Emotional Creativity

The piece you see beside you is called “Melted Mother.” I called it that because the woman that appeared in the painting looked like my mama. The process of creating this particular series of paintings, in which I called, “Visual Poetry,” stemmed from a new creation process. Normally I would start off with an idea of an image or background that I would want and I would aim to do that. However with this series I decided to try something different, I decided to let the painting choose what it wanted to become. I let my emotions lead the way, and in doing so I was opened to a new way of creating.

A new technique that I started to do was to take my small bottle of Golden Liquid Acrylic Paint, and draw directly on the canvas with it, and then I would lift up the canvas and let the paint slowly run down. In this particular instance the drawing transformed into my mother. As I looked at the painting I was touched.This image was expressing, at the time what my mother was going through. This was not my intention or what I even expected, but it was something that needed to come out.

Emotions are very necessary for the creation process, because they open us up and leave us vulnerable.  As a creative maker, you need to be as open as possible in order for you to truly create. It is a place some are not always comfortable in being in, but it can lead you to become an amazing artist. Think of all the artists you have grown to love, my favorite painters are Pablo Picasso, and Jackson Pollack just to name a few. Pollack especially was known to be a very sensitive artist. Here is my impromptu idea for the week: Think of a moment in your life in which you felt very vulnerable, this could be a happy moment, a sad moment, even an angry one, and that is okay because I want you to take that moment and just write it down. Walk away from it, and then come back and turn that story into something creative. You could re-edit it put characters into and turn it into a short story, a poem, a painting, or even a song. Remember to be open, by doing so your inner artist will truly flourish.

“All humanity is passion; without passion, religion, history, novels, art would be ineffectual.”
- Honore de Balzac