayne Thiebaud say when asked if he was an artist. His response was that he was a painter and that he would let history judge his work while he went on and painted every day. I love the fact that he has chosen to do his work and worry about what people think later.
Perhaps it isn’t humility; I don’t know the man personally, after all, but success that allows him to think that way?
In any case, my well meaning co-attendee said that I should say I am an artist and think of myself as an artist and then I would be an artist. She related her experience of doing the same thing and how it had changed her life.
I certainly want success with my quilts, but I don’t believe that by making stuff and saying *I* am an artist automatically makes *me* an artist. I don’t think that other people have to say that I am an artist to be an artist either. For me, it just doesn’t seem that easy.
Regardless of what I do I want to be happy. I am happy:
- making my quilts
- discussing and learning about art, design, creativity and quilts
- making tote bags
- layering paper and photos to make scrapbooks
- responding to creative prompts
- being inspired by other creative people
- admiring the work of wonderful, creative podcasters and bloggers
- etc.
Is this enough? For now, yes. Forever? Probably not. I am very cognizant of not wanting to ruin what I have by moving into being a professional artist. This is at the same time I am aware of the desire to expand what I do and publicizing it.
This whole discussion was brought to mind by a couple of episodes of the Creative Mom Podcast, to which I listened this morning. Amy has a very intellectual way of looking at her creativity, which I admire and think I share in some ways. I admire, as I have probably said many times, I am sure, her calm and even, yet enthusiastic tone.Her tone in itself is inspiring because of its poetry. Not literal poetry, but a poetic sound.
Art vs. Craft
In one of the podcasts, a mom Amy knows from schoolo asked her ( December 17, 2008 episode) after seeing her gauntlets, “are you one of those crafters?”
When I hear the word ‘crafter’ I think of plastic canvas and hot glue guns. Every tool and supply certainly has it’s place, but that is not me. I don’t think of myself as a crafter even though I live with the quintessential definition of craft: I want to surround myself and my daily life with practical, simple and beautifully useful items.
When I think of artist, I think of Wayne Thiebaud, Georgia O’Keefe, Michaelangelo, and Dorothea Lange. That is not me either.
I wonder where I fit into this creative landscape of color and creativity? I don’t know so I guess I will continue what I am doing and follow in Wayne Thiebaud’s foosteps by letting history decide.
