Friday, April 26, 2013
cariacture
On a lighter note, I wanted to share with you a caricature that I had done on a trip to Disneyworld in 2009. I was surprised by his accuracy because I've had other caricatures drawn of my face, and they looked nothing like me. I'd just assumed that my face was a difficult one for artists to capture accurately. I really admire (most) caricature artists' work because they can capture a person's essence and their overall disposition in a single drawing. This is the image of myself that I'd like to share with the world: happy, fun, and friendly. The only part that I don't like is that dot in the middle of my chin which represents the mole.
Dove Experiment
Since we saw the Dove Real Beauty Sketches Experiment on Tuesday, it got me thinking about insecurities and self-esteem issues and how they are connected with creativity. And, I'd like to start with a personal account.
When I was bullied in junior high, it made me very self conscious. I was not only self-conscious because of my looks, but also because of my other shortcomings. I was terrified of doing presentations in front of the class, or even raising my hand to answer a question. I figured that if I got it wrong, my classmates would find it hilarious and call me an idiot. I didn't want to try out for any sports because, well, I've never been an athlete, so I figured I'd be a hindrance to any team. Needless to say, I was not very creative, not even in my private time. Sometimes, I'd write in a journal to get those negative feelings down on paper, but reading them over and over made me feel more negative. I had no interest in the arts, but as time went on, I'd soon discover how these can aid in boosting self-esteem.
When you're being creative and enjoying it, your mind is on that and not on how many pimples you have on your face, or how frizzy your hair is. When I began writing poetry and short stories, I soon felt comfortable enough reading them in coffeehouses or at the local writer's club. It was really uplifting to hear compliments on my work, in fact it made me realize that something that was personal to me could also be personal for someone else. When I read something I'd written, people were paying attention to my words and not what I was wearing or how my hair looked.
So, I would say that creativity, in one of its many forms, can help someone feel better about themselves and think less about the stuff that only we ourselves notice. What I mean by that is, for example: has anyone ever looked at a celebrity that's had a lot of plastic surgery, before and after? Usually, I think that the celebrity looked better before all the work. An average face that looks natural is much more attractive than a face that looks like a wax figure, in my opinion. It's ridiculous for people to mutilate their faces and bodies just because of what society says is perfect, because no one's ever going to be perfect, no matter how much surgery they have.
Now, what you might be surprised to know is that I've had work done by a plastic surgeon last August. I had a mole removed from my face, in fact it was in a really OBVIOUS spot, in the middle of my chin. I wanted it off so badly, not just for cosmetic reasons, but any mole has the potential to turn cancerous. The mole turned out to be benign, and my chin healed quickly. Needless to say, I'm very happy with the result. When I would look in the mirror before, I'd just see this mole that I wanted to tear off. Now, I look in the mirror and just see my face, a nice, friendly face. It has made me a better person also; I used to be really self-conscious because I thought anyone who was talking to me would be fixated on my mole. But, since I had it removed, I no longer have that insecurity. I have no plans of having any more surgery, by the way. My take on plastic surgery is that people should REALLY consider if they want to alter their appearance and if doing so will make them better people before they go under the knife and do something they might regret.
When I was bullied in junior high, it made me very self conscious. I was not only self-conscious because of my looks, but also because of my other shortcomings. I was terrified of doing presentations in front of the class, or even raising my hand to answer a question. I figured that if I got it wrong, my classmates would find it hilarious and call me an idiot. I didn't want to try out for any sports because, well, I've never been an athlete, so I figured I'd be a hindrance to any team. Needless to say, I was not very creative, not even in my private time. Sometimes, I'd write in a journal to get those negative feelings down on paper, but reading them over and over made me feel more negative. I had no interest in the arts, but as time went on, I'd soon discover how these can aid in boosting self-esteem.
When you're being creative and enjoying it, your mind is on that and not on how many pimples you have on your face, or how frizzy your hair is. When I began writing poetry and short stories, I soon felt comfortable enough reading them in coffeehouses or at the local writer's club. It was really uplifting to hear compliments on my work, in fact it made me realize that something that was personal to me could also be personal for someone else. When I read something I'd written, people were paying attention to my words and not what I was wearing or how my hair looked.
So, I would say that creativity, in one of its many forms, can help someone feel better about themselves and think less about the stuff that only we ourselves notice. What I mean by that is, for example: has anyone ever looked at a celebrity that's had a lot of plastic surgery, before and after? Usually, I think that the celebrity looked better before all the work. An average face that looks natural is much more attractive than a face that looks like a wax figure, in my opinion. It's ridiculous for people to mutilate their faces and bodies just because of what society says is perfect, because no one's ever going to be perfect, no matter how much surgery they have.
Now, what you might be surprised to know is that I've had work done by a plastic surgeon last August. I had a mole removed from my face, in fact it was in a really OBVIOUS spot, in the middle of my chin. I wanted it off so badly, not just for cosmetic reasons, but any mole has the potential to turn cancerous. The mole turned out to be benign, and my chin healed quickly. Needless to say, I'm very happy with the result. When I would look in the mirror before, I'd just see this mole that I wanted to tear off. Now, I look in the mirror and just see my face, a nice, friendly face. It has made me a better person also; I used to be really self-conscious because I thought anyone who was talking to me would be fixated on my mole. But, since I had it removed, I no longer have that insecurity. I have no plans of having any more surgery, by the way. My take on plastic surgery is that people should REALLY consider if they want to alter their appearance and if doing so will make them better people before they go under the knife and do something they might regret.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Page from aforementioned book
Little Mouse's Painting. Written by Diane Wolkstein, illustrated by Maryjane Begin. Text copyright (c)1992 by Diane Wolkstein. Illustrations copyright (c)1992 by Maryjane Begin.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Thursday's class discussion
I'll admit that I wasn't entirely comfortable rating creativity levels of other artists' work (especially Andy Warhol's...he's a legend), but it did make think about how I view art in general. I would agree with the rest of the class that the Campbell's soup can painting wasn't that creative, but I will say that it was beautifully done. Maybe I don't feel comfortable rating other artists' work because I'm not an artist.
