I put on my thinking cap and came up with a philosophy on, why I do art...
Once upon a time, when I taught composition at Concordia University; I told a student, that one must take responsibility for everything they write. The written, and spoken word are very powerful. Words build up or they destroy. Likewise, we should most definitely take responsibility for all of our actions.
When I create art, regardless of medium, it is with the intent of getting a message to the viewer - my message - a message that I must be responsible for. I recognize that I have a gift for creating art. I believe this is a God given gift. I have the privilege of doing something that only I can uniquely do. This is not to say that others are not gifted, it's just that I believe God gave me a specific gift with my name on it and I am the one who gets to use it or not, (Who would turn down a gift from God? God gives gifts all of the time, but sadly, many go unopened and even worst discarded like trash).
Gifts, particularly those from God are to be shared. This is why I do most of my art - to simply give it away. There are times I have been "impressed" with an idea or touched by an event and although written words come easily for me; my artist expression flows like water or air from me to be shared and taken into the body and mind of a viewer to resonate, to nourish, to affect, to plant a seed... In teaching art, of course, I want students to attain skills. However, I want them to see value and recognize that what they produce should have value, be of quality, which means they must invest, a.k.a. WORK. Very rarely does something of value come without effort, (there are what I call, "happy accidents" this is when God does a hand-over-hand and I just get to watch). People know when their effort has been minimum, the care for the product is equal to the investment. I want my students to know they have value and that knowledge, should spur them onto quality work - no matter what the subject.
Professionally speaking, I do art usually when requested by others, not always for payment. This type of art, although, enjoyable, it's not as satisfying. I am producing according to someones desires or expectations. When I do art simply because I have a mind to do so - the possibilities are endless.
When I create art, regardless of medium, it is with the intent of getting a message to the viewer - my message - a message that I must be responsible for. I recognize that I have a gift for creating art. I believe this is a God given gift. I have the privilege of doing something that only I can uniquely do. This is not to say that others are not gifted, it's just that I believe God gave me a specific gift with my name on it and I am the one who gets to use it or not, (Who would turn down a gift from God? God gives gifts all of the time, but sadly, many go unopened and even worst discarded like trash).
Gifts, particularly those from God are to be shared. This is why I do most of my art - to simply give it away. There are times I have been "impressed" with an idea or touched by an event and although written words come easily for me; my artist expression flows like water or air from me to be shared and taken into the body and mind of a viewer to resonate, to nourish, to affect, to plant a seed... In teaching art, of course, I want students to attain skills. However, I want them to see value and recognize that what they produce should have value, be of quality, which means they must invest, a.k.a. WORK. Very rarely does something of value come without effort, (there are what I call, "happy accidents" this is when God does a hand-over-hand and I just get to watch). People know when their effort has been minimum, the care for the product is equal to the investment. I want my students to know they have value and that knowledge, should spur them onto quality work - no matter what the subject.
Professionally speaking, I do art usually when requested by others, not always for payment. This type of art, although, enjoyable, it's not as satisfying. I am producing according to someones desires or expectations. When I do art simply because I have a mind to do so - the possibilities are endless.