Chia Yen
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What is art: Part 1

2/6/2016

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I foresee this being a recurring theme in my blog to explain what is art from my view or a collection of the views of others; today featuring..

Peter Lindbergh 
CREATIVITY
Creativity is the basis of self-expression. Why are some people supposedly more creative than others, and why can’t others open themselves up enough to be able to express who they are?
​
Creation is the birth of something, and something cannot come from nothing. When someone creates something: a painting, a poem, a photograph, the creativity comes from an idea, from a feeling, from emotion, or from a combination of ideas, feelings and emotions that are somehow ‘reborn’ from all our experiences and perspectives.
Creativity is the desire to express ourselves. To formulate these expressions, we have to draw from our reservoir of experience, dreams, desires and experimentation and mix together what was, what is, and what could be… I don’t think you can learn it, it is rather something that evolves. Your perception of everything in your life fills up this reservoir.

Some people are drawn to create and express themselves, others are drawn to reflect, to analyze. But in the end, they all could be creative if they had the desire to explore the way in which they are integrated in the world of their experiences. Because creativity is really a rebirth, a true tone we feel for ourselves and for our world. Then our work becomes a real part of who we are. Maybe all this is a question of how deep we are willing to go…

by Peter Lindbergh
with Lily, New York, June 1996
Picture
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the difference with artists

2/4/2016

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'tis the season of job seeking. Life after graduation cannot be more confusing and stressful. One day you feel like a flying squirrel, and then others like a stale, dry biscuit. 

The ultimate question it boils down to is "What skills do you have?" 

I think it is such a limited mentality, I believe that all of us have unlimited amount of skills, because it could be learnt easily. The difference with artists is not that we are limited by our skills, just our minds. The commitment to an idea would allow us to learn skills just to accomplish our goals. 

For example, to create solidarity, I had to learn how to sew, to make the cereal box video I had to learn video editing. 

Instead of thinking: what skills I can have to create something, artists decide what they want to make and then problem solve, problem solve, and problem solve until it is accomplished. 

So, when you ask an artist, what skills do they have the answer is unlimited. My professor Tom Lauerman (artist) teaches how to build 3D printers, my tech-allergic (artist) friend Christina Dietz learnt to direct a film and build a house for her film, "Honeybees and Homemakers: Pollination and Gendered Labor", my quiet (artist) friend Kaye Saxe learnt how to upholster furniture for a project. (Artist) Michael Grasso is improving his woodworking skills to better deliver his ideas, (Artist) Bonnie Collura was certified by New York City Fire Department for her welding skills, (Artists) Paul Outlaw and Jennifer Catron modified vehicles to suit their art purposes.

We are always learning, a bee art project requires you to study animal behavior in detail, precision artwork may require new knowledge about 3D printing, laser cutting or  CNC milling, a performance piece may require the knowledge of a stage set up, public speaking, each photoshoot requires basic knowledge of photo editing; mold making, casting, sound editing, projections etc the list is endless!

So don't ask an artist what their skills are because the difference with artists is that the list is always expanding. We are the ultimate learners, idea driven people. Learning a new skill is our daily bread. 
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    thinks and things

    is a blog / e-post-it / sketchbook / thought journal / idea diary / cool stuff logbook / artist daybook
    / inspirational pin-up board / feeling sketchpad / ideals notebook that I have created to keep track of my varied interests and passions. 

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