Participant Responses
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1. 1. I learned more about myself when I made my 3rd painting. I feel like I want to connect with mother nature more and in addition, I want to express her pain in recent times when the environment is viciously attacked. 2. Life is about forgiving, and connecting spiritually. People in America are way to invest in themselves at the moment. Instead, they should think more about each other, because we are all in this together. 3. I have a lot of experiences but none of them are out of this world.
2. 1. I learned that I was a good writer, I learned that people liked what I wrote and I got positive featback for it. I loved to write and dreamed about being a writer, I just knew that it was a profession where you could ether get rich or be very poor, you are supposed to be the best or nothing, so I studied something different. 2. I never learned something about my existence. 3. I was never religious and mostly believed in etheral creatures or myths and not in god or religion
3. 1. I painted a shot from a TV series opening credits. It is on canvas, using pencil and watercolor pencil. If I recreated it, I would have used a thicker medium. I felt authentic to myself, despite the inspiration being simple. I believe there's insight to be had in small things. 2. The show from which I took the inspiration has a performance review, in which the reviewee states they are in the business "to create something of lasting value", despite the superficiality of their industry. I think about this a lot. 3. I cannot say this gave me any transcendental experience. That's only happened with anesthesia.
4. 1. I realized that my mind was at peace through introspective thought. 2. I feel a spiritually deep energy that enlightened me and improved my process. 3. I felt closer to god.
5. 1. I’ve always known I had a very overactive imagination. I just never knew what to do with it that didn’t include daydreaming. 2.no, we’ll I don’t think so. 3.no, I’ve never really been all that’s religious to begin with.
6. 1. My artwork was a realistic painting of Vincent Van Gogh. I thought that it was a beautiful painting. It took me a while to draw the painting. By drawing this painting, I taught myself how to be patient. I learned that great things take time to create. I learned through this experience that I need to be a more patient person. I think of death as a peaceful experience. I do not believe in God. I believe we peacefully go back to a nonexistent state when we day. So, the painting of Van Gogh is peaceful and still. The peacefulness and stillness of the painting reminds me that death is very peaceful. I did not feel any connection to a no physical or supernatural spirit or deity. I just felt peace and happiness. I guess there may be a connection in which God is perceived as happiness. People view God in a positive way. I viewed my artwork in a positive and happy way. So, there may be a connection in which both the painting and God are perceived positively. I submitted the painting to a contest. 2. I felt nervous about how I would be judged for the painting. Judges and competition were involved in this event. I was nervous about how my painting compared to others. The event was significant to me because it was the first time I was judged for my artwork. The event says that I am courageous enough to put my work out there for the whole world to judge. This event happened in June 2022. It was a sunny day outside. I remember my heart racing as I waited for the event to begin. I was nervous about how the judges would look at me. One of the positives gained from the event is that I learned how to overcome nervousness and fear. I had to swallow my pride and go to the event. I am proud of how I handled this situation
7. A artwork that I created that I’m very proud of it is when I made a card for my mother and fathers’s. I learned that I am very creative and have a unique art and I didn’t have any religious experience while drawing this or coloring this card/picture.
8. A charcoal piece that I did was especially important to me. It was done while I had covid and was very very sick.I drew the view out of my window near the couch that was all I could see while laying there trying to get better. It was the bottom half of a hanging plant that was outside called a string of pearls. It looked so alive and vibrant with long tendrils hanging from the pot. i always wondered, back then, if the top that the sun light was hitting was as happy with its growth, how it looked how it felt, if it was angry at the falling tumbling pieces that were free to hang from the side and sway in the wind. It made me take stock in what is important and what is seen, what chances may be out there if I took the leap needed.
9. A few months before the covid pandemic started, I was doing little sketches here and there, as I had been for about a year up to that point. I had wanted to rediscover my artistic abilities, which had been dormant for years. I found a photo of a rooster on instagram that was very visually appealing to me and made a rough sketch of it. I had the sudden thought that it would look really great as a big painting. I wanted to do it right then and there, and had no money to spend on a big canvass. Plus, the only place to get art supplies in the town where I lived then was Hobby Lobby, and I refuse to shop there. So I found a large cardboard box and cut off one of the large sides of it. This piece was about 3 feet square. I sketched the rooster out, and started in. A few weeks later I was done with the painting, and it was amazing! My boyfriend and his kids were astonished at how well it turned out, as was I. They would come peek over my shoulder while I painted and they were always giving me supportive and encouraging comments. This process was so wonderful--rediscovering an ability that I thought I had let wither and die was really profound. Of course I shared the picture of the rooster on social media and got a lot of nice comments too. I feel like I re-learned this skill just in time because everything went to hell during covid and painting was my way of coping with the massive levels of uncertainty and fear I was feeling. The income I got from selling a few paintings was great too.
10. A few years ago I did a large charcoal piece that featured the Philadelphia skyline. I chose this because as someone who grew up in the city, the skyline was a fixture in my life as far as visuals. It means a lot to me and I want to connect with the city personally through it's personal connection and prominence. At times, it was difficult to align my self-motivation and self-confidence while performing on the piece. I mean this because there were many times that I was intimidated and frustrated with my abilities and was tempted to stop the project altogether This was one of the sharpest moments of confrontation with this side of myself and was ultimately pivotal in helping me understand what my creative hobbies mean to me and why I should continue. Although I did not particularly feel metaphysical, I felt a strong connection to myself and my drive in relation to my love for the city that I grew up in. In the end I completed the piece and it is honestly a project that I am considering approaching once more soon.
11. A few years ago I made a painting for my home. It involved both art and music. The painting had song lyrics on it with other things painted around it. It included lyrics from a song I wrote myself. I felt very expressive when I made this, and even more so when I hung it in my home as a decoration. I've had it up for years and it always reminds me to stay creative. I think about the deeper meaning to the little things I do in my day-to-day life and try to always find some time to reflect on things that inspire my songwriting. In a way this makes me feel like I've transcended my everyday reality and self-actualized for a time. And maybe it's possible to do that again someday.
12. A few years back I did my first relief carving in wood. I chose an image of a gryphon from the shoulders up. I traced the image onto a piece of poplar because I was told it was a good wood to start with and that it would be forgiving of errors. While I traced the feathers I began to realize the amount of work that would be involved. I had a small cheap set of chisels that were poorly sharpened so the process of carving required sharpening of each needed chisel before its first use and maintenance after. The project took me more than 30 hours easily and allowed my brain to focus and be content in a single process for the hour or so I worked on it each evening. After several nights the movements became more reflexive and that allowed my mind to wander a bit and contemplate many different things such as religion and existence. I enjoyed these moments because it seemed as though everything else became nothing more than just a dull hum in the background and I find freedom in that. Upon completion of the project I felt not only pride but sadness as well because my relationship with this thing that had given me such peace was now over. I have had many projects over the years but this felt like the most intimate to me and I have chased that feeling in many more.
13. A long time ago I did a chalk drawing. I was really searching for myself back then. It's funny it was a chalk drawing because I don't really like the feel of chalk on paper. It was a drawing of a woman lying on the ground with one arm reaching up to the sky and the other arm stretched out to a man quite far away. The sky was actually a maze of black and purple swirls. Reaching down from the sky towards the woman was a big hand like reaching to help her. On each of her arms was a purple ribbon attaching her to the man and to the big hand. What I didn't know then but realized a few years later was that the big hand was God reaching out to me to help me, but I was too attached to the man to let go. It's interesting to me to realize that inside I knew what was going on. I knew God was reaching out to me and that I needed Him. I didn't know that at all on the surface. Art has the ability to reach deep into the soul.
14. A long time ago I did a drawing when I was younger. I was maybe 10 years old at the time but my grandmother noticed I was a rather good artist for being so young. I didn’t draw stick figures I drew people and shapes and animals. At the time I was very very into princesses as most girls my age were. I wanted to be a ballerina princess specifically. I always loved to be in ballet but thankfully that never happened. I got a spark of creativity and took this big drawing paper and drew big ballet shoes and a crown (I believe) on the paper and I had the ribbons beautifully curving swirling in and out of each other. The ballet shoes were on their tip toes and the tiara looped around them in an angle. Then I took a big pack of markers and colored it in. I just made random rainbow shapes in all the negative spaces. It took me three days and by the time I was done my hands and my table were covered in markers but it was done. Probably my first time I did something so big and felt good about it. I signed at the bottom and my grandparents hung it on their fridge. Idk I just had this overwhelming feeling of pride and joy because it was my best drawings at the time and I put so much effort into it. The weird thing is none of my family are artistic except for my cousin who is not related by blood to me. So I liked to believe I had an old soul who was once an artist. Just everytime I draw I always feel like I’ve done it hundreds of times and yet I’m rarely satisfied because I’ve lived hundreds of years enough to know when my work is complete
15. A meaningful artwork I created was an abstract, detail photograph of my daughter playing on her iPad. We were staying at a hotel and she was probably 8 years old. She was in her swimming suit, sitting in a chair, playing on her iPad. The light coming in from the window created a beautiful highlight and shadow on her legs and torso. I grabbed my camera and took 2 quick frames. I used a medium format Hasselblad camera using Ilford Hp5 film. After returning home I developed the film and felt like 1 of the 2 frames had real potential. Probably a week later I started printing the negative and was able to quickly create a work print that I was happy with. After sitting with the image for awhile I decided to reprint it, burning in some areas of highlight that I felt were too distracting and took away from the simplicity of the image. After these changes were made, I was extremely happy with the outcome and finished the print by spotting and mounting to mat board. I can't say I experienced any revelations about my true nature. It did give me a sense of confidence as a darkroom printer. I did not have any eureka moments relating to ultimate meaning or other worldly experiences.
16. A piece I created not long ago, around June 2022 was about my struggle with misophonia. The piece features a person who resembles me, being tortured by mouth sounds with multiple mouths making disgusting noises in the background with ear piercing audio waves coming from them. The work was a lone personal project I wanted to do out of anger, I've struggled with misophonia for a while and it continues to get worse as I develop new triggers, my family has been a main source of my triggers after leaving and graduating school; I wanted to vent my frustrations of them never listening on how their manners of eating loudly offends me. This event showed me that my misophonia is getting worse and I have some issues I need to work with since it's hard to change others to be more respectful of the people around them.
17. A piece of art that I remember creating, that stuck with me the most, was a 4-piece plate depiction of The Scream. I made 4 ceramic plates in my high school art class, by hand on a potters wheel. After firing the plates, I painted The Scream in increasingly zoomed in perspectives on each plate. I recall being very interested in that painting, and wanting to use it as my model. My parents still have the plates displayed in their house. I don't recall much of the specifics, for example how long it took, who my art teacher or my peers were, or what grade it was in. But I remember the pride I felt in being able to recreate a painting. It was comfortable, to try on another's artwork and see how it fit me. I learned that I could paint well but that I could also copy well, which is evident in my charcoal drawing history as well. I don't believe I learned anything about ultimate meaning or had any experiences where I was looking at a reality beyond the physical world. I was a young high schooler, trying out something new and proud of her work.
18. A poem I wrote in college about my great aunt’s death. I think it helped me process the grief I was feeling almost 5 years later. I never speak much about losing her so the poem was deeply personal and it felt therapeutic almost like a weight lifting off me. The poem itself dealt with seeing her again on another spiritual plane and saying things I didn’t get to say.
19. A project I worked on that was significant to me was a large embroidery I made for my mom as a birthday gift. Her birthday is in October so I worked on this throughout the fall. This was my first time working with embroidery so I have vivid memories of how long I spent on this project and how hard I worked to perfect the new stitches I was learning. It took me over a month to complete. I was very proud of my work and was so excited to give it to her. It’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever created and I think it turned out beautiful. I think it was significant to me as well because I took some vacation time from work and spent most of my days off working on this project and watching the show Maid. It was a very powerful and emotional show and really dove into mother/ daughter relationships. It felt very special to be working on a gift for my mom while watching this story unfold. I felt very connected to my mom as I worked on this gift for her.