I thought of my visits to Munson Williams Proctor Institute and why I could stare at some works of art and just bypass others. I tend to be attracted to the oil paintings, especially if they're religious or Greek Mythology-related. I also enjoy the furniture and sculptures. I'm not all that interested in the abstract works or the works with geometrical shapes. But, now I realize that I like certain artworks more than others because of my personal taste, not because of the creativity level. One thing that I do like about abstracts is that there's a lot of room for personal interpretation (as it is with collages), but, with paintings of people and scenes, not so much. I enjoy looking at painting and drawings of people because I,myself, cannot draw people at all. I get their proportions all wrong. I will say that many artists, however talented they are, cannot seem to draw children's faces that well. They just look like smaller, slightly chubbier versions of the adult faces.
Lastly, the class discussion made me think of a children's book that I used when I took Children's Literature a few semesters ago. It's called Little Mouse's Painting, and it has to do with interpreting a piece of artwork. I love this book because it's a great way to explain art interpretation to young children. I borrowed it from a library, and I could scan some pictures onto the blog or I could just bring the book to the next class.
I thought of my visits to Munson Williams Proctor Institute and why I could stare at some works of art and just bypass others. I tend to be attracted to the oil paintings, especially if they're religious or Greek Mythology-related. I also enjoy the furniture and sculptures. I'm not all that interested in the abstract works or the works with geometrical shapes. But, now I realize that I like certain artworks more than others because of my personal taste, not because of the creativity level. One thing that I do like about abstracts is that there's a lot of room for personal interpretation (as it is with collages), but, with paintings of people and scenes, not so much. I enjoy looking at painting and drawings of people because I,myself, cannot draw people at all. I get their proportions all wrong. I will say that many artists, however talented they are, cannot seem to draw children's faces that well. They just look like smaller, slightly chubbier versions of the adult faces.
Lastly, the class discussion made me think of a children's book that I used when I took Children's Literature a few semesters ago. It's called Little Mouse's Painting, and it has to do with interpreting a piece of artwork. I love this book because it's a great way to explain art interpretation to young children. I borrowed it from a library, and I could scan some pictures onto the blog or I could just bring the book to the next class.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Open mode?
Since Dr. Specht discussed being in the open mode to allow creativity to flow, it made me remember when I used to take a personal day to enjoy art, music, books, or just driving around. I would try to get all my errands, work, or anything that was not fun done beforehand so I would have extra time to myself. I know that we discussed the over-use of cell phones in class and how they interfere with the open mode, but I had to keep mine on in case my mom or grandma needed me for anything. And, periodically, I would call my grandmother, who I lived with at the time, to let her know I was ok and coming home soon. She worried about me an awful lot.
What I enjoyed the most about those times was that I could take the worries out of my mind because, usually, there was nothing that needed my urgent attention. I missed driving around and getting excited when a good song would come on the radio, and that strange, brief "high" that hearing a song that you like gives you.
One of my frequent stops was Munson-Williams Proctor Institute, especially during fall. I liked to walk to the Fountain Elms and see all the different-colored leaves in the courtyard. I'd take a bunch of pictures if I happened to remember my camera. I'd browse in the gift shop or just pick a random piece of artwork and stare at it for a (seemingly) long time. And, usually before leaving the gallery, I'd look at "The Voyage of Life", because every time I look at it, it's like I'm seeing it for the first time. It never gets old.
And after that, I'd go over to the Utica Public Library. Now, the library is where I have difficulty keeping in the open mode because I usually look for books that I'm interested in. I love their children's book section. I also enjoy skimming through books about religion and spirituality, but most of all, I enjoy looking at books about animals, especially my favorite animal, the grizzly bear. I developed an interest in grizzlies after I saw this picture in my science book:
I mean, look at them! It's a mother bear with her three cubs, posing for a photo just as a human family would! I have since looked at several pictures of grizzly bears online, and their behavior continues to interest me on many levels.
Am I engaging in the open mode if I'm thoroughly enjoying something, even if it isn't new to me, or should I put it aside and leave room for something that I know very little about?
What I enjoyed the most about those times was that I could take the worries out of my mind because, usually, there was nothing that needed my urgent attention. I missed driving around and getting excited when a good song would come on the radio, and that strange, brief "high" that hearing a song that you like gives you.
One of my frequent stops was Munson-Williams Proctor Institute, especially during fall. I liked to walk to the Fountain Elms and see all the different-colored leaves in the courtyard. I'd take a bunch of pictures if I happened to remember my camera. I'd browse in the gift shop or just pick a random piece of artwork and stare at it for a (seemingly) long time. And, usually before leaving the gallery, I'd look at "The Voyage of Life", because every time I look at it, it's like I'm seeing it for the first time. It never gets old.
And after that, I'd go over to the Utica Public Library. Now, the library is where I have difficulty keeping in the open mode because I usually look for books that I'm interested in. I love their children's book section. I also enjoy skimming through books about religion and spirituality, but most of all, I enjoy looking at books about animals, especially my favorite animal, the grizzly bear. I developed an interest in grizzlies after I saw this picture in my science book:
Am I engaging in the open mode if I'm thoroughly enjoying something, even if it isn't new to me, or should I put it aside and leave room for something that I know very little about?
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