Being Teachable: Imagination

After God has provoked us to see things differently, whether through hard times or severe introspection we become open to new ideas. 

With the vulnerability to God and His commands a renewed faith in His work becomes available to us.

This is fuel for our imaginations. 

The reward of enduring hardship is that we have a renewed mind. This means that new possibilities become apparent. 

But how do we curb our imaginations in the aftermath of trials? How do we learn to be productive in the wake of difficult times with our whole beings shaken?

I have found some comfort in the practices below. I hope you will, too.

• Allow life to change pace naturally
• Try on the new lenses given to you by the experience...don't interpret, just partake
• Pick up your creative work again
• Stay the course on your goals
• Record your experiences
• Share your experiences
• Expect that the experience is a learning time, not personal judgment
• Expect that you will see new opportunities
• Be open to the changes
• Create art in spite of the hard times

It's your turn. Will you allow your imagination to be stymied by hard times? What will you do with this gift? 

Feel free to let me know how you endure or have endured hard times.

Your Infinite Database On The Moon

Each day when I sit down to do art I have a specific structure in place to keep me on task. It goes something like this: 1. 15 minutes of sketching 2. Draw the comic page 3. Ink the comic page 4. Composite page on the computer. This daily regimen keeps me on task so long as I do not lose focus.

But alas, my mind does not quit working 100% of the time. Narrowing in is not always easy. Here are some factors that are prone to intrude: tiredness, curiosity about something, my bad day at work, other life problems, ministry work, relationships, and other creative ideas brewing in the back of my mind. In a prior post I tackled how I deal with distractions. Click here to read it: Road Work Ahead. Today I want to take a jab at explaining what can be done with those creative ideas that pop up.

Before I finish a piece of art, story, or project I usually begin to see new opportunities. What does a creative person do with these opportunities while other projects take priority?

I wish the easy answer was always to store it in an infinitely secure database on the moon, but it doesn't work that way. Creative ideas are often untamed beasts that like to appear like the Loch Ness Monster. They are ever elusive and prone to disappear as quickly and suddenly as they appear. Unlike people who do not value creativity, the artistic person considers these as precious as gold. Even if we find them to be fools gold in the near future, we don't know how much they are worth until some future time when we can invest in exploring it.

The potential locked away in these ideas come and go. They often do so in the midst of mundane tasks. Some are even prone to pop up during normal work times. This precious commodity often disappears because we are occupied with something that has to take priority in the name of responsibility. Artists generally hate this, but we find ways to manage.

Taking down these ideas come in a number of forms some are not great, but necessary others are ideal so I made a short list of each and you can determine if they are valid for your purposes. Ideal methods are generally more secure and not easily disposed. Less than ideal methods are easily disposable or can be mistaken for something unimportant.

Ideal Idea Capturing Methods:

1. Laptop, PC, or Phone app

2. Sketchbook/journal on hand

3. Filing system

4. Dry erase/Chalk board

5. An e-mail

Less Than Ideal Idea Capturing Methods:

1. Napkin from a restaurant

2. Receipt or random piece of paper on your person

3. Back of a bill or envelope around the house

4. Text message to yourself

5. Digital photo on your phone or camera

6. On the back of a project you are selling or being paid to do

7. Any method from the other 11 listed on someonelse's property

These lists are not a hard and fast rules. What do you think? Do you agree with my categories? What do you do with your ideas in a pinch? Let me know, I would like to do a post about your feedback.

Because Of Resurrection

Growing up in the Christian church there are many words or sayings that become part of your day-to-day language early on. You say them and you move on. Everyone you talk to understands them. You often don't even understand what you are talking about, because this language of Christianity is pressed into you. I am not saying this is wrong. I am not saying that it is harmful. What I am saying is that the weight of words is often misunderstood. If you had been compartmentalized into a subculture growing up, whatever that is, you too, will understand what I am saying. Resurrection was definitely one of those words. That is what I am going to talk about.

Why would an art blogger choose to talk about resurrection? Well it has personal significance for me. As I follow Jesus, I see that there is much mystery in this faith. Much more than any other faith I know about. Resurrection is one of those mysteries. I wish for people to understand why this concept is important. I chose to speak of it specifically to you because destruction and recreation is a part the creative process. Its in nature and its part of creating art. I have used a rather non-academic form of presenting my case. Follow along and see what you can learn.

Resurrection Was Not A New Idea 2000 Years Ago.
The ancient Israelites were not the only ones to talk about the possibility of resurrection. Many ancient cultures told myths in which their gods were resurrected. This idea often referred to the seasonal cycles. The stories often included macabre deaths and fantastic resurrections. The lines blurred on the issue of reincarnation.