20. A significant artwork I've been completing is my first novel. It's taken much effort and energy over the past two or three years, and still is a work in progress. While working on it, I discovered my own ability to discipline myself and progress in my art. I perceive myself now as an actual artist, capable of creation. In fact, now I cannot see separating myself from my art in the future. As for meaning, writing this novel has given me time to reflect on my own spirituality and include it in my work. I find myself considering ideas such as the profound and numinous around me in daily life, just as my characters are experiencing the same in their stories. Sometimes when I am writing, I feel as though I am not necessarily the writer, but that I am a conduit for some "story" that wants to be created. Perhaps I am just translating it into a form I can read. There is a sense sometimes that I am channeling "something" as the ideas just arrive without much conscious or logical thought.
21. A significant work that I created was a tattoo design of a tomb stone for my friend. It was meaningful to me because it was a memorial piece for his grandmother. It was also my first digital tattoo design done in the traditional tattoo style. I had a bit of a learning curve to deal with and it was a very fun experience. I got to learn new techniques as well as ways to combine ideas into one cohesive design. It was a grey tomb stone with a skull resting in the corner. There was a red flower sitting on top. The text on the tombstone reads "So long and goodnight." I was feeling sad for my friend's loss but also grateful that I was able to be involved in this process, knowing that it would be permanently placed onto his skin. It tested my skills as well as my ability to create something meaningful to my friend, that was representative of someone important to him. I did think a bit about the afterlife, and hoping that if his grandmother's spirit lingered that she would be pleased with the design.
22. A work that was especially meaningful to me was an improv performance that I did last year. I designed a Harold for my group to do , and I had never done that before. It made me feel confident that I could put together a show and it could be funny and i could be proud of it. I don't think I had a real spiritual experience with it at all. It was just a lot of pride and knowing that we had each other's backs as a team.
23. A year ago I began preparing a make a new stained glass piece. At first the project started slow as I did not know what to make. I only knew I wanted to make something different that captured how I was feeling at the time. At the time I had lost all hope in humanity and felt lost at the director our country was headed. Soon after spending some time sitting in my office, I knew what I wanted to make. I proceeded to my workshop and begun to rough sketch the design. I immediately knew this would be a hard project but I was determined to push my skills. I made a piece of stained glass, specifically red, white, and blue glass. I felt better and more peaceful working on this project and come to the realization that I needed to be more involved in bringing about the change I sought. And that I had the power during these difficult yet historic times to work to make our country great again. And every time I see this piece hanging on my wall, my resolve strengthens.
24. About 10 years ago, I was taking a painting class and decided that I was going to paint a picture for my mother. I chose a photograph of a street corner in Paris and used my Mom's name as the Cafe's name. I poured my heart and soul into creating this painting and worked on it for many weeks. It was the best piece of art I had created up to that point, and was one of the few that I truly loved. When I presented it to her for her birthday, she had tears in her eyes and displayed it on the front table in her house until she passed away. This piece felt like a visual representation of me, and by her accepting and loving it, by being proud of it, that she was then showing that she loved and accepted me, and was proud of me. I have always used art to express myself and my feelings when I am unable to find the right words. It has always been a perfect compliment to my writing, and helps me be a better writer, helps me process my feelings, and allows me to be true to my authentic self. It allows me to express my creativity in ways words cannot do.
25. About 8 years ago, I worked with a dancer and a singer to create a dance set to a medieval lullaby. I had a rough framework in mind, but the piece also blossomed to include movement from the other collaborators. I really wanted to dig into the meaning of the words, and make the movement logically and theologically meaningful. I felt very emotional during the creative phase. It really seemed like I was part of something 'bigger than myself', and that there was a sort of spiritual stream that the three of us tapped into as we were working. When I watched the piece in performance, I felt awed that we had together managed to make this lovely thing that really embodied a vision.
26. About a week ago I was having a really bad day. I had just gotten some really bad news, but I still had to go to work. It just so happens that my boss needed some inspiration and some help working on creating a new abstract painting. So I’m at work and I all of a sudden get this huge rush and I’m not really sure what came over me but I feel and my boss also feels that I created a masterpiece that day. He told me that the colors that I chose and the brushstrokes that I used matched perfectly with how I was feeling and my emotions, he was so proud of me and I was very proud of myself as well. It turns out that even if you’re having a bad day sometimes you can create things and it will end up being one of your best works that you have done. I learned a valuable lesson that day and that lesson was that you can get inspiration from anywhere at any given time I’m sure this is a type of technique that many painters have used in the past before me as well.
27. About a year ago, I made an acrylic painting in attempt to explore my style. I closed my eyes and thought about a landscape that I might see in a dream and let that guide me. I learned a lot about myself, and what I find beautiful and about my preferred style. It was transcendent in a way, as it let me get in touch with a truer more spiritual self. We are most ourselves and most alive in our fantasy worlds. The worlds that we create for ourselves to be happy in.
28. About five years ago I created a series of three paintings for my husband. I gave him one each holiday. They were acrylic paintings depicting my interpretation of a prayer that we both love. The first shows floating orbs. In the second the orbs burst like bubbles and spray color across the canvas. In the third the sprays of color become colorful trees. This prayer is significant to us because it is one we said together every day before we got married The prayer is written on gold on th frame of the canvases. It shows how important our relationship is to me. This was a project that seemed to flow easily for me. It was one of those was just there in my mind and was then translated onto the canvas, almost like I was being guided. Therefore, it was a spiritually significant experience to create it.
29. About five years ago I made a "memorial quilt" for a very good female friend whose husband passed away suddenly. I made the offer because I have experience making quilts and I thought that it would be a nice remembrance of him for her. This particular quilt was very spiritual in nature to me because we were very good friends with them both and would regularly get together, so this was a real shock when he died. Making a quilt from tee shirts takes more work than a normal quilt and I found that it had become quite a daunting task, especially because I wanted it to be perfect for our good friends. I almost felt Gary's presence when I was making it, and I also felt the presence of my mother-in-law and grandmother who taught me so much. I think they were proud of me and I could feel it. It made me so happy to know that my friend could wrap herself in this quilt and think of him.
30. After a really emotional therapy session, I had a class at my local library for a mixed media collage workshop. Due to my anxiety, I always kind of tuck myself away in a corner. I'm always somewhat of a conversation starter with my purse that looks like an Edgar Allen Poe book and my high top sneakers with cranes adorned on them as well as my cranberry colored hair. I grabbed a couple fashion and entertainment magaizines - therapy session on my mind and dried tears on my cheek and began cutting out phrases and images with meaning to me at the moment. I found phrases dealing with my emotions of frustrations, disappointment, sadness, and mourning the person my husband was before all his mental health struggles. Covered in paper scraps, glue and bits of words and phrases - along with some carefully chosen comic book art, I created my brain on paper. The instructors loved it and my peers in the class seemed confused by it because theirs were all "happy" and probably a bit more of an expected piece. Mine was moody, me and my heart put on paper.
31. After the terrorist attacks on 9/11 I was, along with many other artists I knew, grappling with how to process the loss and terror I felt. I linked up with a group working on a benefit collection of comics to raise money for victims and first responders, but I struggled with the way to approach my complex feelings. However, after a conversation with a friend, I built a collaboration that resulted in a short comic, "Citadel Of The Night," that compared and contrasted his grandfather's experiences as a prison guard in Attica with the current situation. It was a complex, uncomfortable project that won critical acclaim and the original artwork for the story is now in the permanent collection of the Library of Congress. I definitely appreciated being able to collaborate and bring in other voices to my work, and I think that working with such a potent cultural and historical event was a way for me to address larger issues and concepts than I typically do in my work.
32. Ah geez, OK.. When I was little, maybe three or four, my mom had a book of illustrated fairy tales and the various and diverse illustrations really made an impression on me. There was this one page, I cannot recall the story but there was ogre and he was sitting inside a grim looking castle tower thingie. The entire picture was gloomy and outside there was an evening sky with storm clouds and a single bolt of lightning. I dreamed about it sometimes. That looming tower and the grey blue evening sky. Years past and then that first batman movie with Michael Keaton came out and Gotham City got in my head and it reminded me of the dreams I used to have as a child. So, I had just gotten back into water colors around that time and I sort of combined the two images, Gotham City and my dreams and painted it. I was also exploring mixed media at the same time an added in some tattered dark grey bits of chiffon and a single green fake jewel. I was quite happy with it! What did I learn? Mostly that it's pretty interesting to take something out of one's head and make it a reality, even on water water color paper. That's what, existential? I dunno. I really enjoyed the process. Nothing religious or spiritual, certainly no supernatural guidance, geeez, ya'll. This was pure self-exploration.
33. An art story would be when I was younger, I was really into art at a museum and wanted to advance my drawing skills. I took a few art classes that were non-credit through a few different organizations and the art that I really liked then and still like today is the Egyptian style. This art really helped me express what I couldn’t imagine that happened centuries ago as I have a learning disability. I can’t see things like how others do which is why I left the art career and why my drawings aren’t exactly what I wish they were like. Drawing an object like a pyramid was simple for me but drawing a building was rather ugly for me. I just can’t even draw inside a room but drawing Egyptians and their language really helped me understand what their stories were about. I felt like this art had some type of connection of how their life was then and how my life is a bit similar. Let’s just say my life is very Cinderella but filled with trauma than a happy ending.
34. An artwork that I created that had a special meaning to me was a particular design I made for a friend, a couple years ago. My friend is a big fan of a certain niche video game series, and I wanted to create a design for his birthday. I could have taken the easy route and just grab something I found, but I wanted it to be special, something that nobody else would be able to find already made. I got to research said video game series, and I found an art book from the time the first game was released, about 30 years ago. Inside the last pages of said artbook, there were some hand-drawn sketches of concepts; one of those concepts was for a clothing patch/badge, likely to be used for embroidery. The sketch contained color codes to define all the elements for said patch. I felt I had struck gold; this was a graphical element that no one else had created, even though it had been available for a long time. After making sure there was no instance of said patch ever being made, I got to work. I worked on drawing a vector of the patch, following the color codes written to be 100% faithful to the original instructions. After finishing it, I commissioned it from an online embroidering company, and sent it to my friend. He was floored; he was very pleased with it, and said it was one of the best birthday presents he'd ever gotten. I felt really happy, and it also helped me to feel more confident of my hand-drawing and graphic design abilities.
35. An artwork that was personally meaningful to me was when I was commissioned a family portrait by a friend whose grandfather had passed away. It was about 5 years ago when I created this piece. I was feeling very stressed because I really wanted it to turn out well since it was personally very meaningful to the family. They originally wanted to commission and pay me, but I made the decision to do it for free because of how they were struggling. I felt I grew a lot working on this piece because it was the biggest portrait I had ever done at that point. It also showed me a little more about how meaningful art can be to people based on the reaction of the family upon seeing it. I did not have any kind of spiritual or religious experience during this.
36. An especially meaningful art peice I have created is a simple illustration of a Halloween celebration. Each character within the illustration is a character that is very dear to me, and that i have put much time and thought into. My close friends and chosen family were involved in it's creation, offering ideas for each of the five characters pictured in the illustration. The art peice contains not only my thoughts and ideas, but the thoughts and ideas of my loved ones. I only created this art peice last year around Halloween, so rather recently, but it is one lf my favorite peices I've done. It holds extreme sentimental value to me, even if it is not my best peice.
37. An important art piece to me I drew was a digital painting involving a rat and a lion. The idea of this piece is a rat that is behind a fence taunting a lion. This is to symbolize how online users are comfortable attacking and harassing others because they are anonymous and cannot be punished by the lion, this piece is part of my portfolio exploring the dangers of anonymity. I wanted to bring awareness to this topic because of many tragic events that happened because of online bullying and harassment, it is harmful to people and sometimes even causes suicide. A deep meaning I got from this piece is the nature of people. How most people act nice when people are watching and they can be held responsible but is a completely different people when not watched.
38. Artwork that is meaningful to me is a watercolor painting I did in my hometown before parents moved away. No one was with me at the time. It made me feel a bit sad, but painting the scene made me think about a lot of memories I had. It made me really reflect on life, the friendships I made there, and growing up. I did not have any other worldly experiences.
