Starting Point
This weeks reading stood out to me because Luci Shaw detailed that “dreams of making great art are an important starting point and motivation for pursuing art as a vocation.” (Pg 51).
This left me thinking about my own starting point, the first time I took an art class. I did not know much about art, what I wanted to do with art and the overall struggle of strengthening my skills in art. All I knew was that I admired art that stood out to me and left me feeling positive and inspired to create, even if my art skills were not the best.
The starting point looks different for everyone. From being a beginner artist to an expert artist who is at the beginning stages of creating an art piece. Shaw mentions how “dreams of making great art” is a valuable element when an artist is going to take off and create something unique. I think when we “dream” about art, we become inspired to create works of art that leaves us feeling passionate about the ideas we have in mind. Practicing “dreaming” about art can allow artists to achieve art/design that meets the needs of clients and satisfies the artist, as well.
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I also think about people who are gifted at art/design and can create beautiful pieces of work, but perhaps lack passion for their own work. Perhaps they view their work as a mindless thing and speaking about their work may be uninteresting for them.These artist may not see the importance of the reason why they created an art piece in the first place, which can lead to an artist who has become less passionate.
However, an artist who struggles with the idea of creating something has to experiment in order to create something beautiful or unique through the challenges. Even if the starting point was difficult, when one is passionate throughout the design process, that passion can be seen through their work. An artist is always able to enhance the work that they create, therefore I think there is value in the effort an artist makes to articulate their work.
Ultimately, it is important for an individual to be able to speak about their work in a manner that showcases the “dream” they had in mind, when creating the artwork. This is much better than being short and mindless about a project because it appears as if that artist sees no value in their own work If an artist ponders why they create, how their art can serve society, and their goal, they are able to reach new depths in the work they can produce.
