The Art Blog For Non-Artists

There are many non-artists out there who have probably read my blog. I want you to know that first I understand your frustration with us, the artists. We are generally unconventional, a little crazy, and nonconformists. Second, that you may apply a lot of the same principles as artists only in different venues.

The Non-Artists Unanswered Questions.
So, what is in my blog for the non-artist? Why should you care if you do not ever want to be a serious artist?

Applicable Skills.
When job searching I have learned that what an employer wants to see is not so much that I worked for XYZ Company, but that I learned some applicable skills at XYZ Company that they can use. Consider Exempla Vitae as the Art Blog For Non-Artists. You can use what you learned about creativity here in your day to day life or your job. With exception to the most specific information on creating art, there is very little that you will not eventually apply. In the list below I have created brief descriptions of the gathered seed and how you might apply it in less artistic ways. In doing so I have contributed an experimental piece called Bowl And Cylinder In Color to make an example of.

Creative Indifference.

Inspiration

Every time you see a piece of art or art process you may see a color, form, image, story, concept or approach that when applied to a life situation you can think about things differently.
Example: In the piece above you that the yellow and magenta go well together, so you decide that you can use this combination in the colors of your child's toy room.

Imagination

When observing a piece of art you may realize that the colors, forms, images, stories, or concepts don't quite match reality. Determine why that works and you will be able to apply the same unconventional thinking to a life situation.

Example: You see that the color of the bowl and cylinder have a slight silver tint to them. You reason that if the unconventional use of values work in that situation than you do not have to get stuck in a traffic jam. You can find odd side streets to get around it.

New Perspectives

Art is not created in a box. Even if someone claims that they were not influenced by anyone or anything. It is not true. Artists more than anything know how to communicate their point of view through imagery. We all need to see another person's point of view from time to time. It makes us human.
Example: I used what I had on hand, an old bowl and an empty Cheetos cylinder. If I used those to create my art, then you decide that you can use cinder blocks around your house to put your car up to look under it instead of buying lifts.

New Processes

The craft with which a project was completed helped communicate that message. Seeing that there is a different way to do something may translate into a new approach in your personal goals.

Example: In experimenting with this piece I used a slick computer paper to print on. Acrylic paint is water based and could quickly erode the paper. You discover that even though books are not ideal for weights in your home workout routine they stretch different muscles, so you find new ways to use them.

Spiritual Encouragement

Art is also not scientific. Science may play a role in executing the art, but it has it's roots in the spiritual. Consider that what the artist saw from their perspective revealed something about reality that had not been opened up since long before the modern world. It charged you with a new understanding of God and His goodness.
Example: I was having a bad day when I painted this. Instead of getting frustrated with myself and doing nothing I painted. It was therapeutic and put me in better spirits. Because I let the painting take a less restricted path it shows a dimension of immediacy and dependency on God to create. You are encouraged by this transparency and go try a sewing class for the first time in your life, because you saw that even artists doubt in themselves and your doubts should not get in the way of your fulfillment spiritually.

Resources

Websites, blogs, podcasts, books, names, materials, other people's art, and training will always come up when someone talks about their art. Not only should you consider buying what is recommended but by tracing it to the source you can apply that knowledge to problems you have to solve.
Example: In the process of my struggle this week I was looking at one of my favorite illustration blogs: Gurney Journey. You go to his blog to see how he creates and find that he is good at creating dinosaur related art. You love dinosaurs and follow his recommendations to more studies on dinosaurs.

History

When perspective, processes, and resources come together they tell the story of the art. The art that you see from that creative did not start with that creative. Rather, it had its roots in some event in the past. That is why they created it. When you find out "how" then you can apply the knowledge to something you are going through. Empathy is a very strong connection.
Example: This piece was not created this week, but no less than 12 years ago. My art training started full force with a book by Nicolaides. Though you do not see the underdrawing you can imagine that the form was loosely rendered in a process called blind drawing. I painted over it to create solidarity. You research Nicolaides and find out how he came up with his creative theories. At that time you apply this new understanding to solving problems in your biology career.

Conclusion.
As you can see these aspects of creativity do apply across the board. If you read about something that you do not understand, I encourage you to follow up with a question. I pared down my language in the realms of Christianese (words used specifically in the Christian community) and Artese (words used specifically by artists and those like-minded) as much as possible, but some words don't always translate. Let me know what your questions are on the Comment board and I will answer them to the best of my ability. So what do you want to know about art?