39. As a hand lettering artist, I created a custom design for a couple's wedding invitations. The design incorporated their initials and featured intricate floral details. As I worked on the design, I felt a sense of joy and excitement knowing that my art would play a small part in their special day. This event was significant to me because it showed me the power of art to bring people together and create meaningful connections.
40. As a musician, I find myself most fulfilled playing with others when a piece is still fresh and being developed. The work is still exciting because you don't necessarily know everything that will happen within it. I played in a 3 piece band years ago where the drummer would develop a part and almost always play it exactly the same, and with that foundation I was able to really explore some possibilities in fleshing out the rhythm section while playing the bass. Our greatest successes recording for me personally were when I understood the form of the song enough to play it well, but it was still wide open with possibility as it was still in the process of becoming. What I learned about myself is that I am very comfortable with uncertainty in that context and thrive in it. Ultimate meaning for me involves being with and creating with friends.
41. As a photographer, I recently created a series of images exploring the theme of mortality. I was inspired by the idea that death is an inevitable part of life, and that our lives are fleeting and impermanent. During the process of creating these images, I learned a lot about my true nature. I realized that I have a deep sense of curiosity and a desire to explore the big questions of existence. I also discovered that I have a tendency to be introspective and contemplative, and that I enjoy exploring the deeper aspects of human experience. In terms of ultimate meaning, I was struck by the idea that death is a universal experience that connects us all. It made me reflect on the nature of existence and identity, and how our lives are shaped by the knowledge that we will one day cease to exist. I also began to think about the significance of suffering, and how it is an inevitable part of the human experience. As I worked on this series, I had several experiences in which I perceived a reality beyond the physical world. I felt a sense of connection to something greater than myself, and I was inspired by a feeling of transcendence and awe. I also experienced moments of inspiration and guidance, as if I was being guided by something beyond my own consciousness. Overall, the process of creating this series of images was a deeply transformative experience for me. It helped me to connect with my true nature, to explore the deeper aspects of human experience, and to tap into a sense of spirituality and transcendence.
42. As a singer/songwriter, I have written many songs which were incredibly personal to me. One of those songs, which is very near and dear to my heart, is a self-reflective song about loving yourself despite what others think of you, and it's called "Too Damaged to Manage". In writing this song, which was based on an ex-boyfriend telling me that I was "too damaged to date" because I had PTSD from sexual assaults in my life, I learned that I no longer cared what he or anyone else thought of me because I knew that I had a big heart and I loved deeply and with compassion and empathy. What I learned about ultimate meaning is that trauma and suffering are part of everyone's experiences, and to deny or ignore that fact is to live inauthentically and even cruelly. While I am not religious, I do live my life in a way that is directly influenced by the idea that my mother and grandmother, who are no longer with us, are somehow watching over me and I always want to make sure they know I am living in a way that they would respect and appreciate.
43. As a student, I was tasked with creating both a painting and sketch of a familial time in my life that was most influential to my inspiration towards becoming an artist. As a result, I elected to sketch and paint a scene that featured an image in the likeness of my Grandmother and I. This captured moment was of significance to me because it illustrated a time in my life when my Grandmother was alive and well enough to educate me in the ways of the art of applying the brush stroke. In fact, it was she that taught me how to express my colorful imagination on paper since I was never one to be too keen on finding the right words to convey my thoughts and feelings. Furthermore, if it weren’t for her, I would have never known of my capacity to portray deep sets of imagery in a way that appeals to the emotions of the people that observe my work. Overall, my artwork and expression through my evident effort has taught me that imagery can carry power of translation that can touch the mind and soul of the observer. I am grateful for learning about my ability to perform in an artistic capacity because it taught me about what type of thinker and expressionistic personality I possessed. Consequently, I feel more self-assured and confident in my goals and desires than I was previously because I feel that I have attained a better understanding of who I am as an individual personality. Moreover, such a sense of assuredness promotes a sense of positivity that enhances my artwork to a degree that I can eloquently design a piece so that it can be felt by the viewer. This type of communication without words feels divine because it is almost telepathic and immortal by essence since I am sharing a message and feeling with my audience without physically speaking to them. To a degree, this unspoken communication makes me feel better connected to those that appreciate my work.
44. As an artist and martial arts practitioner, I find that the path of the warrior is intimately connected with the path of the artist. Both require a deep understanding of fear, and the ability to confront and befriend it. Yet, in my experience, many artists shy away from the physicality of their fears, preferring instead to hide behind their thoughts and ideas. For me, true artistic expression lies in the freedom that comes after one has fully experienced and moved through their physical fear. Only then can we tap into a state of pure creation, unencumbered by ego or ulterior motives. It's a feeling of raw energy and emotion, where art becomes a pure extension of our being. One particular artwork that stands out to me was a mixed media piece I created several years ago. It was a collage of old photographs, sketches, and found objects, all woven together to create a layered and textured landscape. As I worked on the piece, I felt a sense of complete immersion in the process, as if the artwork was being created through me rather than by me. In that moment, I learned something profound about myself and the nature of creation. I realized that true art comes not from the mind alone, but from a deep connection to our physical and emotional selves. And, like the path of the warrior, it requires the courage to face our fears head-on, and to use that energy to fuel our creative expression.
45. As far back as I can remember, I have always loved programming computers. However, when I began programming there was lilttle to no formal training available and what was available was strict, mathematical, and rigid. Everything to programming came down to ones and zeros, but I always felt you could meld that into the world around us. It is bridging the gap between math, science, and computers to meld into the real world and change the way people not only hear the music but perceive it. When I started, it was fairly rudimentary, writing midi scores and having a computer play back the music, but I was also an avid saxophone players and wanted more. So, I began writing interfaces to lights that were activated by music tones and rhythm. Now it has evolved into a multiscore, multimodal, interactive light and sound show. I was encouraged to program a fireworks display that was based off the music that we played which further evolved into the use of drones and lights which was much safer and more accessible to people and the environment.
46. As listed earlier photography is my selected art. I have not learned anything of my true nature from photography. Photography has no provided insights about my authentic self. Photography has not provided an ultimate meaning, I enjoy the process of taking pictures. Photography as not transported me beyond the physical realm into another world.
47. As part of my university degree I had to do a 15 minute stand up comedy routine set. What I learned from this is that I have the ability to plough through and overcome my fears and also that I have no problem being vulnerable and honest in front of strangers. I don't know if I had any great epiphanies but it did give me a greater appreciation for those who do this for a living, it is a real craft and takes so much courage and or arrogance. The presence of "God" is always around me. I only have to look at the complexity of a garlic to know that such an entity exists and this is something I can SEE, things on a micro level and even more astounding and further proof of the "God" I beleive in.
48. At my university, we created a large scale mural to display at the school. The mural displayed our school mascot as well as our school name in one the halls. This happened earlier this year and I worked on it with my university class. This was a very extensive project that took several weeks to complete. It felt good to work on such a large project with a team and contribute to our school in this way.
49. Back when I was in Graphic Design school, one of the assignments for an Illustration class was to do a graphite drawing. I had previously worked with graphite, specially drawing cartoons for animation, but this was the first time I realized I loved translating a photograph in color to my own representation in white and black. It made me realize that I like realism and hyperrealism and nowadays, I try to find that same feeling when I use colored pencils, or when I am designing a new crochet pattern of an animal. I am able to tell a story and create a "new life".
50. Back when I was in middle school, I started to try out making some music for cello to work with my private instructor with. I remember staying up late, past the time when my parents said I should go to bed, trying to work on the music, night after night trying to get a little more done of it. I ended up never finishing this, as I ended up losing the music before I had the chance to finish, and I was much more focused on working on the pieces for school and my instructor. I tried to push my own boundaries by creating music, and even if I was unable to finish the piece, I gained more appreciation to the works of the baroque and the classical eras, 2 eras that I heavily relied on for my own writing.
51. Before my team had an artist, I had to come up with an abstract art banner image for my work. I found myself getting very into the process and found a love for simplistic graphic design like this. It even allowed me to broaden my horizons a bit in the artistic world. I learned that I really enjoyed creating art pieces, and trying to bring them to life, before this I was quite afraid of trying to make things artistically. I don't think that I perceived a reality beyond my physical point, however I do believe that I found a purpose to try my best regardless, and that the world is limitless and I am able to do whatever I put my mind to. I think that inspiration is a big part of it.
52. Creating a painting of my grandfather was an incredibly formative experience for me as an artist. Through the process, I learned a great deal about my own true nature and authentic self. As an African American man, my grandfather had lived through a great deal of adversity in his life, and capturing his likeness in a gothic realist style allowed me to explore the complexity of his character and his struggles in a deep and meaningful way. As I worked on the painting, I found that I was able to tap into my own inner strength and resilience, and that the process of creating something beautiful and powerful allowed me to connect with my own sense of purpose and identity in a profound way. In addition to learning about my own true nature, the process of creating this painting also allowed me to explore deeper questions about ultimate meaning and the nature of existence. Through my grandfather's story, I was able to grapple with big ideas about the significance of suffering and the role of spirituality in our lives. In capturing his likeness in a gothic realist style, I was able to infuse the painting with a sense of haunting mystery and transcendence that spoke to these deeper questions in a powerful way. Overall, this work has been a touchstone for me as an artist, reminding me of the importance of grappling with the big questions in life and creating work that speaks to something beyond the mundane.
53. During an architecture study I drew process sketches of a modern interior folding partition door. What seemed simple showed the ease of transformation of a space, mechanical design, and simplicity. This helped me to understand how much exists beyond a simple action of a door.
54. During the covid lockdown, i pursued the creation of an experimental electronic music album. I have conceptualized many albums, lyrics, cover artworks, song titles, promo designs, etc, but i wanted this project to represent a more ethereal realm and evoke deep personal reactions to the listener, in an attempt to teleport them into a special dimension. It took about a year to gather my thoughts and feelings and write/produce the album. It involved distorting all my emotions while maintaining a minimal approach and an enjoyably unique experience. To finalize the project, I designed the cover artwork while reviewing the mix. While doing so, I underwent multiple identity shifts. I wanted to have something beautiful and ugly, simple, yet complicated. The whole idea was to pair the music, which was a story of contradiction, with a piece that compliments its misunderstood chaos. I was at a constant conflict with my thoughts, in battle with what i thought the viewers and listeners would think, and the adrenaline. It felt like there was a giant, multi-eyed, multi-limbed monster consuming my energy, feeding off of creativity. I was on the right path to the non-physical approach i wanted. Everything felt so perfectly misplaced and adjusted in the end. The final idea was an organized mess on a light backdrop. It was new and outdated. It was off putting and pretty. A problem was having all emotions in a space. I liked that it looked unfinished. The amount of time and effort was worth it, due to exploring the darkest and brightest depths.
55. During the pandemic I absolutely hated wearing masks as I found they limited my creative expression. So one day I had an idea! I would create a mask that was fashionable. I purchased the materiels 3D gold butterflies and applied them to an old mask I had and sewed them one and voila I had a 3d butterfly mask. I didnt experience any spirits but I felt very powerful and beautiful while wearing the masks.
56. During the year twenty seventeen, I created my most meaningful piece of art to date because I wanted to prove to myself that I had what it took to be a screenwriter according to the Hollywood standard. I had been writing for over a decade without any traction, so I took an idea and poured my soul and talent into it, little did I know that this project would be the one where the artform would "click" with me; I understood the art like I never did prior. I worked with a confidence that I have never had before, and even predicted that this would be the "one." I was correct in my prediction because it was this project that won me several awards and got me recognized. My project is an action/adventure period piece, and solidified in me that I am a writer of action films. Most of what I learned from this project is that you have to remain positive with art, and that most of us will be terrible at it for a long time before we become "good," but good isn't enough if you want to make a living at it, if getting recognized and making a living as an artist is your goal, you with have to reach for exceptional. I barley new the basics of every day writing when I started, and had to also learn those rules on my journey to being recognized for my art.
