The Creativity of Creating
“Art is not the possession of the few who are recognized writers, painters, musicians; it is the authentic expression of any and all individuality. ”
“I’m not an artist.” The ubiquitous cry of those who place themselves outside a box no one drew. Supposedly you are, or you’re not. And yet, we are all artists. Each morning as we choose the flavor of our coffee or the color of our socks, we create the life in which we live. Goethe told us, “whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” It takes an element of boldness to go for it. In life and in art, one must risk failure for anything to happen.
As I sit in New York listening to the symphony of sirens and car honks below, I find myself contemplating the multidisciplinary approach that creativity elicits. Artists walk among us, all day, every day. Especially here, in this city that proclaims, “if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” Yet, it is in the doing that encourages results. If you don’t try, you will never know. The recent opening of artwork by David Byrne at Pace Gallery in New York got me thinking about the numerous individuals who have stretched their creative proclivities across multiple disciplines with ease and grace.
David Byrne’s How I Learned About Non-Rational Logic at Pace Gallery New York. Photo: Pace Gallery
Byrne, the multitalented artist best known for his leading role in the 80s new wave band, The Talking Heads, has since explored several other creative outlets. The rotating hats include record producer, writer, filmmaker, and music theorist. At present, he has a Broadway production and the new exhibit running concurrently in New York.
Patti Smith. Orchid. 1998. Photo: Robert Miller Gallery
Another New York staple, Patti Smith, is a singer, a writer, a poet, an artist. John Smith, curator, and archivist at The Warhol Museum, once stated that she “isn’t an artist who is easily categorized. She moves fluidly through the genres of music, visual art, and language. Her work and career defy the traditional boundaries of both the art and music worlds.” Smith’s work includes photography, illustrations, and songwriting, in addition to being a published author. Furthermore, Smith has become a passionate activist in her work with COP26.
The actor Dennis Hopper was both a talented artist and an award-winning actor. Making his acting debut in 1954, Hopper went on to have a decades-long career. Coinciding with his acting, he was also a prolific photographer, painter, and sculptor. Hopper’s artwork, in addition to his impressive art collection, has been featured in numerous galleries and museums worldwide. Upon his death in 2010, Hopper’s art collection was auctioned off at Christie’s. Marc Porter, chairman of Christie’s, found that “his pensive, personal collection of art reflected his strong, deep bonds with the artists whose work he collected.”
Dennis Hopper. Biker Couple, 1961. Photo: Artsy
Bob Dylan has his paintings, Bowie and Sir Anthony, too. James Franco paints. Lucy Liu paints. The girl from Girls is a RISD grad. Creative people are curious, imaginative, and disciplined. Perhaps the discipline that comes from one craft encourages exploration in others. As Maya Angelou reminded us, “you can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” Go. Create. Make like David and Patti and Dennis. Explore. Research shows that being creative improves brain function, and mental and physical health. And if something doesn’t resonate, try something else! Life is short. Make art!
be bold.
trw