Art Myths

ART MYTHS: a myth is an invented story, idea, or concept. Unfortunately many myths are accepted as reality or truth, and thus have a negative impact on our actions. I present a few of these myths here

Art Myth #1. Creativity is an inborn gift, and only a few possess it.

To begin to examine this myth, let us define a few terms:

Create:  To cause something to come into being as the result of one’s own thought or imagination.

Creativity: The process by which one utilizes creative ability.

Creative: Having the quality or power to create. Exhibiting originality of thought.

Originality: Ability to think or express oneself in an independent and individual manner.

Imagination: The faculty of forming mental images or concepts of what is not actually present to the senses.

REALITY : To be creative, one must have the power to create (cause something to come into being), and this is a power that all humans possess. Yes, creativity is an inborn gift, a gift that we, as human beings, have all been given.

Notice also that there is no mention of coming up with something completely new, something that has never been seen before.

 Art Myth #2. Creation always involves the invention of something new.

The belief in this myth can bring on a form of creative paralysis, because the invention of something totally new is virtually impossible.

REALITY : There is nothing that springs from nothing. Our ideas come from what we have seen, what we have experienced, what we have read, what we have heard, people we have known, places we have been, art we have seen, music we have enjoyed. We take these ideas and make them our own, interpret them in our own way, but the initial inspiration comes from somewhere outside ourselves. Part of being creative is being observant and gathering those ideas and images that resonate with us.  I am drawn to the horizon line, how it functions in a composition and it’s metaphorical possibilities. I am surely not the first artist to use the horizon in my work.  I didn’t discover the horizon.  The fact that George Morrison did horizon based paintings that I admire greatly does not mean that when I create a composition that uses horizontal lines I am copying his work.

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