57. For a number of years I travelled the country performing at festivals and faires, I lived at various times in a tent, a repurposed ambulance, and even a converted school bus (all by choice, not due to poverty). I had many wonderful experiences, and visited all 48 of the contiguous states by the time I was 30. Along the way I met many wonderful people who taught me many things about life and love, as well as some traditional Native American beading techniques. During all of those miles along back roads and highways I saw a lot of road kill, including birds, even owls. I love owls and feel a very strong spiritual connection to them, so when I would see one dead on the side of the road, I would stop to wish it safe travels along its way into the mystic unknown. While traveling with my performing partner, we had a knife throwing act, I learned that if the bird was still fairly fresh, we could remove the wings and tail, and spread them like butterfly wings and they would dry perfectly. Over the years I collected, with reverence, a number of pieces of bird roadkill and dried them. After I stopped traveling, went back to school, and started a new career, I still kept them packed carefully in a box. All the while I had this idea in my head about creating a work of art with them. Every time I moved, I took them with me, through graduate school, then moving to Georgia for a job, getting married, then to New Orleans. I even kept the, safe through hurricane Katrina. Then to Albuquerque, then California, getting divorced, the wings stayed with me for over 30 years! And still I dreamt of this piece I wanted to create. But then I did less and less artwork, my hands would not cooperate. Finally, just over a year ago, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, even though I was only 56 at the time, this was a blow and I was afraid I would never be able to do the detailed artwork that I enjoyed so much let alone ever pin an insect specimen again for my job. But my doctors prescribed medication to control the tremors, and it worked! I could finally do beadwork again. I decided it was time, I pulled out the wings and started to design layouts and measure them, then I got a custom case from the company I was working for, 36” x 24” black frame with a glass front, 2.5 “ deep. It was so big and daunting when I brought it home and laid it on my work table. I removed the lid and started working on the wing layout in the case. There are a pair of great horned owl wings and a pair of barred owl wings laid over each other and spread as if flying up on an angle with the tail of the barred owl in the appropriate spot. In the lower right quadrant are 3 single wings of a pigeon, a killdeer, and a screech owl in an array that appears to be flying away and slightly down. In the lower left quadrant, below the owl tail as if reaching downwards from the owl are the 2 sets of talons from the owls. They are outstretched as if reaching for something below. I decided it didn’t look finished, so I created 2 sets of matching peyote stitch beaded cuffs to decorate the tops of the legs on the talons. I used a traditional zigzag or lightening pattern with a black background. The zigzag has a single row of pearl white on either side with a wide band of iris teal beads down the middle. It was so good to be able to work with seed beads again, it was the first time in years. I still drop some, and I have to concentrate a lot harder now, but felt like freedom. Every time I look at the piece I think of my travels and what they meant to me, but I also see my own perseverance and hope in the beads. The work also represents the beauty and spiritual power of birds and the natural world.
58. Growing up, I always had a difficult time making friends no matter how hard I tried. I always ended up being outcasted and ostracized due to my differences. I experienced a lot of anxiety, loneliness, and sadness due to my lack of support system, companionship, and esteem. People say that high school and college were the best years of their lives so I wanted to have hope that I would have a chance to experience what others have. Throughout my time attending high school and college I realized that nothing really changed. I still haven't found the kind of friendship I desired or relationship. I created an artwork to vent the amount of pain I suffered from being a misfit. This was the darkest period of my life. This artwork is made from graphite pencil. It is of a woman that resembles me smiling. She is divided in two. Her left side is of a fake stitched smile, tears down her face, her eye dimmed, and a blackened hole where her heart should be. This side resembles the amount of pain and darkness I have experienced and how I really felt inside. The right side is the woman smiling normally and appearing happy. This resembles how I had to keep going and expected to function normally. All around the drawing I wrote about how tired I was trying to stay hopeful. It talks about my wishes and desires that has not come true and my despairing feelings. The ultimate meaning is about suffering and loneliness. People that are expected to be societally normal and perfect despite the suffering that they may experience and lack of support system. Mental health can determine how well someone can function and it is important for society to value it and take it seriously. It also symbolizes the importance of kindness even if it is a small gesture it can go a long way and help someone feel like they matter.
59. Honestly, i don't have any "key" moments concerning arts in my life. but i do remember this big moment when i was on a bus, and i got bored, so i decided to sketch an object i saw while on the bus. while sketching, i completely drowned myself in it and sort of forgot about the fact that i was bored. Now unknown to me, my sit partner was beside me, observing while i drew. Now when i was done he marvelled at how good i was, and even showed a few passengers in the bus.i felt proud, i am not going to lie, and in that moment, i had a lot of confidence in my art and was encouraged to put more effort into it and probably sell it or showcase it in an art gallery
60. I actually decided to make Christmas presents this past year using organic, natural objects I gathered outside. I walked around my neighborhood woods and picked up large pinecones, seedlings, rocks, dirt and other items that I put together to make centerpieces. I did this all by myself and immersed myself in nature while doing this. This is who I am. I love sustainability and I believe in protecting our planet. It meant a lot to me to use my hands to create art that I hope would give others that same feeling of nature and peace. I am very spiritual, not religious, so I feel using my body and mind to create is something ingrained in me and connects with all things spiritual and natural on Earth. I can easily remove myself from present surroundings and take me to a higher level when I create. I love it.
61. I actually performed at a karaoke competition recently, where I did a performance based on the third episode of the last of us, which focused on the love story between two gay men. They were isolated due to a zombie apocalypse. One of them was suffering from a debilitating disease that ended up, causing him to plan his suicide. His partner decided to end his life at the same time I learned so much about myself because I performed this number in tribute to the grand emotions that I felt while watching the show. I spent the entire time trying not to cry. I just found the story of the episode, extremely beautiful and romantic. I never thought I would be able to do such a serious and sad performance on stage. I learned that I can be very brave.
62. I adore fashion and hand arts. I collect textiles from around the world (kimonos of Japan, saris from India, mudcloth from Botswana, lace from Ireland, etc.). I make it a point, when I travel, to seek out handcrafting and attempt to find someone to teach me a little bit about how to do the craft. I was in Ireland a few years ago and sought out Carrickmacross Lace that was used in the making of Diana's wedding gown. I found the small town where the workers lived and received a private tour of this particular lace making. It was a fascinating day and my love for the talent and expertise required to make things from this kind of bobben lace was nurtured and inspired. As for life's meaning, I'm not a spiritual individual so I can't say I felt a supreme being's hands in the work. To me, it was more about the science and the mind working in tandem.
63. I am a lifelong competitive sailor. In college, I was exposed to iceboat sailing, and I decided to build my own iceboat (DN) out of wood to compete with. There were many local sailors who were involved in the sport, most of whom had built at least some of their own iceboat(s) at some point in their lives. There was little room for compromise in design, as the class has strict rules if one is to be eligible to compete in their iceboat. While I understand why this is so, I hated how limiting it felt to be so restricted in my design, so much so as I was essentially just carbon copying a design that had been built thousands of times previously. That was probably the most substantial introspective aspect of the process, feeling so limited in my creative process that a lot of the enjoyment I felt early on turned more or less into a monotonous and drawn out procedure. I am not generally the type of person to feel otherworldly perceptions, but I do remember thinking that my grandfather, a lifelong mechanic who had passed away years before I started the build, would be proud that I was putting many of the strange old tools he left me to good use. It was very fulfilling the first time I was able to use and race the iceboat, and despite the laborious and drawn-out build process, I immediately thought that it was something I would enjoy doing again.
64. I am inspired, in general, by Halloween and all it encompasses. So I picked up a pencil and started out by drawing Sam from the Trick or Treat movie franchise. I then spent literal days painting him and all of his details. I felt satisfied that I listened to my brain and heart and put what I was envisioning in my head into the real world. It came out amazing! This event was significant because it was one of the first times I'd ever painted something that actually came out the way I wanted it to. It seriously boosted my confidence. I think this taught me that I don't have as much confidence in myself as I should and that art is not always about perfectionism.
65. I am thinking of the first group dance that I choreographed. It was a praise dance to the song "Press" by Fred Hammond. I was so nervous about teaching a group dance. It was my first time. As I thought or and meditated on the meaning of the song, I really became one with it and felt it through my body. Movements basically just flowed in a way I had never experienced before. My confidence in my abilities increased. I had always liked to hang in the background not really comfortable taking the lead. So creating this piece was a major accomplishment for me.
66. I basically created a video game character/idea. Ultimately I came up with what I wanted to be a protagonist of a video game idea, that of which I still have been holding on to but have never finished thinking up the entire idea. The character was based on ideas of loosely based characters from JRPG games like Final Fantasy. I had thought of many notable examples of how the character's personality could have been played out -- based off of my own self/essence somewhat "injected" in to the character, all the way to bits and pieces of other character's personalities along the way too. The meaning of the character may indeed be based off of me enough to where one could consider the character or art idea basically intrinsic -- a self-reflection of sorts simply.
67. I began a short book that was very influenced by Finnegans' Wake. It was a collection of impressions that were then categorized into various chapters as they fit in with a sort of numerology. It was a great deal of automatic writing at first and then placing it where I felt it needed to go. I felt as if I was indeed getting in touch with the subconscious and then doing the work to sort of make sense of it.
68. I began drawing when I was a child. I've never been spectacular at it, but I'm not terrible. When I was a teen, I met a girl named Gina who was the same age. We became fast friends. I don't think I've ever laughed so much as when I was with her. We loved the same music, the same movies, the same activities. I often drew pictures for her. One day I drew a picture of two graves, with each of our names on the tombstones, and a hand rising from each grave, reaching out to clasp the other. It was my way of saying we would be friends until death, and beyond. Sure it was a little morbid, but I was a moody teen, what do you expect? It wasn't a great picture, but it was meaning ful. Life happens, and we moved onto separate paths. In the past year, I've been in touch with Gina again, mostly via texting or phone calls. It has been wonderful re-acquainting myself with my old friend. During one of our texting sessions, she sent me a scanned photo with the words "look what I still have". It was the picture of our graves! She had kept it for 44 years. 44 years! I will admit, I cried when I saw it. That she treasured it so much meant the world to me.
69. I began taking violin lessons as a 8 year old. By high school I was participating in the youth philharmonic of the city I lived in. I recall a dress rehearsal with the full orchestra and we were playing a piece by Beethoven. At some point while playing this piece i remember feeling disassociated from by body in a way as if the music was just flowing through me. I remember just feeling so involved and immersed in the music almost as if I had tapped into the consciousness of a great musician.
70. I believe that everything is art. The way I dress, the way I prepare food, the decor in my home and even the activities I chose to do. My art reflects this about me. I am drawn to grace, to women and movement, and finally, or ultimately to blazing colors. In the past year, I painted a woman wearing a patchwork skirt and dancing. It is a square 8x8 acrylic painting. I worked on it for months, solving color questions and geometry questions often in my dreams. The finished product is a woman in a studio who looks like a swirl of movement and color.
71. I believe that photography is such an important artform because it captures memories in a tangible way. The moment that stick out most to me is when my mother and I traveled to Zion National Park and captured images. I think that this really helped me appreciate what I deem important in the world: nature and family. I found myself in awe of the world around me and wanted to capture it any way. It's hard to be in the presence of such wonder and not believe in a higher power. While this occurred years ago, I still look back on the images with fond memories.
72. I carved a carousel horse with my grandfather over a year. It was a small palomino horse with an American flag saddle design. We used knives, saws, chisels, gouges, and drummel. We would work on it every Wednesday evening for a few hours. I wasn't thinking much as I would listen to music or be talking. I would just enjoy the feeling of my blade moving through the wood. It's satisfying to put in the work and produce something you are proud of. I wanted it to be a piece of art my family and I were proud of. It was a really meaningful time as it was probably some of the last meaningful times I spent with my grandfather. I think this event just shows I am capable of learning new skills and need to take time to enjoy them.
73. I collaborated with my niece on a series of digital paintings. It reminded me that art should be fun and enjoyed.
74. I completed a art involves painting focused on Hong Kong's scenery. The background is the night sky and the foreground are tall buildings. There are lights on the buildings and I want this piece to showcase the beautiful night sky from Hong Kong. The night sky also shows how life can be simple even with all the busy lifestyle. While making this piece, I thought about my own life and how I should see beauty in places. This painting makes me realize that life can be chaotic but we should still find peace from it. I did not perceived a reality beyond the physical world with this piece. This piece is especially meaningful to me as I love the scenery from Hong Kong.
