The Artistic Method (Part 2)

Creative Process Part 2 • Article by Brian Batista

Pierre-Auguste Renoir writes, “In painting, as in the other arts, there's not a single process, no matter how insignificant, which can be reasonably made into a formula.”

There may not be a single formula for art but there are ways to help you be more creative. In my experience better planning means better playing. I sweat less when I am systematic. This means having a plan before diving in: making lists, researching and sketching. These tools go a long way in helping me follow thru.

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Planning a method of attack enhances my efficiency and effectiveness thus permitting me to achieve more in less time. This aspect of my approach may sound more like time management than art making, however, if you are wildly playful, experimental, and love spontaneous “happy accidents” you may want to try a bit of pre planning.Without even a simple map, you may never get to where you want to go.Your chances of achieving what you hope greatly diminishes when you simply dive right in. In most cases all you get is big mess to clean up at the end of the day.

Creativity is a balancing act between the two extremes of planning and playing. In a visual language we use the terms “push” and “pull” - when you create focus on one area and balance it with another. As artists, we journey through the ups and downs of making marks and mistakes without a universal formula. Ideas, thoughts and feelings are physically translated into an image whether it becomes representational or abstract.

Unlike the scientific method, which is empirical, logical, measurable, and can be tested at every step along the way, the artistic method is far less quantifiable method preferring a more intuitive approach based on feelings and ideas and has no set recipe or formula to follow. Still there is a process involved in getting to where one might seek to go. If you make this a bit more systematic each time you will find you get to where you're going quicker and with better results.

It’s one thing to be an artist who plays open and freely, it is another to show up and get things done.

Try your hand at being systematic. Have a plan, do the work and let the artistic muse guide the rest of the way.

My thanks and gratitude,

Brian “bunny” Batista.

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