This resonates so very much for me. I've gone through much the same process with writing poetry, although I think I discourage more easily than you seem to, so good on you. To tell truth, I love all nine of your representations - even the first, which you think is horrid but which I think is simply a different way of seeing the rose. I love watercolours anyway, but that one compels me no less than any of the others. Thanks for positing this - you might be surprised as to how many people will find it encouraging!
Thanks for putting this piece out, it should give people a little insight and maybe motivation. One of the keys to creating is perseverance and making mistakes that you can learn from. You can do anything, just start doing and learning.
Last year a large tree fell in our yard & I used an old chain saw to cut it up into firewood sized chunks! Then I split it with a borrowed splitter and an ax - my neighbour wondered what was “wrong@ with me, doing the physical work when I should have just hired someone to take it away! The outdoors, the smell of the wood & then making a proper Nordic woodpile was refreshing to the whole person and maybe some of my great grandfathers “woodsman” DNA still is present - it was joyful!
Beautiful piece, James. I really enjoyed reading it. A nice change of pace for The Line, too, as much as I appreciate their “standard” articles.
I think results or destinations also matter, especially to those around you that you share with. The process is more important for the creator, though, and it’s good to be reminded of that. We will all spend most of our time going through the process, and a comparatively short time appreciating our creations. I’m going to look for more satisfaction in the process, as unpredictable and messy as it will be sometimes.
Thank you, The Line, for publishing such an inspiring, positive piece at the start of an otherwise bleak looking new year! James, your paintings are beautiful and your commitment to the process admirable. Reading of your experience has reminded me that perfection isn’t necessary in my creations. Often no one else notices what I perceive as mistakes in my fabric art pieces. I’ll dust off my sewing machine and get back to it!
Happy New Year to J&M and thanks for the inspiration 🥂🥂
I absolutely agree that there is a process in creating something, and a deep satisfaction in the process that no AI can provide. I've been tying my own fishing flies for over 50 years, but I still learn much when trying to create a new pattern. It's all about trial and error, often frustrating but in the end quite exhilarating when a fish takes my new creation. The roses are quite beautiful.
When I was 50 I left the world of paid employment to become an “artist” in wood. I discovered that the more i applied myself on a regular daily basis, the more creative i became and the easier it was to produce something that almost matched in real life what I was envisioning in my mind. Many pieces that didn’t meet my expectations ended up in the fire wood box. When friends found something there they wondered why it had been discarded and could they have it. I always said “no”...it wasn’t something that I wanted to have on display. I don’t know who said it..( maybe Mark Twain?) “ the wonder of a dancing dog isn’t that it does it well but rather that it does it at all that makes it impressive”. To the untrained eye of someone who can’t imagine themselves painting a rose, any one of your efforts is amazing. The trick is to not let “good enough” be good enough
Well done, James. Last year, with less artistic talent than you, I signed up for an online drawing course. I bought a set of coloured pencils and a notepad. The course was interesting and I did draw a little. My greatest accomplishment was drawing the Platonic Ideal of a bird that resemblemed no bird on earth. My classmates were drawing things worthy of a museum and I just admired their work. After a few weeks I realized I just didn't have the aptitude to draw. Where would I find the time to draw? So my pencils and notepad sit undisturbed in a corner.
I took up painting in acrylics a few years ago. I concur with the observation that as you learn to paint you observe things differently. The light on the water, the atmosphere created by colour and the texture of things around you. Well expressed.
I commend you for the courage to tackle something that intimidated you.
I also am fascinated by art and the process of creating. In my case, I am a retired accountant and during my working life I had as personal tax clients at least a gazillion artists. My first question on getting a new artist client was always, "What is your medium?" The responses were always interesting (well, to me) and sometimes hilarious (who knew the senses of humor in artists?). My tax meetings typically were about half on tax and half on their art (I didn't charge for that last portion, so my income would suffer) and it was always fascinating.
As for me, I would love to do what you did but I truly believe that I am simply incompetent at artistic endeavors, except one: I appreciate a great deal of art. I have heard people say something to the effect of, "I don't know art, but I know what I like."
