The Creative Process

    This week I'm feeling really inspired by the Creative Process and ways to jumpstart that creativity. We've talked a lot in class about how creativity can be spurred through the use of various warm up exercises and step by step systems so that art can come at any time, it's not just waiting for the proverbial "apple" to fall and inspire creativity. 

    Being creative takes work, commitment and research. I struggle a lot with thinking that I don't have enough talent to be an artist. Especially as a new designer, I have challenges with all of the software programs that I'm opening for the first time this semester and expected to use to create art. I've shied away from pursuing a degree in art for many years, even though it was initially what I wanted to do, because of the reactions I received from peers and family members about becoming an artist. 

    Though I was in numerous art shows and received scholarships for my art in high school, I never felt like I was "good enough" at what I did. So it's refreshing to see that many of my favorite artists have a well researched and structured process for beginning their art. They don't just sit down and have inspiration beamed to them from the cosmos and create stunning art in some trance-like state. 

Tanya Shatseva was an artist I initially discovered on Instagram. I love her surreal artwork, especially her space scenes and her use of color and blended water-like effects. Scrolling Facebook just randomly after class one day I came across this post of hers: 

Here is the reference photo of herself she created to work from 

 And here is the wonderful piece of art she created from the reference photo!

The post made me laugh out loud ("seeing me being really passionate about the frying pan lid") and it also flipped a switch in my brain that even these artists who I idolize use references and break down their creative process so that it's manageable. Because what a daunting task it is to create art! To take a blank canvas and bring to life those images in our heads is so complex. I'm inspired to use more reference images and even to try and copy art just for practice. For some reason I always felt like this was "cheating" in the past. Just another way to break out of that fixed "I can't do it" mindset!

Check out Art of Tanya Shatseva on Facebook!