Erika Allison's Artastic Blog

What DOES “filling the well” mean?  I’m guessing that most artists have some idea of what it means.  It’s a huge and necessary part of the creative process.  In order to say something, one has to have something to say!  When you work and create and move on to the next project to work and create again – eventually that well can run dry.  It needs time to re-fill.  The well is what you draw on for ideas.  You may consciously dig down in that well, looking for something.  But, I think it’s usually a more subconscious thing.  It’s not something you think about doing.  It just happens.   So, when that well is dry or nearly dry, time is needed while it re-fills.  And, how does that happen?  How does the well fill up again?  All  your life experiences are part of that well.  Every vision, every thought, every encounter, every experience – contribute to filling the well.

So – time and living are the key requirements to filling the well.  You need to take some time away from your studio and your creative process.  You need to just “be”.  Don’t be putting pressure on yourself to come up with ideas for your next creation.  There will be plenty of ideas in due time.  Your experiences and visions and subconscious thoughts are always pouring into that bottomless well.  Even your daydreaming contributes.  But, let it all be subconscious.  Try to consider  yourself “on vacation” from your art.  You’re NOT, really.  You’re never on vacation from being an artist.  It’s who you are.  But, TRY to just let your artist lie fallow for awhile.  That is when seeds are being sown, ideas are percolating…  And, soon enough, you’ll be heading into the studio again, ideas flowing, more than you think you have time to even work on.  As if by magic, new ideas appear on your canvas, or whatever ground you work on.  It’s an ongoing cycle.  Take from the well…refill the well…

Do you have thoughts on filling the well?  I’d love to hear from you on how it fits into your creative process.

“Zoning Permit Required”

I love titles! Titles may give me a clue as to what a painting is about, or, at least, the artist’s thoughts on the work. I hate to see untitled w

orks. When I see a painting that really intrigues me and I look for the title I am SO disappointed when I see “untitled’. I feel like the artist hasn’t finished his/her job when it’s left untitled. True, each viewer finds his/her own vision. But, it’s nice to get a clue about the artist’s vision as well. Don’t you wonder WHY an artist created a work of art – or what he/she was thinking while making it?

I work in the abstract so “what it’s about” is really up for grabs! I feel like most of my work is about whatever the viewer thinks it’s about. And, what I think it’s about can often be more than one thing. I actu

ally enjoy coming up with titles. Sometimes they come easy. And, sometimes I really labor over them. I may study the finished work for days on end before I come up with something that I like, that seems to fit, that could work. Usually, when I finally come up with it, it seems to be perfect…for me, anyway. I enjoy titles that make the viewer wonder. It seems to me that if the viewer wonders what the title means, he/she must be thinking about it. That’s great! I like to think I made someone think!

So – what do YOU think? Do you like titles? Or, are they not that important to you?

Hmmm…wasting time…

Is there really such a thing for an artist?

I often feel guilty about “wasting time”.   I could/should be doing something worthwhile. I should be painting, cleaning the studio, building painting panels, learning how to use the computer better, learning how to use my camera, and on and on and on…
There’s ALWAYS something that could be done.

But, is doing “nothing” really a waste of time? Maybe I’m filling the well.

Actually, I’m not really doing NOTHING. I’m just not doing the things I listed. And, when I think about it, I’m really doing more than one thing. I’m MULTI-TASKING!
Hey, I like that! It’s true…I AM multi-tasking.

While I think I’m wasting time cruising around on the computer, I’m actually researching and fueling my creative thoughts. I might check out facebook, which is heavy on art friends. So, their links are often art related. I follow several favorite artists’ blogs. Those are full of thoughts, inspiration and information. I check out current events. That alone is fuel for my art. I say my art is about the obvious and absurd in life. The news is my best resource!

And, if I haven’t rationalized my way to it’s okay to “waste” time now and then, we truly do need some down time to re-fuel.