 "The cult of Baal celebrated annually his death and resurrection as a part of the Canaanite fertility rituals." -by Alan G. Hefner, Pantheon.org

"One of the most important myths associated with Isis was the story of Osiris's death and resurrection... Isis searched for and found the box and then brought it back to Egypt, where she concealed it. However, Set discovered the hiding place and cut Osiris's body into many pieces and scattered them throughout Egypt. After recovering the pieces, Isis used her magical powers to restore life to Osiris, who then went to live in the underworld." -Myth Encyclopedia

Where Are The Others?

Even though, other myths told of their gods or heroes coming back from the dead, none of them produced a real, certifiable case. They turned into gods or part of nature, etc... Mostly, those characters remained in the realm of myth. They did not have historical precedence. Jesus is the only one.

Coming Back From The Dead Ain't Easy. 

If you have ever had a sickness for an extended period of time or some sort of fatal accident and survived, you know what I am talking about. When our body's natural functions start to shut down, it is a miracle to have them revived, whether science or supernatural.

Death Is Not A Joke. 

In our culture we are encumbered by fictional depictions of the undead. Whether its ghosts, vampires, or zombies. When you die it is final. It is not casually, passively, or accidentally overcome.

Death Can Be Merciful.
I am not insinuating that Jack Kevorkian was right, that we should love death and promote assisted suicide and mass murder as a gift to humanity. No, this life is precious for as long as we have it. Life is a gift and a miracle. We should do nothing to undermine that fact. Passing from the difficulties and horrors of this world can take you to be with God who is love. It is better than what we often experience here. What would be the point of coming back to a worse option?

Where's The Formula?

Aside from the immediate use of the tools of science on the deathbed, no one knows how non-scientific resurrection works. There is no formula. If scientific resurrection won't work much beyond a couple of hours following proven death, how could it work after 3 days?

Hope Is A Rare Commodity, Indeed.

If you saw someone die and return to life, would that bring depression or hope? Wouldn't you believe there is more to the world than what you can see or experience in the material sense?

Your Worldview Is Important.

If you believed that resurrection was possible wouldn't it change your whole worldview? Not only would immaterial things be possible, but other amazing acts would be as well. In fact, it would make it easier to believe in the power of love, true justice, mercy, genuine people, healing of the sick, and many other common and uncommon things. If death has been overcome, then what else is possible?

Miracles Fuel Your Imagination.

If you believed in the resurrection of the body it would open up creative options that would transcend the stars. Miracles become a common part of your life. You look for the exceptional things in the midst of your day-to-day routine. Bricks become spaceships. A paper towel tube becomes a sword. You can fly when you look at the sky. There are no colors that cannot go together. You can have tea with unicorns and marry royalty. It fuels your imagination.

Conclusion.

We can take too lightly the meaning of resurrection and the ramifications of such a mistake undermine the daily activities we take for granted. Perhaps, you still disagree with the possibility of bodily resurrection after Jesus of Nazareth, but let me assure you that using this article as a starting point for research will bring about questions of your own. I encourage you to dig deeper and see where it takes you. Try it on for size and you will be surprised. God Bless your journey!

Reference Your Imagination

Creative ideas swirl all around us every day, all day. This is true, but sometimes we do not have a reference point for a preexisting idea. Sometimes our personal experience is so limited that we have to refer to other sources to drive our picture-making or creative endeavor or even to solve one of life's wealth of problems.

Violin And Violinist Sketch click: Here

This task of conceptualizing is often time-consuming. There are many rabbit trails and often we can be so enraptured in this task that it takes away from time to solve the actual problem.


The important thing is that at the end of this time you can come to a conclusion that is based on reality and not on your mental image of it.



The hard lessons learned by understanding this result in a spirited piece of art and a growing visual vocabulary. Practicing understanding the mundane will pay off in dividends when under a deadline. This practice is grown through drawing multiple versions of a subject from multiple angles and sources. This has been my primary drive for mastering the quick-sketch and has been the foundation upon which I am building my inking skill.

Consider your discipline. Are you taking every possible measure to understand your subject? What techniques do you use to learn for the sake of the end result?

Royal Colors

The day that I started using a limited palette was the day that I started getting watercolor and color usage in general. I do not claim mastery, but the basics applied always make for a better painting or piece of art. Because I have consistently been working on my comic book, I have only been able to work with color to a minor degree. Most of them are quick studies. Still painting with color brings my heart joy.

