WCT2012 #3 - Acknowledging and Measuring Your Creative Progress

[Dan Goodwin]

Welcome to another Weekly Creativity Thread. 

This week we're talking about how we acknowledge and measure our progress in our creative lives.

Most of us are far more creative than we give ourselves credit for. We can easily get stuck with old tapes in our heads that tell us we're not creative, or we don't produce enough. Even when the evidence counter to these beliefs is glaringly obvious to everyone else!

So, three questions for you to ponder and respond to around this topic -

1. How do you acknowledge or track your creative progress? Or do you not currently at all? 

2. How do you measure your creativity now, compared with a month ago, six months ago, a year ago? How important is this to you, to feel you're evolving? 

3. Do people who know you and your work well consider you far more creative (in quality and quantity) than you consider yourself to be? If so, why might that be?  

Thanks for reading, look forward to hearing your thoughts as always.

Dan

[Caroline Alexander]

I don't particularly track my creative process; for a long time circumstances meant I learned my skills alone, my peer group were on the internet, and basically still are, and there was no one to tell me I could not do what I was doing. I learned from trial and error and practice.  I have been a member of the local spinning and weaving group for 4 years. And this has not been a move for the better, as I am not as productive as I was 5 years ago despite the massive improvement in my health.

I had never had anyone before say I was not allowed to do what I was doing! Despite knowing what was going on overseas, the group was stifling  with its negativity and sapping my energy with its restrictions. I gave a few workshops for those who were interested in updating their skills and learning new techniques, but the negativity that stemmed from other members who kept saying I could not do that has seen me pretty much drop out, and I got involved with mixed media and started drawing again as an antidote. I'm still involved with my Spinning and Weaving Guild and have been asked to put my work on show for the Adelaide fringe festival next month, however because of their tight regulations on the fibre and yarn content of any work they sell, it would not normally be accepted by their gallery. I am supposed to have 8o% natural fibre content, and limit the amount of man-made and commercial content, and because of the experimental nature of my work, it fails that qualification. I can only display it.

I suppose people tend to think I am far more creative than I do because what I do is different. Whether that has had to do with growing up in the UK and the benefits of an English education, or 16 years of using the internet as a giant library full of interesting skills to learn I don't know, but I am a bit unconventional in my approach to what I do. It very much depends on what the yarns and fibres tell me what they want to be, which is not quite the done thing in a tightly disciplined craft such as weaving. I think I am very much a relic from the textile experiments of the 70s in the UK, though I never went to art school,  and I find the work of those cutting edge artists very inspirational and far more exciting than much of what passes for art and craft today.

Art and craft does not play a particularly large role in the school system; not so long ago you could do a music degree at the Con here in Adelaide without actually having to play a musical instrument! Despite having a Festival of Arts, Adelaide is not an easy place to get established or make a name for yourself, if that is what you want, which actually does not bother me. I create for myself, and if other people like what I do enough to want to see it and/or buy it, then that is great. If not, that is also fine. My creative life does not depend on anyone elses approval or disapproval, and this year I intend to evolve and grow as much as I am capable. I still have to do the donkey work to finance it, but I don't mind that, because if I can get just one person to take up art or craft, then the world is a better place for it.

[di]

Caroline!  YES!

"I create for myself, and if other people like what I do enough to want to see it and/or buy it, then that is great. If not, that is also fine. My creative life does not depend on anyone elses approval or disapproval, and this year I intend to evolve and grow as much as I am capable."

.......I totally agree!  This is how I was able to sell my work too. I was totally surprised that anyone would want art that I made just for fun and to please me! (SOUNDS like weird thinking to me today though..:))

[Caroline Alexander]

I am just grateful that there are people out there willing to pay phenomenal amounts of money for luxury items, lol!

[Susan Hosken]

I remember one of the most extraordinary learning experiences to do with my creative output was doing my first 30 day challenge here. I had no idea how creative I am. friends still remind me now how super creative I am. i am so blessed

lots of love from susan in australia

[di]

Susan!  YES, I can relate!  I felt that way too!  I was very surprised!  I think Dan's thinking and ideas have really made a difference in how I look at creating and how I perceive the whole process, as well as seeing the reality of how productive I can be!

[Caroline Alexander]

We are very spoiled here - we speak the same language and can relate so well to each other despite coming from different parts of the world, doing different things, having different tastes, etc. Its having the company of other creative people that gives us encouragement to take on something we would not normally attempt.

[di]

Caroline.....yes, I agree.  I feel blessing to have found an artist community that works.

[Dan Goodwin]

[Dan smiles happily in the background...]

[Susan Hosken]

Di, dan has changed my view of creating in so many ways in the time I have known him. he has literally changed my life many many times with his inspiration and his writing

lots of love from susan in australia

[di]

ccs WCT Measuring our Progress

Q1.  I track my progress by journaling…….taking photographs each day of the progress…post regularly to TDOC on CCS…..print and file on memory stick…and in a binder….as well as honor my work by entering contests and framing the best of a series when I’m done.

 

Q2. I measure my creativity by taking a look regularly, making tiny adjustments as I go to stay on track.  Then at 6 months and a year…….in linear form.  I’ve been doing this for over a year now.  Before that, there was no need, as I rarely created for years….about 7yrs.

I can tell if I’m evolving everyday just by showing up.

 

Q3. Yes, others consider me far more creative than I do.  That is cause they havent’ seen how productive I used to be.  Before I had health problems, I created in my day job, at least 8 hrs a day on focused creating.  Then as a mom, that became less.  Then when I got ill, that became even less…..until I pretty much, rarely created.

Sometimes, I feel like I’m sneaking by……..or cheating……..or slacking off, cause I do a lot of “little and often”……and don’t do 8 hr stretches with little breaks.

[Caroline Alexander]

I think the important thing is to keep doing it, even if its in little baby steps and ten minutes here, ten minutes there. You can sometimes be far more creative little and often, than doing it 8 hours a day, because even if you are not physically making something, you are generally thinking about it and what the next step is. Its not the time you put in, but the love you put in that makes it art.

[di]

Caroline.......sometimes I forget that it's about the love. I've been seeing this message for a while now in different ways from different directions........must be a sign.  Don't know why I often forget this..........thanks for that!

The rest of what you said is really true of how I create.  It feels like a no pressure deal........perhaps that's why I feel less productive........I'm feeling the fall out from the stress anymore.