I’ve been involving myself in the discussions at Keri Smith’s wish jar journal. Keri seems to be in a constant state of self improvement, and while I usually hate all that self-improvement malarky, its so refreshing to see someone go at it from a ‘ME’ perspective as opposed to a ‘YOU SHOULD’ perspective (I have a thing about people who are preachy – it probably has something to do with having a father who is a Preacher).
I’ve been noticing that a lot of what she’s been talking about lately has a lot to do with the tension between being an illustrator and being an artist. That gap left between art as self-expression and art that appears to be just what’s on the surface. Isolating and analysing whether there is any gap at all, or if it’s simply a mental mirage that must be surpassed.
So the following is pretty much lifted from comments I left at the Wish Jar:
I think I personally find a great tension between being an illustrator and artist. I know that for the most part they are one and the same, and that the reality is there should be nothing that separates the two. Creation is creation.
I just remember not knowing that such a thing as illustration existed when I was a child, only scary, self-important ‘art’ with it’s need for controversy and communication.
I, however, just wanted to make cute stuff.
Then I found out that drawing cute stuff was illustration, and that it was separate from ‘art’.
Now I occasionally feel pangs of regret that I don’t go “deep” enough. I think we’re both discovering (me through Keri) that anything that comes from an honest place (shallow or otherwise) can be important, can be art. I just need to remember that childhood place where only creation is important.
I always hated Ann of Green Gables when I was a girl because Ann had to give up her creative nature to grow up.
I want to be an adult, and get to keep that creative nature.