276: Fostering Creativity

Persistence of Vision, by Debra Teare, oil on canvas

Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible. –Richard Feynman, Physicist

A RECURRING theme of this blog is developing and maintaining creativity. It is one of art's most intriguing subjects and one of the most mysterious. I read a blog post recently about creativity in web design but found it relevant to my current painting project. Read the article here.

The main idea for me was that it's better to keep moving forward rather than getting bogged down in the minutiae of a perfect surface or a virtuoso performance.

There is much to be admired in the work of Bouguereau, David, or similar artists. My wife, Debra Teare, paints hyper-realist trompe l'oeil paintings and I find her work fascinating. The point is to know what end you are pursuing. If that type of virtuoso performance is what you are trying to achieve it is best to know at an early date.

My current objectives are less concerned with surface or virtuosity and more about a visceral, spontaneous expression. All types of art have their place (as well as art forms and techniques not yet created). Meanwhile I found the aforementioned article excellent food for thought. Give it a read and let me know what you think.

Brad Teare –March 2016