Notes for Artists A Manifesto of Essential Practice
Cheryl Hamada
Notes for Artists A Manifesto of Essential Practice
All Rights Reserved. Copyright Š 2014 by Cheryl Hamada enlightenmentarts.com/cherylhamada
Contents Notes for Artists: A Manifesto of Essential Practice 1 Beginning 2 Self-Education 3 Source 4 Freedom 5 Creative Process 6 Practice 7 Subject/Content 8 Media 9 Time/Space 10 Purpose 11 Passion
All Rights Reserved. Copyright Š 2014 by Cheryl Hamada enlightenmentarts.com/cherylhamada
Beginning The secret to becoming an artist is to BEGIN NOW! If your life is time-tight or you feel nervous about making your mark on a clean white space, just do 15 minutes of art activity a day. - do a sketch of anything - look at pictures or study nature - notate a vision - put your drawing tool to paper and see what happens Sometimes, maybe most of the time, 15 minutes is truly all the time you have. At least you will have a sense of accomplishment by fulfilling this daily mandate whenever possible. You will soon be spending as much time as you possibly can for your creative activity.
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Self-Education The core of Art Education is to learn to recognize Real Art. Real Art is an entity in itself, it exudes a compelling presence of its own. The first mode of education is to See Art in Person. Experience art works in their flesh. The second mode of education is to Read the Source. The words of working artists are the primary source. Seek your inspiration from those who have gone before, artists who have actually journeyed in the unpredictable territory of creative discovery. The third and most important mode of education is Persistent Practice.
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Source
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The true Source of Real Art is the expression of your Unique Essence. There is no other vehicle for the creation of original work like you. There is no other combination of yearnings, desires, affinities and talents like yours. Appreciate your absolute uniqueness. Appreciate your inner life. Follow its promptings willingly, because it will carry you to places beyond your ordinary mind. Stay open and remain fearless. The next vision will always come to you.
Freedom Freedom is the birthplace of all Original Art. “You are the Source of Freedom.” - Gustavo Alberto Garcia Vaca, artist
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Creative Process The miracle of Bringing-into-Being is a process of Vision engaging the Yet-to-beKnown.
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Practice The essence of Practice is to put mental expectations aside and let the work flow from your Art Gut. Practice is the breathing of artmaking. “The most important tool the artist fashions through constant practice is faith in his ability to produce miracles when they are needed ...� - Mark Rothko (1947)
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Subject / Content
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The Subject of your work is found in your Feelings. The Content of your work is found in your Dreams. Subject is the area you are revolving around - that which you are exploring in the process of artmaking. Content is the potential field of possibility opening ahead of you as you proceed in the roller coaster ride of creating that which has not existed before.
Media
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Choose the Medium or Media that serves your Vision. Be fearless about stretching media, diffusing it, transforming it, combining it -- so your vision is free to expand instead of becoming bound by the vehicle of inner vision.
Time / Space
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Time/Space for creative work will entwine itself throughout your Life. Of course, you will take whatever time and space that you possibly can to engage your creative work. But in a culture that does not value original creative activity, one of the problems is that most of us are unable to spend primary amounts of time in artmaking, so allow yourself to make lifestyle shifts. When creative activity is your passion, such changes may occur: Your creative activity will become your meditation. Experiencing first-hand the mysteries of creative flow is bliss itself. Your time spent in creative activity will become a compelling quest that will be more fascinating than the need to watch television.
Time / Space When engaged in mundane chores, leave your inner eye open to dream of visions yet to be. Create space by taking it with you - carry a small sketchbook, a small camera, etc. Keep it light and as mobile as you are. Ideas and visions come at all hours. Be ready for the capture.
Purpose
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The Purpose of art is Enlightenment. Enlightenment is to live seamlessly as the creator of a life, as the illuminator of human consciousness. “I have something real to offer. Instead of narrowing the field of vision, instead of absorption, [I offer] a view of something giving, flowing, pulsating. Not the shrinking of the world in the cells of human imagination, but expansion on every side, the shooting of the viewer into space, where he can breathe deeply of fresh air. In this heaven is paradise on earth.� - Otto Piene (1961), artist/co-instigator of group ZERO, Dusseldorf
Passion
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The continuous creation of art is fueled by Passion. What keeps one waking each day to face the challenge of the blank page or the open space? Once you have had practice at going through the artmaking process, the passion for creative activity replaces any fear of the unknown. “I fell in love with the process of art, and I've never fallen out of it.� - Anne Truit, Daybook: The Journal of an Artist (74-79), sculptor
Afterword The fundamentals of of the artist’s practice is timeless. The impulse to create is how we evolve the world. Now, more than ever, it is vitally important to birth your insistent visions into a new reality. • Notes for Artists was originally published online in 2000 and globally available for a short while, until it dissolved into electronic dust. With this reissue of the manifesto, I am pleased to once again offer inspiration to fuel your creative fire. Cheryl Hamada enlightenmentarts.com/cherylhamada For more inspiration, see the Artist Journal