75. I completed a manuscript a couple of years ago and have currently been looking for an agent or publisher. I learned a lot about myself and what I can do as a writer. I didn't necessarily learn anything about an "ultimate meaning," but I enjoyed writing and thought that it was meaningful to me. I didn't have any spiritual experiences. The closest thing I experienced was bursts of inspiration.
76. I composed a group of short pieces I called specs (intended to be a play on words - spec meaning a musical specification for instruments, and speck meaning a small dot). I was in high school attending a music camp in Flagstaff Arizona, and had two roommates, a cellist and a violist. I was thinking it would be fun if we had pieces designed just for us that we could play together when we were otherwise sitting around. So specs are either for a trio of those instruments, or cello duets. I'm proud of them still. My roommates enjoyed them. I learned that my true nature had a sense of humor and a work ethic, and I probably already knew nothing about my inauthentic self, since I've never met him. Ultimate meaning remained in a cloud of inspissated darkness. Nothing was mystical but things were sometimes comical. I didn't and don't take myself that seriously.
77. I created a body of paintings around a California cult when It started when was in my early 20's, around 15 years ago. I had just been to an artist residency on the east coast which was my first time visiting there. When I was there, I ran across an old wooden cabin, and on the 2nd floor, all these beds were laid out with mattresses only, no sheets. They were so poignant and stark in that empty room. I laid down on them and put the camera on a timer, and shot photos of myself laying flat in each bed with the bottoms of my Nike shoes visible. I saw in those beds a similarity to the images of the heaven's gate cult in san diego from 1997. Where they drank poison and laid down in beds under purple shrouds and matching Nikes to die. I realized that I have a very specific point of view as a person from Southern California with religious protestant upbringing. I saw that was what made my work unique and stand out. I realized it was best to make work that is idiosyncratic to our life experiences. I learned that many people are yearning for escape through transcendance and awe. The work was both about that in subject, but also in affect. When I turned those photos into a painting, I used brushstrokes to convey the melancholy and beauty of such a dark act that this cult enacted. I looked a lot at the Hudson river school painters and how the sublime and transcendent were imbued into their colors and painting methods. My teacher at the residency was very impressed and still comments on that piece, 15 years later. It was a huge shift in how I started to appreciate my own point of view, and dig within my own life experiences and emotions to create original ideas in my work. I would paint late at night in the undergraduate studios when making this painting and the others in this cult series. I'd be playing music that was spiritually significant to me, like Peter Gabriel, Bjork, and Underworld. One night, I was desperate to get new ideas for another painting. There was an air mattress I had in that studio for occasions when I'd be so immersed in my work, I'd want to stay overnight at school. When I laid my head down to rest, I suddenly had all these visions of cult members and their yoga-like gestures come into my mind. By now I refer to this feeling as "aesthetic mania". I do not have any diagnosis of mania, but this was a transcendent experience of what it feels like to be connected to "Source", or the collective unconscious. I felt like I was a conduit for larger moods, feelings and archetypes from collective human history. I have had similar experiences in my 30's after taking psilocybin mushrooms. That time period painting those paintings was one of the most focused, concentrated and intense part of my formative years as an artist and painter.
78. I created a complicated piece of 'terrain' for a D&D campaign. It was the interior of a clock tower. Strictly speaking, it would have been considered mixed media. We only used it for 2 games, a total of 5, maybe 6 hours. It took me at least twice as long to make it. I was pretty happy with how it turned out. It had been years since I'd made ANYTHING at that point. It was also one of the most useful things I'd ever made (for all of 5 or 6 hours). I remember it because it was the first thing I'd created in years, and I haven't made anything since. It was about 12 or so years ago.
79. I created a dance to one of my favorite composers, Prokofiev. I really tried to "see the music, hear the dance" in the movements I created. I wanted people to see the connection between the two art forms. I had lots of contrast in the movements and they were sometimes abstract. I wanted them to question the work, and find their own, personal meaning in it.
80. I created a digital illustration for a children's book about a young girl who learns to overcome her fears. The illustration depicted the girl standing on top of a mountain, arms outstretched and a look of triumph on her face. As I worked on the illustration, I found myself becoming emotionally invested in the story and the character. I was able to draw from my own experiences of overcoming fear and doubt to create a piece of art that was both beautiful and meaningful. This event was significant to me because it showed me the power of art to convey a message and touch people's hearts.
81. I created a medieval dining room using Maya. This was a 3d model. I learned about my creativity and that I really enjoy making models on the computer. I discovered that I was more artistic than I previously thought. I did not learn anything about ultimate meaning. I did not have any experiences in which I perceived a reality beyond the physical world.
82. I created a needlework piece of a nature scene. It taught me patience and skillfulness with colors. I worked on this while sitting with my terminally ill father and it is now one of my most treasured pieces. I had a had time finishing it, but now I am so proud of the piece and the sad but loving memories in the work. I seen a buck very similar to the one in the needlework the day my father passed and to me that was a sign from God. I am so thankful to have it represented in the piece of needlework.
83. I created a painting for a school project when I was in ninth grade. I was given the task of creating an abstract painting that conveyed a certain emotion. I chose to create a painting that depicted loneliness. I used a variety of colors, including blues and purples to create a moody atmosphere. I used different brushstrokes and textures to create an abstract, yet emotional composition. The process of creating the painting was a very cathartic experience for me. I was able to express my emotions through the colors and brushstrokes. I felt liberated and empowered in the creative process. I learned about the power of art and the importance of expressing my feelings through art. This experience taught me a lot about my true nature. I learned that art is an important outlet for me and that it can be used to express my innermost thoughts and feelings. It also taught me that I am an emotionally sensitive person and that I need to be mindful of my emotions. In terms of ultimate meaning, I believe that art can be used to connect with a higher power and to find spiritual guidance. I think that art can be used to express the deeper, underlying meaning of life and to discover the beauty and mystery of the universe. Finally, while creating the painting, I did not have any experiences that transcended the physical world. But I did feel a connection to something larger than myself, something that was greater than me and my emotions. I felt a sense of inspiration and guidance, which I believe was coming from a higher power.
84. I created a painting of my mother in a wedding dress. I completed this painting in high school. I used oil paints and it depict a woman wearing a veil who appears to be deep in thought. She is framed in silence and praying as she holds two wedding rings. There are also no distracting background or other details. During the creative process, I discovered that I was very connected to the real moment in time that I was depicting. A moment that occurred just five years before my birth. I felt her strength and I was inspired to create a piece that acknowledged the power that lies in the silence. It was not specifically about prayer but those life changing moments where we reflect before we embark. Through this artwork, I was able to gain insights about my own authentic self. I realized that I often use silence as a tool to gain clarity and to connect to my inner truth. I felt that the artwork was a reminder to stay present in the moment and to be mindful of the peace and tranquility that comes with silence.
85. I created a paper when I was in college that discussed mental illness and my personal struggles with anxiety. Being able to write about this experience taught myself ways in which I could cope going forward, as well as how I internalize my own self. It taught me that my problems were unique, but also that I was not alone in going through issues, although the issues of others were independent of me.
86. I created a piece called "smize". It was a charcoal and my frist copic markers drawing. It was of a older photograph I took of my daughter as a toddler. I chose this picture to draw because at the time u was going through the worst tine of life and I haven't smiled in years leading up to the event and when the worst event happened amd its side affects. I remember the photograph like it was yesterday. No color,in black-and-white white. She was so busy toddler theought the hosiery and I was under the weather and she kept checking in on my and I grab my camera and said chey,pretty girl" and she lit up. She was always know for her big Anime brown eyes and that was exactly what I captured. Her SMIZE; smiling eyes. As I began drawing the portrait,I began to cry because I was scared. Scared if using this new material, the marker, amd also I didn't know where my life was heading in the moment. Everything had changed for the worst and I felt I had no control over me. Everyone else did. As I started the outline, I began to see the steps I needed to take to gain back control of my life. Make the outline not focused on the finish line I had on mind I ad mapped out and now it's changed nor the new uncharted territory. Then I began filling in step by step using pencil charcoal and the markers,interchangeably. As I saw a gigantic version of the portrait I took of my daughter come to life,not only as a replica but as new take on how I drew portraits. I began to realize things aren't set in stone. Not even my plans, and the new things that bombard my life and seem scary to utilized(good/bad) cam still be used for right. I can repurpose what I already know with what I don't. I had to learn to trust myself again when I put my trust and over in another and it was broken. I learned to restore my smile in my eyes. Because eyes are the window to our soul and tells a whole story without words. My eyes were always swollen,puffy from crying,fear,anxiety which cause the lack of sleep look.
87. I created a piece in college where we developed an installation artwork that caused quite a stir. It took over a whole hallway, using plastic sheeting and a fan to create an immersive shape shifting experience. I loved the boldness of it, and others in the building got quite mad about it's placement, which added to the enjoyment!
88. I created an abstract painting of a face using acrylic paint. I learned that I am impatient but also creative. I learned that life shouldn't be taken so seriously and mistakes should be taken in stride. I haven't had experiences perceiving reality beyond the physical world.
89. I created an immersive art experience with photography, videos, and music. I was able to recreate the history of a small town by incorporating archival footage and pictures and videos I made. I learned how to appreciate the history of small towns, even if I did not live there. I was able to mind diverse ways to show a living example of history. The archival and modern visuals created a loop showing how the past, present, and future are always connected. The idea was to show the bonds that transcend time. The concept was to show how everyone, past and present, is collectively a part of living history. The goal was to show how everyone was connected through shared experiences. It was supposed to highlight the strengths of the community.
90. I created art in my senior year of high school. It was selected for an art show. I received a scholarship for the piece I created. I learned that I really enjoyed designing artwork. It became a passion for me. It also showed that I was good enough
91. I created artwork of my favorite place. I used paints to display my arts on a canvas. The painting I did was one when we were on vacation a beach in florida. It was a special moment because thats when i was proposed to. I used vivid colors to reimagine the scene that day and what it entailed. My future husband was involved in setting the whole thing up. It was significant because this was a big milestone in our lives. this events really shows that love is everything and its always good to show your love to someone. I learned about my true nature in that environment because i knew i was ready to get married and that was a big step. I learned about to taking that next big step in life and settling down with someone i truly loved.
92. I created the bass tracks for 2 demo albums by local bands when I was a teenager. I was asked to sit in during studio time. I don't feel I learned anything about myself in the process other than I had a knack for writing complex rhythm pieces. I didn't have any insight into myself. I have not had the experience of creating something that was in and of itself meaningful. I didn't learn anything about ultimate meaning. I don't believe this exists. I believe people create or ascribe meaning to things, but it doesn't exist inherently without perception. People find meaning in suffering as a way to explain why it's happening and in turn as a way to transcend suffering or grow from it. Spirituality is a form of self-reinforcing, potentially shared (group) escapism that I also believe holds no real inherent meaning outside of its intended purpose. If either of these are used to promote personal or individual growth it is due to their perceived potential worth and subsequent effort on the part of the participant engaged in suffering/spirituality. They (suffering/spirituality) in and of themselves do not offer meaning nor do they contain it. We conjure the meaning to try and understand them. The only time I've perceived reality beyond this world was under the influence of LSD and it had nothing to do with the process of creating art. I saw the universe slow down and pause for a moment, at which point I could see the 'unified field', or all of existence as it appears as if standing outside of it (both time and space). I was also communicated to (for lack of a better way to say it) by some form of intelligence larger than the universe. However, after the experience I was keenly aware that the experience was due to the drug allowing my mind to experience a theoretical scenario and not a real event.
93. I did a acrylic painting of Hunter S Thompson. Its my favorite. I painted it at home surrounded by friends that stop by and hung out while i painted. I learned that I'm much more talented then I thought. It made me feel authentic because i created it. And I came up with the design myself. I learned that my peers are closer then i thought while going through some tough times. No experiences anything close to to religion but I can see it in my mind and i painted it the exact way i seen it in my mind.
