Day 35 - Ch 11 & 12 - Drawing on Artist Within

Edwards starts out the chapter with a reminder of the ease of creativity when there is a prepared mind.  Saturation, the second stage of creativity, sets out to learn as much as possible about the perceived problem.  She argues that one can easily learn to draw when they learn how to see.  She shares the Five Fundamental Skills for Seeing as the ability to perceive: edges, negative space, relationships & proportions, light & shadows, and their unique qualities.  These 5 skills are part of the Saturation process of the stages of Creativity.  Edwards believes “seeing” is a teachable and learnable skill.   One frustration Edwards expresses in this chapter is with conventional art programs specific types of drawing courses such as “landscape,” or “life drawing,” may contribute to a person’s belief they are not able to draw.  She reinforces her point that everyone has the ability to draw with learning the skills of how to see.  Just as anyone who learns to drive a car, knows how to judge distance when stopping, the turning of the steering wheel, and placing the car into park.  No one questions a person’s ability to drive once they know how.   Yet in an art world, a person may make a statement such as “I”m pretty good at drawing landscapes, but I’m not very good at portraits.”  This statement limits the potential abilities of a person, especially when one adds a label to their ability.  All drawing is lines, shapes, light and shadows, and it does not matter whether drawing landscapes or portraits, “drawing is always the same task.”  Learning how to see takes time to build one’s skills.

In chapter 12, Edwards reminds the reader of Saturation’s task to find out as much as it can about the perceived problem.  And in this process of gathering information, one must be able to “shift, absorb, arrange, and rearrange incoming new information along with previously known “old” information without every drawing conclusions.  One must be alert for misinformation, or misinterpretation, yet at the same time be willing to risk taking chances.”  She further alerts her reader to be aware of “jumping to conclusions” when gathering information as one’s unconscious thoughts or bias can redirect one’s perception; changing what we see to what we want to see.


I encourage you to buy a copy of Drawing on the Artist Within for a better understanding of your own creative process.  Whether you're a master artist or beginning artist, this is an excellent book. 
 

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