Art making is often a solitary process. But there is still a lot of conversation during the process.
My self talk is always in the background:
- What I am doing this for?
- What if I fail?
- What if I ruin it?
- How do I know if it is right?
- Is it good enough?
I try to get beyond those judgments and fears by thinking more about the process than the product. So I say things like:
- I can trust in the process
- I don’t need to know
- The magic happens when I can let go of control
- It is a one of a kind process
- Keep what I like
- Notice what I enjoy
- Let go of the struggle
- Less is more
- Leave some empty space
- Admire the print
I encourage my students to adopt some of these thoughts. In the class, Make Marks and Books we break the steps down into seemingly unrelated elements.
- We work in a loose book form to give the process a final product.
- We slowly build up layers of marks to create an intuitive book
- It is about learning to make space and build connections
- It is about layering simple marks to create a rich visual story
If you would like to embrace this mark making process, then join us in Make Marks and Books. Read all the details on the workshop page. Class starts soon.