94. I did a series of computer graphics using the female form as inspiration. I did them in a black & white illustrative style where while realistic did not look photographic. I started these as pen and ink drawings which I scanned. I cleaned them up and edited them on the computer. They were printed on a large format printer to be displayed. I felt I was true to myself in my process. My teacher was very encouraging but the school at the time thought they were too graphic to be displayed. It was okay for others to have realistic self portraits with nudity but my more abstract art was too "sexual" to be displayed. This honestly inspired me to push boundaries in my career and go more into digital media instead of fine art. I have never been religious or had any experiences in regards to art. I used art as a theraputic method to deal with life. It worked well for me.
95. I did a series of photographs documenting a specific geographic area of the mid-West. I had spent the better part of my life growing up there, and felt I could see and feel it in a different way that "outsiders". Lots of people probably consider middle America as flyover states, but I wanted to represent the aging beauty, sparseness and complexity of the area. I believe I did come to appreciate my "true nature" throughout this process, to love and respect the area that produced me. I don't know that I felt any ultimate meaning about the experience - but I did enjoy the solitary nature of this series. Throughout it, I spent countless morning photographing fields and old barns, afternoons documenting old roadside motels, and late nights getting long exposures of glowing, empty main streets. This was very much rooted in the physical world - so no I don't think I felt any experience beyong that.
96. I did some artwork for a friend's online business. It turned out to be very popular. I got a fair amount of attention from it, and many people still comment on the work when they see it. I think it gave me more confidence to keep working on my art and now I've dedicated more time to my hobby with the intentions of making money from it.
97. I did sound design for a play at my university about six months ago. I worked as part of a team of designers that included both students and faculty members. During that time it was enjoyable, but I became stressed as the important deadlines started approaching. It's significant to me because this was the first time I was sound designing by myself and not as an assistant. I learned a lot about how I work with a team and what techniques work best for me to stay on track with my schedule. I learned about what was important for an audience to understand a story and how to evoke emotion. I didn't experience anything beyond reality.
98. I didn't learn anything in my true nature from this experience. I did not lear anything about "Ultimate Meaning" from this experience neither. With that said, I didn't not have any experiences in which you perceived a reality beyond the physical world either.
99. I discovered my ability to draw by accident when I was about 18 years old. Before that time I had never drawn anything other than bubble letters or ribbons that I learned to add contrast to in high school. That was it. My best friend had a school assignment where she had to draw some images of people from the times and stories in Egypt of Thoth. She had to draw 4 of them and one night while we were partying and drunk, I told her I would do it for her. She accepted. The next day we laughed about it but I still agreed to the challenge. So, I got to work on her images. She came over one day after I had finished the 1st one and she couldn't believe her eyes. It was so good. Yes, I am bragging but I am proud of myself for doing what I didn't know I could. All 4 images were just as good as the first. She was so happy to turn those in. She called me up the day after she turned them in and said, "You're not going to believe this. Not only did I get the highest grade in the class, but they also want me to draw for the school!" Haha! She and I both laughed our tails off about it because there was no way she could do it. I have had many experiences with things I've drawn or crocheted or made, but I think that experience has to be my best because, not only did I help someone else and strengthen our friendship, I also discovered an untapped talent at the time. It was also in alignment with my belief that I could do just about anything I set my mind to.
100. I don't feel that I am an artistic person and I don't create art and have passion about it in my daily life. Years ago when I was in college I did have to take some art classes. I decided to take sculpture probably because I thought I might at least learn something. I had to recreate a sculpture out of soapstone. I was worried while I was looking through books for something simple to do since I was terrible at all the sculpting I had tried so far in the class. My mother suggested a piece that she had seen in a magazine. I looked it up and it was a simple statue of a mother figure that I think was supposed to represent Mary. I went for it even though I didn't have any feelings about the subject matter or the medium. It turned out okay and I think I got an "A" on the assignment. I gave the tiny statue to my mother and didn't think of it again for years. After she passed I found that statue in her office. I still have it because it reminds me of how she tried to help me with a project. I makes me smile when I see it.
101. I drew a bubble explosion in the air with sparkles which to me felt like a release of emotions and it made me sad. I felt like it somehow showed the way a love lifts you up and up lightly into the clouds then bursts at the turn of separation releasing a bunch of emotions falling down pulling you down to the ground unable to get back up. I think this was all I was thinking of at the time and was going through a break up.
102. I drew a portrait of my high school biology teacher because she was a person I relied on when going through periods of emotional abuse. I drew it around my junior year in high school. I was mainly involved in drawing it but some of my artist friends did provide feedback on parts of her face I could tweek a little to make it look better. The drawing was significant to me because it sort of just represented how thankful I was to her for how she has supported me. One thing this drawing says about me however is that I can become too dependent on others for support and fixate on them a little too much than is healthy. It perhaps gave me an insight into how much suffering I was dealing with in real life and how this suffering sort of translated into this fixation for my teacher in the form of a portrait I spent hours upon hours to draw.
103. I drew a realistic portrait of an older man covering part of his face with his hand, holding his head. The background was magazine cutouts that I had found to create a story about his life and the issues he faced. I used pencil and magazine clippings to create the piece. The piece was called "PTSD". I created this artwork when I was in high school AP art class. I learned that I can be creative and also tackle difficult pieces. The meaning behind the artwork was human suffering and dealing with the past. I had no spiritual guidance in creating the piece.
104. I drew an abstract photo of my wedding day. I felt that I dove into my authentic self and portrayed all my my deep emotions onto the paper. It made me have a greater appreciation for my partner. It made me want to go above and beyond to be a better person.
105. I drew an animated, comic-book style chaotic picture of a girl, with her sleeves down past her hands, and a blank expression, standing on a patch of grass floating in an abyss of chaotic designs and art. Above her was a bunch of balloons that had been released by the girl, floating away. Around the balloons were various little ghouls and monsters, and standing near the girl on the ground was a depiction of a grim reaper, The image symbolized what I was going through at that time. Heavy loss after losing several family members and friends in a very close period of time. It was surreal. The balloons symbolized the loved ones I lost while the girl on the ground was myself, left behind on the earth alone. The long sleeves symbolized my inability to use my hands to grasp and hold my loved ones here to stay with me on the earth. The monsters and ghouls were various things that took my loved ones - from my mom's cancer, to my best friend's alcohol, to another friend's heroin overdose. I didn't intend all of the symbolism as I drew it, which was surprising because later on when I looked it over, it all made perfect sense to me. I have a connectedness with my innermost me that comes out via my art. The me that even I might not be always conscious of.
106. I edited together a song i really liked with some scenes from a show that i watch. I was in a real bad mood and found that editing some shots together to fit with a song really helped me deal with my emotions at the time. The film is essentially a man being chased through some tunnels, he falls randomly into a void of space where he's pierced by light that kills him but the sun brings him back to life as his body hovers through space. he's sent back to earth, stronger with a purpose this time, though. I learned that there's always a brighter tomorrow and nothing's forever. I never edited anything before but i'm really happy with how it came out. I watch it every once in a while and always feel pretty good about it except for the minor flaws i nitpick about.
107. I encountered a rare flower that I happen to have tattooed on me. Finding it in the wild was very powerful and I felt an extreme connection with nature in that moment. My boyfriend was with me on the camping trip where this occured. I captured the superimposed flower and tattoo in a photograph and submitted it to an art contest. This happened in October of 2022 and I felt a lot of emotions at the time about my place in nature, feeling spiritually encouraged by all the coincidences that were happening around that time. I think this really speaks to my bond with the natural world, the whole camping trip taught me a lot about my strengths and weaknesses.
108. I feel like when it comes to art, I have a rather polarizing relationship with it. I want to partake in the act of creation, but I feel as though I'm too perfectionist for it, and also sometimes what I want to achieve just doesn't match the level of discipline or skill I hold for my ambitions and it's rather discouraging. I wrote a short story for my creative writing class and it was rather bad, but I also didn't feel like the constructive criticism given was any good. Furthermore, I also felt as though my short story about a former arson girl was empty and lacked motive and meaning behind it, but that it was being compared to an existing TV show and that diminished my experiences as a writer because I felt like I could never truly break the bubble of being anything but a "fanfiction writer". And it's embarrassing to admit that most of your writing experience is amateur and comes from self-indulgent motivations, but that never changed the fact that I wanted to create stories that resonated with people, no matter the medium. I learned about myself that I was incapable of forming ideas into tangible works of art that could reach out to people, and yet, I learned at the same time that writing is all about continuing forward in pursuit of the act of creation despite failures along the way. I feel like every artwork says more about myself, about how I continue to try to express myself through words and art that just don't meet my own standards, and being caught in the self-deprecating cycle of never being good enough and yet still wanting to try. I didn't have any experiences in which I perceived a reality beyond the physical world, unless you count the act of writing as basically sharing a whole unseen world to readers who perceive into reality. But that's just how literature is, in general.
109. I feel very connected doing my artwork. I get lost in what I'm doing, and it's like I escaped the world around me. And that's what I like most about it. I learned that I have very artistic talents in that I should do them more frequently.
110. I had a idea for piece of artwork based on one of my favorite video game franchises. I had it clear in my mind. It might have been one of the clearest images I ever saw in my head for an art piece. I knew exactly how I wanted to draw and color it. It took a few weeks to complete it because I don't like to rush if I don't have to . I like to look over things and get as good as I can before I show it off. I wanted to make sure that it was as dark and mysterious as in my head. I wanted it to convey the little information that we the fans had about ho the main character may be feeling in this story as well as the audience may feel being taunted with little information about the game. I learned a lot about my tastes when it comes to coloring as well as my overall approach when it comes to illustration in general. I want to try and go beyond that illustration and do something more grandiose in the future.
111. I had a piece I did late one night about 20 years ago that sticks out. I was in the middle of a deep depression. When I paint I don't really have a theme in mind. I paint what I feel. This ended up being a small (4x6) canvas of a Ferryman traveling alone through the rivers of the afterlife, alone with his staff. It was mostly abstract but the theme resonated with how I felt. I had almost died a few times the last few years and I guess it was my way of coping with the experience through art.
112. I had a vase that I wanted to try sponge painting on. I took a sponge and several color varieties of purples and whites. I Sanger the colors on randomly and created a very pretty pattern on the vase. I posted several pictures of the vase and was delighted that someone wanted to buy it! I feel very accomplishment knowing people are wanting to buy my art!
113. I had become friends with a rapper/producer from Pennsylvania that encouraged me to produce music with the concept of sampling vocals from a famous pop singer. He wanted some hip hop and trap styled beats along with some electronic influences infused in it. We hit it right off with one song that I had a beat for but needed samples for. I used samples from the singer Lorde and he really liked the first song I sent. I found out through the process of making beats for an album that I had some talent in arranging bits and pieces together of unusual circumstances. I would used parts of a Lorde song and turn it into a sound in an original beat. We spent about two months together finalizing the beats and his rapping on this album. It was a daily project that we both really worked together closely on. I realized I had a knack for applying myself in a way that no matter how empty the canvas was, I could just add one simple melody and then take it from there and paint a whole picture. Through some of the songs, I was able to really let go of a recent breakup that I had at the time in 2015-2016 when we worked on it. I let the music be my healing ground and it really helped me to turn to my friend and rapper during this time period. I did not really experience anything spiritual, but mentally I had feelings of euphoria and feeling like it was a job well done. The music in one way or another somehow did feel like it came from a part of me and inside of me that was there all along. I just had to bring it out
114. I had created one of my most meaningful pieces four years ago, when I was 14 in middle school. I had a decently sized piece of construction paper, a random paint brush, water and one container of black water color. At this moment I was so upset and angry. I do not recall what I was angry about but I remember how it felt. It was painful. I wanted to rip up the paper in front of me but I began painting slouched on my floor. I painted myself screaming with black pouring out of my eyes, nose and mouth. This was to represent all of my emotions and thoughts building up and spilling out. after I finished painting, I cried and managed to get my tears, spit and blood onto the piece from sobbing so hard and hurting myself. I ended up crumpling the paper, stabbing it and eventually opening it back up again. Through all the pain, at that moment, I truly believed that there is no god. How would he let me hurt so much. I felt no presence, no connection, no inspiration, no guidance and no encouragement from any of the energies in my life at that moment.
