Part I
One of the more interesting aspects of the paper for me was mentioned on the very beginning and more thoroughly articulated towards the end, the flow of creative writing. This process easily translates to any creative activity. On the first page of this version, one of many, of Portrait of The VJ he quoted Ronald Sukenick (who?): “[...] “creative” writing is always improvisation – that’s what makes it creative [...] thinking is simultaneous with the moment of composition.”
I found out over the last two years that my best work is done in a moment of inspiration with little or no planning. Even if I fight a loosing fight to remain in the world of rationale and thought out purpose MY ART defies me. In the recent process of self discovery I have come to realization that there is a disconnect between my mind and my “heart.” If we agree that mind is equivalent to conscious choice or intent, and heart is representative of unconscious and emotional, then the intersecting would me unconscious but intentional and conscious emotional. The significance of being able to channel the unconscious intent and conscious emotion is that the resulting work is most universal. Any intent that is thoroughly conceptualized and thought out to the smallest detail is likely to be more personal and less universal saying more about the artist that the intended idea or message. But because that which reflects our emotions is individual to begin with to make it accessible needs to conceptualized.
Mark wrote about his process of writing and mentioned about the flow and revising the text end even then often leaving it as it was because it was “write” (and I did get the jock). The flow of the thought and expressing without interruption and reflection on the previous words, no second guessing or editing with afterthoughts – a straight progression forward. As I write this entry I am trying to apply that principle but I find it difficult not to think about previous words and think about what more do I want to say. For me the process has always been to mold the idea over and over in my head till the idea took on a solid state, or should I say stable form as the work still only exists as a virtual object in my mind. At that point I would be ready to proceed with “outputting,” or creating the actual work. Also I noticed that as often as not at the precisely that moment I loose the interest in the work. Previously to reading Mark’s article have always considered that the reason for that is that I am afraid that the reality will not match its virtual original in quality and expression, but now I am considering that maybe by creating the object in my head rather than with my hands I have excused its creative potential. I wonder if anyone had similar experience?
Part II
During discussion I brought up one of the points Mark made in his exploratory essay: “Artist is the medium is the message.” I don’t entirely agree with the statement even in the view of performance art and I don’t think it applies to other disciplines of art where the artist is solely represented by the work. At this time I think it would be interesting to compare the VJ to a video artist…
…
Too be continue…
