Are You an 'Artistic' Thinker?

This is a question that I ponder often because I'm intrigued by the subject. I am reminded sometimes, when experiencing something, that I'm processing the information in an 'artistic' way. And that's where I feel there's more to the meaning of the word 'art' than just aesthetics, 'creating', or the various definitions offered for art. However, I realize I'm certainly not the first to think this as I'm sure there are many other artists who share this thought regarding art.

There is a famous quote by Andrew Wyeth, "...I do more painting when I'm not painting. It's in the subconscious",. Joseph Zbukvic says in his book Mastering Atmosphere & Mood in Watercolor, "you start painting the moment you look at the subject, not with the first brushstroke." Do you think art more than you actually do it? I know I do! That's why I was excited to read these quotes, especially Wyeth's. I've come to realize in recent years that not all people think this way, and personally feel it's part of an artist's personality, literally the way an artist processes his/her thoughts.

I think art is an innate makeup of the human species, but for artists, they are just 'wired' differently. They see and translate the world around them with a deep desire to validate (perhaps, at least for me, enhanced by aging/mortality) what they've experienced. They may or may not (as in Wyeth's quote above) actually 'leave a mark' via some form of creative outlet. In other words, I think artists process life experiences differently than non-artists. But I do think we ALL have art inside us, in varying degrees, it's just hasn't been tapped into as deeply by some as by artists, because they have this desire to 'search' for answers or to validate their experiences. This, to me, is what makes art so exciting, and creates such diverse reactions among those that view or experience it. Take my husband for instance, he'll be the first to tell you he has no desire what-so-ever to create art, nor to do anything creative artistically, and he certainly does not 'think' artistically (opposites do attract!) . However, he does appreciate some genre of art, but no, he makes no claims to being an 'artist', or even 'art-minded'.

So, are you an artistic thinker? Let's have an 'Art to Art' talk! Even if you, like my husband, don't 'think' artistically, let's hear your take on the subject! Have you ever thought about how you process the world around you? This inquiring [artistic] mind wants to know!

Raisingmaine-shy about blogging

I recently came across this interesting post regarding a blogger's concerns about becoming an overly cautious writer on her site(click on her link to read entire story):

clipped from raisingmaine.mainetoday.com I am becoming a shy blogger. Words that used to flow freely from my head onto paper and off to you are now being edited to destruction and my final thoughts just before I post are, ”Yeah So?” thus I post nothing. It reminds me of when I was in 7th grade and my family moved from the suburbs of Boston to our summer home on Cape Cod. I wrote a great blog about my niece’s wedding. How I danced so much my thighs still hurt, how very very blessed I am to have nine brothers and sisters and mostly that my children chose to go with me. My overly cautious editing killed it. I think I need a trip to the woods Raye. I am not sure this venue is the place for my boldness or the place to show slivers of myself, but I struggle writing in any other way. i don't even blog, and STILL i edit and carefully choose every single word that i say on this site. i have admitted that there are things i won't talk about because i'm never sure who is reading [this was a comment in response to her post/rjd].

I enjoyed reading her thoughts on becoming shy about blogging and over-editing her posts. I could really identify with it. Being new to blogging, I tend to hold back on revealing too much of myself, although for artists, that comes with the territory. Expression requires 'exposure' to some degree. It's the act of exposing via one's posts to the entire world that can be intimidating, at least for me. I'm curious to know how you feel about this. She seemed concerned about remaining authentic to her readers if she holds back too much. But how much is too much? Are you new to blogging and find yourself continuously re-editing your posts? If your a seasoned veteran, do you still do the same, or do you even think about it? Let me know what you think! I hope this clipmark post works this time. I originally had a much better post and lost it. See, there I go, having to re-write and edit again!