115. I had just ended a long shift at the restaurant I worked at, and I was feeling especially creative when I arrived home. So, I went to the local department store, and I bought one single large canvas, several paint brushes, and several tubes of acrylic paint. I was about to make a masterpiece. I returned to my house and laid out all my supplies. I carefully painted a green background using my new paint brush. I looked around for inspiration to further my artwork. I settled on a couple pieces of Tupperware from the kitchen cabinet. I used a circle one a larger square one. I dipped the Tupper in the paint and carefully pressed them against my canvas. This left small circles of blue paint and a larger square of red. I let it all dry and hung it on the wall. Circles and Squares, that's all.
116. I had recently moved to Florida and fell in love with its nature. My brother was getting married and I had no idea what to give him so I painted in watercolors a Florida wetlands setting, something like Winslow Homer's panther painting. I had to start 3 times to get the background correct because I had never painted a tropical Florida scene before. They loved it. It's now 30 years later and they still have it hung on their wall. I knew from that painting that I only wanted to paint tropicals. I did another painting for a boyfriend's birthday and when we broke up, I wanted it back and he willingly gave it to me. There's something about the natural environment in Florida that calms me and makes me think of God continually. I've been away from painting now for a couple years but I just restocked my watercolors and will be painting again. God is always with me and I want to replicate his creative world with my paintings. I may not be famous for this but watercolors is my first love out of a lifetime and career of art created by my talents.
117. i had to create an artwork, a completely solo piece for my senior project in college. I wrote 40 pages of fiction that really helped me to explore my inner self and dig deeper into what I felt was an authentic form of expression of myself. I wrote a fictional story of a girl who discovers she is part of a mythological race of people, and learns to embrace that side of her as well as the life she thought she knew her entire life.
118. I have a background in Buddhist philosophy and a life long interest in Buddhist art. When my 42 year old son passed away following his third surgery for Marfan Syndrome related aneurysms, I was quite devastated. His suffering was intense, he spent nine weeks in the ICU including seventeen trips in the operating room. About a year after his passing, his partner finally shipped a portion of his ashes to me. I immediately began researching tsa-tsa, a form of clay artwork incorporating a deceased person's ashes as produced by Tibetan refugees in Northern India where I had lived in 1971-72 while taking Buddhist philosophy teachings. I then ordered a clay mold of a particular Buddhist deity and began practicing production of the clay molded deity. My anxiety was immense but finally I achieved a satisfactory result. Then with due mental preparation, I undertook to make a number of tsa-tsa with a truly tiny amount of my son's ashes inserted neatly into the back of each clay deity. Typically these are scattered throughout the landscape, tucked into crevices of trees or under rocks and allowed, encouraged, to break-down naturally. I have given a number of these molded clay tsa-tsa to my family members and some of his best friends. It was difficult, lots of tears, but I was eventually rewarded with the appreciation of all who loved dearly. Though gone from sight, in memory dear. ...
119. I have a photo that I took two-three years ago. It depicts the top of building, bathed in shadows l, minus a warm yellow light coming from a window near the top. And on a normal night or at night at all, that would have been the focus, but it wasn't. This was 2020 during the absolute midst of quarantine and I remember sitting on the couch, watching TV with my mom l, you know, the usual. It was daytime, the sun was shining through the blinds somewhat and then a sudden shift. It's like all the light vanished and when I looked outside, it was surprising to say the least. The sky was pink. The photo I took doesn't look real. It feels like something I would have created with enough patience in photoshop, but it isn't. To this day it's one of my absolute favorite photos. I remember running outside camera in hand because there was no way I would pass this up. I always tend to look to the sky when I take photos in nature, not sure why, but I guess I have always had a soft spot for shades of blue. Even without that, this time was no different. I wasn't really thinking of anything in particular when i took it, but when I look at it now, it just reminds me of all the things quarantine allowed me to accomplish.
120. I have created artwork for a race I organize which benefits my community. I enjoy creating it and being able to create it on the computer with no restraints. I can't say it brings me to a deeper level or experience, it is just fun to have the opportunity to create.
121. I have learned through photography to look the lens for different prospective. A simple snapshot verses a planned out frame can make the feeling of the photograph completely different. I am not sure if there is real meaning in nature photography, but I definitely feed like I can capture the simplicity and calmness of nature through photographs. It does help me as I navigate life after the loss of a very loved and missed sibling. I don't feel any religious ties to my art, as I am not religious. It does make me at times feel a stronger connection with the subjects, or the memory of people/experiences.
122. I have never been a particularly talented artist, so art classes in school weren't the most fun for me. I gravitated towards music instead of visual arts. In high school, my art teacher required us to recreate a nature image found from a magazine and because I wasn't looking forward to another terrible drawing, chose something that looked both easy and slightly dark in tone - a dying Black-eyed Susan. For whatever reason, I was able to draw that flower extremely well considering my lack of natural talent. It was the first, and remains to be the only, drawing that I remember being proud of and to this day I will occasionally doodle my memory of that image.
123. I have painted off and on for years now. During the covid shutdown in 2020, I obviously had much more time on my hands than usual. I decided I wanted to paint, and since I love painting landscapes and pictures of nature, it occurred to me to actually paint outside in nature. i took my easel, my canvas, and my paints outside. i also took my phone and my bluetooth speaker to listen to some music while i painted. i ended up doing what is now one of my favorite works. the background is this beautiful orange color that the sky makes when the sun is setting. I painted a tree in front of it, and added some flowers. I painted tulips, which I had never done before. I just remember feeling so happy and calm in a time of such stress and sadness, and fear. I loved breathing the fresh air and singing along to my music, but also hearing the birds singing. I just felt so at peace in that moment. So many days during the shutdown just bled into each other, that I would forget which day was which, and what I actually did that day. When I painted, however, I remember perfectly. I got my inspiration from the beautiful nature around me. From what I saw, what I heard, and what I smelled. I felt such a connection with mother nature in that moment.
124. I have played bass guitar for thirty years, and began to teach myself electric guitar a year ago. About a month into learning how to play electric guitar, I was learning a song that I remembered from many, many years ago. I looked up the music and began to learn how to play the intro to the song. As I was playing the intro, I began to play the same notes to the song, but I changed the rhythm. Then, I changed the progression. Before long, I realized that I had written my first song on the electric guitar. During this process, I learned that I am a more capable musician than I thought (despite taking three years worth of lessons on the bass guitar). I learned that the guitar wasn't as complicated as I once thought. I did not find deep meaning in the process and do not feel as if I had any experiences that were beyond the physical world.
125. I have used pen and ink to create nature scenes. The scenes were from vacation travels. It helps me remember the experience.
126. I I DREW A PICTURE OF THE 55 ACRE RANCH I GREW UP IN,IT WAS HUGE AND I HUNG IT UP IN MY LIVEING ROOM CAUSE I SPEND MOSTY NIGHTS IN THERE,I LOVE THAT PICTURE IT DRAWS ME INTO IT AND GETS TO ME EMOTIONALLY ITS SO REALISTIC AN EVERYTIME I LOOK AT IT NOT ONLY DO I FALL INTO IT BUT IT BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES GOOD TEARS I LOVE IT
127. I learned a lot about myself by answering these questions, I remembered I was into painting and drawing before I got into sewing. I learned that I am still wiling to consider my first medium.
128. I learned from my true nature its okay to be different. I have always thought of myself to be different and with my art piece I tried to have my butterflies be different shapes and sizes. I found a underlying meaning of everyone is unique and view ourselves as different. I found that suffering from our differences is never going to help untill we embrace them. I did not have any experiences in which I perceived as a reality beyond the physical world
129. I learned I loved animals so much. I learned I believe in God. I experienced love for animals because of God.
130. I learned that dance is the best form of relaxation for me. I am a completely different person when I am at a barre doing exercising that I am been doing all of my life and can do by heart. It helps you fully connect with yourself on a different level. Using your body as your medium gives you a lot of respect for what you are capable and how beautiful your body is. I am not a religious person so I have never connected dance with religion or spirituality but I know all of others use dance to express their beliefs and praise their god.
131. I learned that I am more patient than I realized. I did not learn anything too deep, as the experience was just for myself really. No, I did not experience any reality outside the physical world.
132. I learned that I had to be more courageous and tell the truth and speak candidly through my writing even if it sort of made me alittle uncomfortable by having this freedom it allowed me to release my true emotions that a lot of us often feel and want to express but hide.
133. I learned that my mind is a vast space and capable of seeing things without a societal construct.
134. I like to knit, and when my cousin got pregnant I decided to make her a blanket. It was my first time knitting intarsia. It was hard, but the product was beautiful and my cousin loved it. I presented it to her at her baby shower. I learned that I can do challenging things and that those things can make people happy. I don't think I learned anything about ultimate ,meaning. I did not perceive anything beyond the physical world., I don't believe in god.
135. I like to walk in the woods, and sometimes I go out for walks at night. Sometimes there is enough ambient light to walk without a flashlight, but even when there is not, I sometimes turn off my flashlight (and stand still) just so I can experience the beauty of the dark woods. I often do this in the winter when, after all, there is more nighttime, and you can see the night sky through the leafless trees. Several times I went out at night by myself for walks last winter, and I was always enraptured by the beauty of the night sky as seen through the trees. I spent a lot of time gazing at the view. It made me feel peaceful, and filled me with awe. I got the idea that I could paint that view, and I felt a real urge to do so, an urgency to capture that scene on a canvas. I went out during the day to take a picture of the trees as a reference, but then when I made the painting I drew on my memory of what it looked like at night. It's not an exact replica, because my painted version has more stars than you can see in my area due to light pollution, but I was successful in creating a painting that I can look at any time and feel what it is like to walk in the woods at night and look up. It is not a technical masterpiece, but it is emotionally evocative. I entered it in a local art show, and was shocked to win first place, and that gratification ads to my pleasure in looking at my painting. I had to agree that it would be for sale in the art show, but I priced it really high so no one would buy it, because this painting is just for me. It is about my experience, my connection with nature, and the quiet, peaceful, private moment of turning off my flashlight and looking up to see the beauty that is there.
136. I lived in Hilton Head SC for many years. In the low country there are two cultures that I found beyond any experience in my life - the Gullah and the Geechee. I painted (ink and watercolor) a series of the Gullah people as I found them in their natural environment. Their connection to their environment was deeply moving. As was their self-contentment. Watching them was almost spiritual in nature. Their lives were "written" in their being. I could only catch them from time to time and they did not want to be photographed. So, a fleeting vision to capture on canvas. One of the things that most fascinated me was that their state of being seemed beyond anything that I felt I could become. Although, I consider myself to be connected to nature, I long for their sense of being one with it. The experience was a solitary one letting me feel as close as I could.
137. I love designing and creating costumes. A couple of years ago I decided to create an Oogie Boogie costume from the Nightmare Before Christmas. I wanted to do it in more of a Cosplay style and did get some ideas off the internet for making it as a gown. Something I find with costume making is that it really gets me into it by creating as many details as possible into it. I find myself getting lost in the process and taking the time to make every detail exactly how I envisioned it is very rewarding. Watching piles of fabric and other items turn into something wearable is an amazing feeling and I love seeing my ideas come to life. I am a person that really needs instant gratification in most areas of my life but when it comes to making a costume time just stops for me and the hours I put into it don't feel like work at all. I get a joy from doing this that I don't experience anywhere else and even though I know it will probably only get one use I put everything I have into the outfit I am creating. I feel alive during the entire process which usually takes me several months to complete. I am often asked why I don't try doing it for a living but for me it is more the personal reward. I would have the same satisfaction and enjoyment from my creation whether people ended up seeing the finished product or not. When I create something beautiful I feel fulfilled and at peace. I don't know why I don't do things like this more. I definitely feel like I have been blessed somehow to be able to do things like this and I truly appreciate the fact that I have some gifts that others do not and it makes me appreciate my life a bit more than normal.
138. I love to paint water color and when I wanted to do something in honor of my late dog, it was a picture art piece to work on. I truly love everything about water color and I've learned many different things about myself while going through the process. I've realized that I have an eye for certain aspects such as details to the actual object but also the depth of painting different landscapes and backgrounds to really showcase the main focal point. I've also realized that I lean more towards the authentic side of my personality so I can capture perfect life moments. I have learned too much about ultimate meaning through painting my dog but I did become very reflective which somewhat relates to the perceived reality beyond this world. In honor of my dog, I also long to see her again. I want her to be here again and I can't imagine going through life without her. My experiences with these types of paintings really make me think about what truly is out there and how can I honor that. It builds my connection that that "after world" so I can be comforted that one day I will indeed see her again.
