Easy Habit or Personal Style?

(Pictured: ATC #32)

Doing these every day for the past 32 days I notice I repeat the same elements and I wonder: am I repeating these elements because they are part of my personal style or is it an easy, unconscious habit to reach for the turquoise glaze, the torn ledger page, the smudged charcoal pencil, and the found text in a poetry book?

Earlier this year I wrote about wanting to stop using halos and stars in my work and a wise friend said if halos and stars make me happy, I should continue using them.  She's a smart girl, this friend!

The truth is stars and halos DO make me very happy.  Although I haven't used those elements on this particular card, I like to use halos and stars over the heads of figures to suggest something else going on inside the figure on the card, something deeper than just the look on the figure's face.  Without getting too artsy-woo-woo here, when I do collage work I feel pulled to give the focal figure (and there is almost always a figure) a bigger life beyond what is seen at first glance.  I feel that way about life too and the people I meet and interact with.  I don't like skimming surfaces ... I like to dig deeper. 

As I continue with this project one of the things I'll be challenging myself with is determining which elements are truly authentic to my work and which ones I employ because they are easy. 

Although some days I find this daily practice tedious, I am excited about what I might discover and what conclusions I might draw from the experience at its close.  CraftyPod's most recent podcast is an interview with an artist who has almost finished an amazing year-long art project ... I highly recommend a listen and a look at the entire project - it's pretty impressive to see from beginning to end and everything in between.

With the new year approaching, I have a feeling it's going to be quite chatty around here the next couple of days as I tie up loose ends and share what's shaking in the new year ...

Comments

[denise]

This is certainly an interesting and challenging journey you have undertaken, and it is a delight to share in it.

Many of these pieces really dig deep and connect with poignancy and true beauty of spirit. Much kudos for the perserverance on those days it didn't come so easy.

If certain elements and symbols recur in your work it may equally be that they have a meaning for you, possibly sub-conciously. Ease does not necessarily mean it should be avoided. It's more about connection.

So to me, the question to ask is, what do these elements mean for you? It might not always be apparent and can take some time to see the connections. Some things might not come clear at all, but just feel so strongly resonant, you know they are important. If the meaning fades or it starts to feel stale or forced, then yes, it is time to move on, at least for a time.

Reflection is an integral part of the creative process, and with this project you are bound to do a lot of it over the year.

[Kirsty Hall]

Thanks for linking to The Diary Project and I'm glad you enjoyed the interview.