Some day I will be combining illustration and fine art, comics and watercolor, and mix medias at will to get the look I desire. Until that day I will continue my small form experiments. It is in fact this ability that makes the most of my imagination. What is your curiosity?

In my small experiment I chose just 3 colors.  My  colors were yellow ochre, lemon yellow, and purple. The color choice was rather secondary to the internal argument as to whether I should have a cool painting or a warm one. Nonetheless, the gold sky and the purple trees seemed to be apt to describe the beauty of God's creation and identify the fact that he gave it to us as stewards. Check out the full image by clicking on this link: We Must Be Royalty.

The City Scene

Discovery is the best way to fuel your imagination. If you see something new or the same old things in a new light you propel yourself forward. Change happens in you and then innovation!

Daily I put this into practice in some aspect of my art. Sometimes its a process, a technique, an area of study, or a tool. 

The City Scene 3 represents a  still life practice that I use often. I need to learn perspective, so I set up a scenario that allows me to see it with my own eyes instead of guessing. When I set up these scenes I try to do something alien and unique with similar objects that  you could find around the house. I chose the China Marker because of its proximity to pastel and charcoal. It can bear some semblance to a black and white photo if used the right way. In particular, value was very important to this drawing. 

Be bold and try a different media, process, or subject matter. Be brazen and open to change. I guarantee you will see something new.

Negative Spaces

Mystery is negative space.

As an artist I thrive on mystery. I do not take for granted what I cannot see. What I can see, I understand that even at it's fundamental level I cannot perceive the substance or scene in its entirety. I am not God. The passage below reminds me of my limitations and always makes creating art into an awe-inspiring event:

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.- 2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV

As artists we exploit the principle of what is not seen defines what is seen as often as we possibly can. Follow the points below and you will understand how it works and how we think.

1. There is NO MYSTERY in virtual white space. A solid of any kind is not compelling. It has no weight or relevance by itself. This is something like walking through a pure whiteout after a snowstorm. Pure white, you would feel as if you were unable to go anywhere. A feeling of perpetual lack of direction.

2. There is NO MYSTERY in virtual black space. Have you ever been stuck in a dark room with no light available? It is as if you were paralyzed. You feel as if you were disconnected.Only the introduction light will move you toward mystery.

3. Two white boxes only show equality. There is NO CONFLICT. You need conflict in order create mystery. Mystery requires an unbalanced feeling. This is not possible without conflict.

4. CONFLICT alone is not enough to create mystery. Black against white definitely begins to create tension, but if it is balanced like stripes it does not finish the job.

5. SUSPENSE starts to get to mystery. Though it is clear that there is a struggle. Suspense can happen with equality still in mind. Therefore, artistically it is not that interesting. It lacks Power.

6. MYSTERY can be created in two different ways. When black dominates it is an overpowering type of mystery. Compelling like a pure dark room, but since one shard of light appears it can cause suspense and wonder. Wonder is probably the most essential ingredient in the recipe for Mystery. It captures our imaginations.

7. MYSTERY created where there is a shard of black in a sea of white causes us to think about resilience. A lone survivor or just loneliness can be derived. It is compelling with a sense of wonder that causes awe at the sight of  one lone element defying the system that surrounds it.




Now you see how we think about composition and what ramifications a sense of mystery carries. Perhaps it will cause you to view the greater picture when view art, nature, or humanity as a whole. Challenge yourself to push the limits of mystery. It will truly wrap others into the work you create.

I created these examples based on an ink piece that I did. Click on this link to see the full image: The Edge Of The Forest.

Christmas In 3-D

Santa was a tall and thin bishop from southern Greece, who was at one time persecuted for his faith. His real name was Nicholas and he started with humble beginnings and humbly gave all he had to the poor in Jesus's name. In the story of Saint Nicholas you will find an extraordinary man whose spirit lives only in part in who we know now as the legendary Santa Claus.

This is the time of year where myth and legend is the most vibrant in the Western world. Our imaginations go wild with anticipation of a new year and an old one passing away. To put things in perspective we must talk not just of the fantasy that has emerged in this season, but also the reality behind the symbols.

As you sit down with your loved ones to celebrate the holidays consider the meaning behind it all. Where did it come from? Why do we do this? What are all the decorations and rituals about? We need to know what this is all about in order to define who we are and what the next phase of our lives will be. And as a way to to ignite your passion for discovery I have included a gift (a toy, if you will) for you to print out to iniate this practice. I guarantee that the flaws as well as the beauty of these symbols will fuel your imagination. Click on this link and you will see what I am talking about: Christmas Cube.