A LIFE TO IMITATE

[Marie Pinschmidt]

Julia Cameron, in her book THE ARTIST'S WAY, suggests that we have periods of reading deprivation to become more creative. This, I have not been able to do with any degree of success. Why do we read so much? Why are the opinions and ideas of others so important to us? Why do we need to know how others feel about writing and painting or any other activity?

Do we read to justify, by comparison, our own way of looking at things. Is our own creative life so boring or uninteresting? Are we searching for answers in all the wrong places?

Escape or a thirst for knowledge? In my case, it's a little of both. I can lose myself in a good book, whether a novel, an art book, particularly art books; they take me to another time and place. I may be thirsting for something new to learn, new ways to do things. Or am I comparing my work to others? Do my paintings get an A or an F compared to what is published? Had I spent all the hours painting that I have spent reading and studying what other artists have done, would I be a better artist today? Maybe - maybe not. We do learn from each other and from those who have gone before us, but are we losing some of our own creativity by doing so?

I was taught early in my painting life to copy the old masters. Could this have instilled in me the idea that works of others were more important and better executed than anything I could do on my own? I wonder if this happens to other artists and performers who are insecure about their own abilities? Some continue to copy their entire lives.

Perhaps it's time to stop comparing what we do with others. We are all unique. We have our own song to sing, our own story to tell. Who knows, our song might be more melodious or our story better told than the ones we are imitasting. We can march to a different drummer. We can do our own thing, and our lives can be richer because of it.

I would like to believe that I have a "self" to express. Let's look inside ourselves for inspirsation. Let's not be an imitation of life. Let's strive to be a life to imitate.

[Bernadett Budavári]

Marie, I saw your website, beautiful pictures!I can relate to that if you do more types of art, it helps the one you actually are working on. I used to write novels and poems, have been playing the piano and tried some other instruments as well. When I feel like having no inspiration for painting, I put on some Chopin. Or, I used to make pictures just by listening to musc and let it lead my hand (musing on music :-)
Sane? Who? Where? LOL

[Peni Baker]

I'm glad to hear someone is sane. LOL

[Marie Pinschmidt]

Peni, you're so right. We're not getting older- just better. I have on occasion started a painting from a photo that I took, but then forget the photo when I get into the process. I look at each painting as if it were a problem to solve. It takes total concentration. Keep creating; its what keeps us sane.

[Peni Baker]

No matter how hard I try to copy others (but only for the best advantage) I always give up and go back to the way I do things myself. My way is pretty good after all.
We, mostly women, are all self helpers and are always thirsting for better ways to do things and for that knowledge you referred to in your post, better ways to be. We are always getting better.

[Marie Pinschmidt]

Thanks for commenting, Bernadett, and I like your use of alliteration in your last sentence.Lots of thinking and thanking going on there. LOL. I wrote this essay some time back but it still applies. I've also written three novels (the writing helps my painting) and did the art work for the covers. Naturally, the protagonist in the novels is a painter. (My website is http://www.paintings-prose-palmbeach.com if you want to learn more.) I feel it is a good thing to diversify our creativity in order not to fall into a rut.

[Bernadett Budavári]

I don't know what others look for; for me it is many things and actually a learning process. I am learning actual techniques (Roena - well, I thank you anyway :-) and also learning about myself. Yes, at first it was important what others think and looked for acceptance. But then I learned to distinguish, came to follow my inspiration, my feelings and put people's opinion to where they belong. And it had an effect (good) to my life in general as well. So I think everyone has a different reason to participate on this forum and all of them have their own "right", whatever it is. And I do think that it helps to go towards to discover own individuality.
Thanks for this post Marie, it made me think about all this. (I think thanking someone is a good thing:-) )