I cannot even say that. Instead, I say, "I have no basis for saying this or that is good art or bad art but I usually find something that draws my eye and holds it. Is that good art or bad art? I really don't care because it caught my eye and that is good enough for me." I have found that in some cases an image might actually be repulsive for some reason but it would keep drawing me in so, to me, that was "good" art, whether it actually was technically good or technically bad; it simply made me look and that is reason enough for me to keep looking at any art.
Thank you for the lovely and inspiring article James. Your roses are lovely. I keep looking at my guitar case and think I really should get back to it and try to learn how to play that thing for the umpteenth time. I always find that I’m so impatient that I can’t instantly play like Joni Mitchell. But I have to start somewhere!
I've been on a 20 year journey of learning to be a skilled painter. The learning never really stops. My art journey started as a rehab therapy for an injured arm. I was left disabled by that injury, but was blessed to find out I had a natural talent to see like a visual artist does I often look back at some of my first paintings and realize that I've come a long ways in my skill level, but I always tell all my art students that you need to develop the ability to see like a visual artists first. You can't paint what you can't see. The skills will come with time and practice. I encourage you to keep painting even when it doesn't seem to be going the way you hoped it would. For every piece of good art I create I've painted at least two others that we so, so. PS: Water colors are not very forgiving and I would considered the hardest skill level to grasp when it comes to painting. Oils are my choice, as it was for the masters. Much more forgiving when you make mistakes, which even the master made.
Love this! In 2021, during what for me was the longest, darkest part of the pandemic lockdowns, I started art journaling. My main motivation was to find something to do with my hands while watching Netflix, but it became so much more. Your point about how making art makes you see the world differently resonated with me a lot--now, rather than seeing a piece of junk mail, I see images, textures, shape and colour that could be incorporated into a journal page. It really is transformative, even if nobody ever sees your art except you.
This resonates so very much for me. I've gone through much the same process with writing poetry, although I think I discourage more easily than you seem to, so good on you. To tell truth, I love all nine of your representations - even the first, which you think is horrid but which I think is simply a different way of seeing the rose. I love watercolours anyway, but that one compels me no less than any of the others. Thanks for positing this - you might be surprised as to how many people will find it encouraging!
Thanks for putting this piece out, it should give people a little insight and maybe motivation. One of the keys to creating is perseverance and making mistakes that you can learn from. You can do anything, just start doing and learning.
☀️ 🥂 🎷🍾
Last year a large tree fell in our yard & I used an old chain saw to cut it up into firewood sized chunks! Then I split it with a borrowed splitter and an ax - my neighbour wondered what was “wrong@ with me, doing the physical work when I should have just hired someone to take it away! The outdoors, the smell of the wood & then making a proper Nordic woodpile was refreshing to the whole person and maybe some of my great grandfathers “woodsman” DNA still is present - it was joyful!
Beautiful piece, James. I really enjoyed reading it. A nice change of pace for The Line, too, as much as I appreciate their “standard” articles.
I think results or destinations also matter, especially to those around you that you share with. The process is more important for the creator, though, and it’s good to be reminded of that. We will all spend most of our time going through the process, and a comparatively short time appreciating our creations. I’m going to look for more satisfaction in the process, as unpredictable and messy as it will be sometimes.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Thank you, The Line, for publishing such an inspiring, positive piece at the start of an otherwise bleak looking new year! James, your paintings are beautiful and your commitment to the process admirable. Reading of your experience has reminded me that perfection isn’t necessary in my creations. Often no one else notices what I perceive as mistakes in my fabric art pieces. I’ll dust off my sewing machine and get back to it!
Happy New Year to J&M and thanks for the inspiration 🥂🥂
I absolutely agree that there is a process in creating something, and a deep satisfaction in the process that no AI can provide. I've been tying my own fishing flies for over 50 years, but I still learn much when trying to create a new pattern. It's all about trial and error, often frustrating but in the end quite exhilarating when a fish takes my new creation. The roses are quite beautiful.
