Friday, December 20, 2019

My first artist residency and the creative process

The creative process is difficult to pin down and work into a routine for me. I spend most of my time floundering around, unsure of what to do or where to begin.

Working on my BFA thesis show this semester was difficult. It took me half the semester to hone in on what I wanted to do for my thesis, I started out way too broad and general. I was trying to tackle subject matter and imagery that didn't relate to my own experience as closely as I needed to hold my attention. I ended up lighting on the subject of habits and waste, though the imagery still isn't solid. I have managed a couple of prints I wouldn't mind showing in the Spring BFA exhibition.

I'm supposed to be making artwork over winter break, and I've arranged an artist residency in order to focus. My teachers told me to work on my drawing over the break. I've been doing that, but I also feel like I should be coming up with at least one print during my residency that I can put in the show. My problem is I can't think of any ideas. The one thing I was working on is a bust; badly composed, boring, not engaging in any way and not worth my time to carve and print.

I've been struggling with feeling like I'm doing enough during this residency, but I have to keep reminding myself that this is my very first and I will spend a lot of it figuring out how to focus and schedule myself. My creative process is still developing, probably will always be developing, and I need to allow myself space and time for that.