For the past few years, our church has hosted what we call “Nights of Creation”. It’s an awesome idea where they decorate up the church for an evening once a year and invite various artists from all over the city to contribute their work. There is live music and appetizers (food is art, right?). There are displays of paintings, models, photographs, videos and much more. It’s a place to share the gifts God has given you as well as to meet and socialize with other artists in the community.
There’s just one thing. I really struggle with calling myself an artist. I feel pretentious every time I do it. Aren’t artists supposed to be these wonderful free spirits that walk around oozing creativity and procrastinating? (Don’t ask me where I got that definition from). I’m just so not that person. I am type-A in the EXTREME. I am not a “free spirit”. I love structure and rules and organization. Deadlines are my best friend because I like to BEAT them. I don’t do procrastination. And I feel like I have to work and dredge every bit of creativity out of myself. I’m probably the only person on the worship team at church that HAS to practice. Everyone else “seems” to just get up there and improvise. Also, I sit for hours researching, shooting and editing the “perfect shot”. I don’t walk around with my camera capturing these beautiful happy accidents. I’m way too methodical and anal of a personality for me to feel like, “Oh yes, I’m an artist“. My career should be something like lawyer, accountant, etc. But my husband? He’s the artist. He’s the one that can sit around and conceptualize ideas and gets visibly excited when the creative juices start to flow. I’m the one that’s like, “Just pick something. There, that’s cool. We should do that. Let’s make it happen – by tomorrow.” I suppose that’s what makes us a good team. So, in conclusion, I guess I’m just “me”. I never really did fit the social norms. So here is “me” sharing what I made with you.
My 2013 submissions to our annual Night of Creation:
9 thoughts on “Night of Creation 2013”
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I really do love these! All of them. Great job. That dog made me smile
Thanks, friend 🙂
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RE: “Aren’t artists supposed to be these wonderful free spirits that walk around oozing creativity and procrastinating?”
Acts both someone who has a background in Fine Arts and post grad studies in science, I would disagree. Scientists, especially researchers are some of the most creative people I have met and structure, organisation and methodical planning are hallmarks of their ‘art’. What makes your shots so amazing and what makes you able to teach me the ‘science’ of photography is your very precise, analytical and creative side. You are an artist, and a darn good one at that and that is nothing to apologise for.
Gah! I tried to ‘fix’ the typo by deleting the original post and reposting with it corrected. Unfortunately, the same autocorrect got me both times 🙁
That should have read ” *As* someone who has…”
Yes, I am also a perfectionist.
You are INDEED talented! You have a beautiful vision and your perspectives are superb! Well done!
Thanks, Heidi 🙂 You know I love your work so this means a lot!
RE: “Aren’t artists supposed to be these wonderful free spirits that walk around oozing creativity and procrastinating?”
As both someone who has a background in Fine Arts and post grad studies in Science, I would disagree. Scientists, especially researchers are some of the most creative people I have met and structure, organisation and methodical planning are hallmarks of their ‘art’. What makes your shots so amazing and what makes you able to teach me the ‘science’ of photography is your very precise, analytical and creative side. You are an artist, and a darn good one at that and that is nothing to apologise for.
Thanks, Joy :). I never really thought of scientists as artists, ha!