“In those moments when you feel discouraged or lost in the studio, or when you experience rejection, rest completely assured that what you don’t know about something is also a form of knowledge, though much harder to understand. In many ways, making art is like blindly trying to see the shape of what you don’t know yet.” ~ sculptor Teresita Fernandez
What It Really Takes to Be an Artist: MacArthur Genius Teresita Fernandez Magnificent Commencement Address, an article by Maria Popova, is not only a breakdown of the commencement address but a link to listen to it yourself! Head on over and give it a listen. It’s worth 22 minutes of your day!
Pay particular attention to 9:50+ about brokenness and concealing our failures—it is a wonderful and poignant picture of a deep, spiritual truth.
Blessings of ARTistry, CREATivity & BEaUty, Jody
P.S. Missed previous posts? Click here.
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What is Create-A-Day? Just as One-A-Day® Vitamins help restore the nutrients we deplete in our bodies, so too do we need to refill, replenish and renew our creative souls. In 2015, watch for daily* posts to undergird your ministry; lead you to resources to nurture the creative spirit within; and draw you more deeply in worship of Jesus Christ. My goal is to provide you, the creative Christian, with over 250* resources to help you develop your ARTistry, CREATivity & capacity for BEaUty. Books, worship arts ministries, video series, websites, conferences—all geared towards artists, creatives, worshipers and people serving in worship and creative arts ministries. So, visit my blog every day* to see what creative resource I’ve hunted down for you. You can stay connected by following me on Twitter or Facebook. Or better yet, sign up to receive email updates by clicking the button to the left. We’ll watch the resources pile up as the year unfolds!
This was one of my favorite parts of art classes in college- taking something broken or discarded and making it into something beautiful. Just like God does with our lives!
So very true!! Such a wonderful truth!
“Rest completely assured that what you don’t know about something is also a form of knowledge, though much harder to understand. In many ways, making art is like blindly trying to see the shape of what you don’t know yet.” These lines made me stop and think. I had to go back and reread them. I have never been offered this concept before. Thanks for this, Jody.
Jody,
I never thought of the process of creating something artistic in the way you just described as blindly trying to see the shape of something you don’t know yet. Writing certainly makes me feel that way, which can be frustrating. Knitting also makes me feel that way. Fortunately, our Father in Heaven knows all of us before we are finished being formed, and He knew exactly what He was doing.
I can see deeper and with more appreciation into an artist’s soul each time I read one of these profiles. How small I am- but how mighty God can make my words if I just let him. I love the quote at the end!