Lecture Week 2

Lecture week 2
This week we’ve been hearing from a man named Patrick Dodson. He has been challenging my way of thinking about art and how God sees me as an artist and how to create my art. It has been freeing, yet sometimes frustrating.... freeing in the sense that I don’t create things for other people and don’t need the approval of others for my art to be “good.” Even in writing that last part, it doesn’t truly express what I mean, it’s just so much good information and stuff to process.

One thing he said that was incredibly freeing, yet extremely frustrating is that the first ten years of your craft will be crap. Bold, right? Hard to take in? But, at the same time, knowing that this whole thing is a process, and maybe it’s not completely crap it’s all that stuff that comes out in the process. It’s overwhelming at times because the way he speaks makes it feel that I missed the boat back in my early years... 18/19... to be thinking in this different mind-set.

The different mindset is this... it’s called “centrifugal art: moving from the inside out as opposed to “centripetal” art: working from the outside in. Centripetal art is rampant in america.. looking to the industry for the next biggest thing and trying to cater to the world around you. Instead of looking at it from the inside out... one thing I wrote down that he said was.. “channel what Christ has for us to create through annointing”... to me this means putting more meaning behind what you’re creating, instead of just drawing this shape here and that line there because it is conceptualing pleasing. In my first efforts of painting I think I was creating from within, but didn’t necessarily put any meaning to it... I had a HUGE canvas to use, so I painted whatever I wanted that was pleasing to the eye. But actually, in that process I continually asked myself if it was done when I got to the end. I’m not saying the whole thing was crap or that it means nothing, but it was a step. I wonder how much more feeling or life it could have had if I put more meaning into the piece.

Switching gears again, this has really made me think hard about my previous profession as a graphic designer. He (patrick) hasn’t yet talked specifically about that world, but talked a lot about the pressures and how that tends to control and manipulate how you create. Although I have loved designing at it’s core, there is always a part of it that messes with your creativity because what you are creating is not your own. I don’t know if it is different in areas outside of the music industry, but I find it especially hard because you are creating a representation of another artists’ creation. Just stop for a moment and think about that, talk about pressure. Whether or not the pressure is internal or external, it’s a huge stumbling block for creativity. As I write this I think of these things... does that mean I haven’t mastered the art of letting go of the pressure and letting go of what they think? I don’t know, because I know there is that whole “don’t take criticism personally” which I was taught from the very beginning, but after creating 5 different designs for someone only to have them go with another designer who just “tried” something on the side... it’s hard to not take personal and just brush off. Even if that person has asked for forgiveness and blah blah and three bags full. [of course i’m not talking about a personal experience or anything... ;| ;|] It just plain messes with you. So, it’s only two weeks in and I am starting to ask myself.... “do I want to continue down the road of graphic design... or do I want to explore the other gifts He has given me in the fine arts... and what does that look like practically?

I may diverg more of this on the blog in the next couple days or even weeks. (is diverg a word, and did i even use it in the right context?? :)) This is definitely and area that God is working on in me... along with other stuff as well.

What I’ve really enjoyed about Patrick as well, is that he is an advocate for healing being a process. You can be “healed” from something, but it doesn’t mean it’s a magic wand and you don’t have anything else to worry about. This seems like a totally different topic, eh? But, he also encourages and says that bringing your healing and the things you are going through into your art is really important and is what gives life and passion to your work. That is something I agree with whole-heartedly, if there is no emotion or feeling in a painting/picture/song then there is no connection point. If your life was perfect without pain, there would be no experience to draw upon (literally and figuratively).

He's got a website, I would encourage any artist/musician/creative to look him up, you may get totally inspired! :) www.patrickdodson.net

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