Thank you. This was wonderful
When I was 50 I left the world of paid employment to become an “artist” in wood. I discovered that the more i applied myself on a regular daily basis, the more creative i became and the easier it was to produce something that almost matched in real life what I was envisioning in my mind. Many pieces that didn’t meet my expectations ended up in the fire wood box. When friends found something there they wondered why it had been discarded and could they have it. I always said “no”...it wasn’t something that I wanted to have on display. I don’t know who said it..( maybe Mark Twain?) “ the wonder of a dancing dog isn’t that it does it well but rather that it does it at all that makes it impressive”. To the untrained eye of someone who can’t imagine themselves painting a rose, any one of your efforts is amazing. The trick is to not let “good enough” be good enough
Well done, James. Last year, with less artistic talent than you, I signed up for an online drawing course. I bought a set of coloured pencils and a notepad. The course was interesting and I did draw a little. My greatest accomplishment was drawing the Platonic Ideal of a bird that resemblemed no bird on earth. My classmates were drawing things worthy of a museum and I just admired their work. After a few weeks I realized I just didn't have the aptitude to draw. Where would I find the time to draw? So my pencils and notepad sit undisturbed in a corner.
I took up painting in acrylics a few years ago. I concur with the observation that as you learn to paint you observe things differently. The light on the water, the atmosphere created by colour and the texture of things around you. Well expressed.
Sir:
I commend you for the courage to tackle something that intimidated you.
I also am fascinated by art and the process of creating. In my case, I am a retired accountant and during my working life I had as personal tax clients at least a gazillion artists. My first question on getting a new artist client was always, "What is your medium?" The responses were always interesting (well, to me) and sometimes hilarious (who knew the senses of humor in artists?). My tax meetings typically were about half on tax and half on their art (I didn't charge for that last portion, so my income would suffer) and it was always fascinating.
As for me, I would love to do what you did but I truly believe that I am simply incompetent at artistic endeavors, except one: I appreciate a great deal of art. I have heard people say something to the effect of, "I don't know art, but I know what I like."
I cannot even say that. Instead, I say, "I have no basis for saying this or that is good art or bad art but I usually find something that draws my eye and holds it. Is that good art or bad art? I really don't care because it caught my eye and that is good enough for me." I have found that in some cases an image might actually be repulsive for some reason but it would keep drawing me in so, to me, that was "good" art, whether it actually was technically good or technically bad; it simply made me look and that is reason enough for me to keep looking at any art.
Thank you for the lovely and inspiring article James. Your roses are lovely. I keep looking at my guitar case and think I really should get back to it and try to learn how to play that thing for the umpteenth time. I always find that I’m so impatient that I can’t instantly play like Joni Mitchell. But I have to start somewhere!
I'm keeping this wonderful piece of wisdom. THANKYOU.
I've been on a 20 year journey of learning to be a skilled painter. The learning never really stops. My art journey started as a rehab therapy for an injured arm. I was left disabled by that injury, but was blessed to find out I had a natural talent to see like a visual artist does I often look back at some of my first paintings and realize that I've come a long ways in my skill level, but I always tell all my art students that you need to develop the ability to see like a visual artists first. You can't paint what you can't see. The skills will come with time and practice. I encourage you to keep painting even when it doesn't seem to be going the way you hoped it would. For every piece of good art I create I've painted at least two others that we so, so. PS: Water colors are not very forgiving and I would considered the hardest skill level to grasp when it comes to painting. Oils are my choice, as it was for the masters. Much more forgiving when you make mistakes, which even the master made.
Love this! In 2021, during what for me was the longest, darkest part of the pandemic lockdowns, I started art journaling. My main motivation was to find something to do with my hands while watching Netflix, but it became so much more. Your point about how making art makes you see the world differently resonated with me a lot--now, rather than seeing a piece of junk mail, I see images, textures, shape and colour that could be incorporated into a journal page. It really is transformative, even if nobody ever sees your art except you.
Wonderful. I wish I had your commitment. I really enjoyed seeing your work at the links. Thanks.