Repeated patterns from the past

I grew up in a house filled with the art of my father, there was not a print to be seen, everything was an original. There was even a couple of experimental pieces done by my mother, who wasn't a painter, but explored a style of her own a few times. What she was good at was using a sewing machine, an art in itself and, she did have the skill of persuasion through words, for better or worse. I think that because of this upbringing, I value originality in art and it extends out to the ideas, as although there is no such thing as truly original as it is a progression, I like that people experiment with their own styles, look to bring something new into their life - even if it isn't new to the world.

With the upstairs starting to come together and there being a large amount of empty wall space, I have been thinking about what kind of art I might want to have on the walls. The house is built in the early 60s, so I think I would like to add something that has the feel of the period - maybe like the print I made of the Hive logo above - maybe not. But, I am currently liking the repeated pattern concept with some bold, but muted color range. Not sure if my wife will go for it though, or if I will be able t create something that I feel worthy of putting on my own walls.

This last bit is a challenge, as while I am confident I could technically do it, I am not very forgiving on what I actually do, especially when I look back at it after time has passed. It is a big reason that I don't have a tattoo, as I would want to design it myself, but then I would likely start to dislike it some time later. I don't know if artists feel this way, but as a non-artist, I feel it.

I like being able to "value-add" to what I create, even if it doesn't add much actual value - it can add personal value. It is a big part of the reason that I use my own photographs and images on Hive too - though I am quite certain I can find something more suitable and fitting online, but where's the fun in that?

I am hoping that once we have been able to move upstairs and live in the space a while, inspiration will strike and something will come to mind that will be the perfect fit. Then all I need to do is of course, do it. That is a challenge in itself, as while I tend to see exactly what I want to achieve, the skill and execution has a lot to be desired. Part of the reason is that painting or creating (other than writing) isn't really a hobby for me, it is something I tend to only do when I want something done - which means I don't really practice, so I don't improve.

Part of the reason for this is the lack of time, another is the lack of space and the third, has been a lack of money. Practice takes materials and they cost, especially when there is unlikely to be much usable come from it and there are other things I can spend the time and money on. One of the problems with actually being creative, is having the space to be so, something that a lot of the people in this world struggle to find.

I sometimes wonder how many artists are among us that just don't have the opportunity (or think they don't) to find the space to create something. Since creativity has some kind of cathartic or meditative affect, which is why stressed people and mental patients do arts and crafts (as well as children at daycare like my daughter), I wonder if the world will be a somewhat better place if everyone spent some time creating something that they considered valuable. Painted, doodled, made a spice rack.

If meditation and therapy can help people with their personal issues, shouldn't making space to create be encouraged, considering how much stress affects people's lives these days? I think that this is actually a usecase potential for Hive, as while people might be able to create for any platform, the chance of reward lowers the resistance to start by adding an incentive of some kind - sometimes we need to have a "good reason" to start, even if we know it is good for us.

I enjoy the frustrations of creating and while I wish I could get more of what I imagine out into reality, the process toward a tangible result of some kind is valuable. I think that this is why I like to write so much, as I get the sense of completion from start to finish, something that my work doesn't always have due to the timelines and the open-ended nature of the work I do. Getting a little piece of creative work completed each day is a meaningful lead into the next day, and the next.

I don't know what the average person does for their sanity each day, but it is valuable to have something, that little bit of space where we can indulge our creative mind to deliver something real, even if it is just a little sketch on a napkin, or taking a moment to intentionally hum a tune or drum out a beat with fingers on the table. Something.

Perhaps in the past, we did this because we must - we sharpened our axe or made it a new handle, because we had to cut down trees on the farm, we knitted a jumper and put a strip of color through the middle, so that those in the fields would be warm enough. Little creative acts that supported our work, the things that bring value to ourselves and our family. Tasks that are necessary for us to do, but also give us that space to add our own flair.

It could be that lot of us are missing this forced space and culture has made many more passive - but, maybe while we aren't all going to be master artists, we are hard-wired to do make something that matters to us. I think that in the future, this is going to become a far more important topic in the public conversation and more people are going to take it to heart and start finding ways for their creative selves to take shape, even if it is a pattern repeated from the past.

Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]