139. I love to paint, it’s my escape from reality. One piece of art that stuck out to me was for a client . I was redoing a hutch for her that had been passed down for multiple generations . It had many cuts and scrapes that told its overall story. It made me feel amazing that I could turn this piece into a more beautiful piece making it new
140. I love to show the true love between a family while they enjoy the beauty of the beach.
141. I loved art since I watched Art Attack as a 2 /3 year old and asked my dad to buy me the colorful colorful water thingies (referring to paints). When I started kindergarten school, we always had a period for art which was obviously my favorite but my teacher was a grumpy old woman. She once asked us to draw a flower and I made one with so much effort and it was a green colored flower which I thought looked really pretty. When I showed it to her, my face changed and excitement went down when she asked me to redraw it and color it differently because my green flower looked like a vegetable and green flowers don't exist. Now two years back I suddenly remembered about this incident out of the blue while I was staring at a lotus flower and decided to draw that out and make it a green lotus instead. And I made the leaves pink instead. And I loved it. It made me realize it’s so sad how kids find beauty in everything and anything and adults are the ones who start conditioning them into thinking what is considered beautiful and what isn’t. Worst part was that she was an art teacher and suppose to expand creativity and find beauty even in the unconventional. What is art if you can’t go crazy with your imagination and do whatever the heck you like. That’s why that piece definitely is something that is close to my heart.
142. I made a commerative piece of my grandfather for my mother when he passed. The work reclaimed wood from something my grandfather had buiult at my mom's home that she was selling so it could not have been left in situ. I worked collabortively with my sister for the design of something that would be meaningful to our mother. She sent digital designs which i translated to the objects and used various mediums to create a memorial piece that would resonate with my mother specifically but also be beautiful to look at. I feel it was helpful to her to have it and also gave my sister and I a chance to put our grief behind us.
143. I made a oil painting of my best friend. I had to paint a large painting in art school that was 5 feet tall. I wasn't able to finish it and was the only one in the glass who didn't finish. I cried in class when we presented. I was very disappointed and shameful. I hated myself. I think I wanted to paint my friend because the assignment made me so uncomfortable and was so daunting that I found comfort in including my friend in the painting.
144. I made a short film in college called "Mercy." I learned so much about my craft, both the creation and implementation. I had to oversee a cast and crew of about 30 people, which taught me a lot about collaboration in creative works. I learned that I can be laser focused and ignore anything outside of what appears on camera (the artwork itself), for better or for worse. I learned that I am very good under pressure and able to adjust and adapt as needed. I can't say I learned anything transcendental, about the nature of the universe or humanity. On some level, I think of filmmaking in general as a craft more than an art. It requires knowledge and tenacity more than natural talent. It is highly technical in many ways, and therefore requires a lot of planning and learning. I think that this experience mainly taught me that. That creativity is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration, to paraphrase Einstein I believe it was. For the reason above, I learned that I don't have much patience for the starving artist types that toil away by themselves in apartments. It may work for a small number of others, but creativity comes mostly comes from trial and error and constant collaboration. Inspiration isn't divine intervention, it is something you actively have to work through and is piled atop lots of bad ideas that didn't pan out. I'm not religious or spiritual, so I never think of art in those terms.
145. I made a song that was for a friend when I was in my early twenties; it was sort of a love song. I started with a poem. Then I had a melody in my head. I put it together with a guitar and made the song. I was feeling bad for my friend and I wanted them to know that I cared. This creation said that I cared about my friend. I did not learn anything about my 'true nature' during this process. I did not learn anything about an ultimate, deeper meaning. I have had psychedelic experiences in altered consciousness.
146. I made a soundscape with delay and echo pedals it was very surreal and brought feelings of awe and also granduar like looking at a big mountain in the distance. It was pretty god like. I was able to record this as well. It made me more aware and in touch with myself as I was very proud of the work of art myself.
147. I made a video art piece for a video contest that looked interesting. The main prize was $5000. I made a little video with my wife and my three kids as little bumble bees. This was back when they were little and super cute. I crafted a little story that centered around the brand of the video contest and then filmed it all with their help. I spent two days editing the piece and submitted it right before the end of the contest deadline. We did not win but it was a fun experiment. I had a lot of fun being creative and trying something new. For me the art was something I did to win a prize. I really enjoyed it but being a father of 3 kids I did not have time to really focus on the art aspect. If things were different and I did not have to spend all my time working a real job, I could see making videos could become a true art form for me. I enjoy it so much and do feel like it opens up this world where I can create anything.
148. I made a visual piece in college titled 'Water' which was an abstract but simple piece projecting water in a small room onto a wall while playing vinyl records of nature recordings (specifically water) with a sample bar of water from the world...including polluted water people logically did not want to drink. I learned that some people will always assume a piece is being made with motives not directly expressed by an artist (myself in this situation). I struggle with the terms authentic in art as I feel very little modern art (arguable if we are talking 'historic') is actually authentic to either the 'art' or the 'artist'. The film was purposely edited to go from 'most natural' to 'least natural' waterways. Only a few people verbalized that they realized this even though I felt it was too heavy-handed. It taught me that my constant eyes on a project lead me to feel more inauthentic/overly self-conscious when I probably should have leaned even heavier into making my intentions apparent. For number 3, I would say no in a firm sense. I don't really have much more to say on it other than I believe people who ultimately tie themselves to this belief that they have felt something like this are probably egotistical and definitely psychologically impaired.
149. I made an art piece in middle school that ended up being one of the only good ones in the class and had a perfect score on it it was a painting that I made of a landscape. The landscape was of a wavy body of water and a sunsetting sky split in the middle with trees and rocks. It was one of my favorite pieces I have ever made and I keep it in my house to this day. The art piece was one of the first ones I made in which I learned how to blend colors and I did pretty well to do the sunset but even with patience and being careful we always make mistakes and some of the sunset is extra brighter than the rest. We all aren't perfect but we can always learn from our mistakes.
150. I made an illustration based off a photograph. I felt it was very good from a technique standpoint. I don't believe it offered any insights about myself, or anything about ultimate meaning. It just happened to be an illustration that I was very proud of and satisfied with the end result.
151. I made an instrumental album. It was my first ever and was really fun to make. I just wanted to test myself and make something im proud of.
152. I often create art with many bright colors. I feel this reflects the inner art and the inner child as well as my own outlook on life. I once was painting with a friend who painted a very dark piece whereas mine was a brightly colored floral collection. He asked me why it was so colorful and my response was that the colors make me happy. He felt I should pain something darker to reflect the turmoil in our lives at the time. This goes to show people are touched and connected to various and different things in life. it is not part of my inner self to only reflect on negativity
153. I once created a piece detailing a mountain range. It showed me that I am capable of completing projects like this. It gave me the confidence to continue with art. It showed me the ultimate meaning of never giving up and continue persevering. It did help me be closer with God because I was looking for more meaning in my life and needed something that I was good at and gifted in. It kept me going and gave me the reason to continue with my art.
154. I once designed a large painting of an exposed human heart. The painting is filled with bright colors that represent the feelings of joy and love. This was after a series of racial discrimination case in my neighborhood. The painting was filled with symbols that convey the thoughts and feelings of an oppressed minority, the struggles and experiences, and how they have dealt with them.
155. I once made a website graphic design and coding wise. I had to build a website for a photographer friend. I had to post her natural photography on a site for sale. I learned the art can be in forms of pictures and represent many different emotions. I had experience in trying to sell an idea so had to pick the best photos.
156. I once painted something that was deemed very unacceptable by a religious school that I attended in high school. So, this story involves all school staff, my art teacher, as well as my peers. I took every single art class available because I highly enjoyed experimenting with self-expression. I remember the day that I brought my painting to school in my car. I was looking forward to showing it to everyone. I didn't have any shame or feel that something was amiss with my subject matter. Unfortunately for me, I was suspended and punished for my subject choice. What I learned about my true nature is that I was seeing life through a different lens than the others around me. I was punished for revealing this truth on my canvas. I stand by my decision to this day because I believe my painting was capturing the darker truths about humanity that I saw even at that age. It was considered so confronting that they cast me out of the classroom. I was not prepared for such an outcome, as I wasn't going out of my way to make some kind of statement. I just painted with my mind to see what would come from it. That was the task given to our class. I didn't experience any great spiritual moment from this situation other than I recognized I was going to be leading a very different life from others around me at the time. That much did come true. I have had spiritual experiences while painting but they do not involve religion specifically, rather than we are all small motes of dust on a giant planet spinning on its axis - which is humbling and awe-inspiring.
157. I once sketched a piece of an old one destroying reality. My sketches are automatic in nature and one thought blends into another which then shifts again. Each puzzle piece tells its own story and may or may not be connected with the entire piece itself. As I was sketching this piece I felt distant and focused at the same time. As if I was trying to see past some thin veil and tap into something behind it, some sort of truth that wanted to be heard and seen. I continued sketching and created a twisted urban image. A friend of mine bought the piece from me and I was glad to be rid of it.
158. I once wrote a Dungeons and Dragons one-shot adventure called "the painter, the flea, and the father of all", which was based on Willam Blake's painting "The Ghost of a Flea" and HP Lovecraft's short story "Pickman's Model". The first run of it was disastrous; I was nervous, and the players ended up being a horrible fit. The second run of it, though, was one of my most successful games I've ever run. I learned that I was very good at creating atmosphere, as well as being able to craft an effective horror story. I'm currently in the middle of formatting it for publishing, as well as doing original artwork for it. It's very much one of the things I'm most proud of creating.
159. i paint because it brings me much joy and for me it is a sacred healing act, i lost my mum in 2009 and ever since then i always paint memories of her and moments we spent together. i really miss her and art is the only thing that helps me manage my grief. i got into architecture due to my dad wanting me to do something useful with my life and also because of my imagination and talent.
160. I painted a painting of my home country. This was the moment when I was feeling homesick. Painting this piece helped me to relieve my feeling of sadness and I felt better afterward. I always get this urge or a feeling to paint something at random moments in my life, and they can vary a lot. It's like a message I get from my inner self. Something I desire or something I need to let out. The process of painting is like a form of meditation because you are paying attention to every little detail as if you are living inside the painting and feeling the environment and surroundings of that piece. You don't get to think about anything else, so there is no worry and no stress while painting. This is something I take time to do, not just do it whenever. And this, for me. is a kind of spiritual experience itself.
161. I painted a piece one afternoon years ago in October called Halloween. I love the fall, it makes me feel different. I get very energized in the fall to be creative. I painted a pumpkin with a scared face and a hand holding a knife next to it, ready to kill. The music i was listening too gives off a dark vibe and it comes through in the canvas. Not anger, just darkness.
162. I painted a portrait of a dog with a body of a human wearing clothes in acryllic paint. The dog is a labrador and he wore a black hoodie and dark navy jeans with sneakers. Those clothes are what I usually wear so the dog represents me. Painting a dog made me realize that I'm like a dog in a way. I try to aim to please others and I like being around people like a dog. I realize that I'm cheerful like a dog and I can be easily swayed like a dog. It also made me realize that I'm also very loyal to friends and family like dogs are. This painting made me learn more about myself and I was able to express it in the painting of me in a dog form wearing casual wear. I didn't feel anything spiritual but the painting made me learn more about myself and I'm pleased that I'm like a dog in a nonderogatory way. It made me realize that I'm a good person because I compare myself to a dog's personality.
163. I participated in a youth summer arts program in my city. I applied to and was selected for the creative writing program. Throughout the session we wrote pieces to be compiled in a hand made book and a few were performed for a video recording. I don't remember what the exact writing prompt was, but I wrote a poem about my family and their business. What was revealed in the poem were thoughts and impression I had not necessarily been conscious of having. It brought to the surface worries and stress I had inadvertently absorbed from my family. Later in life I would recognize the pattern of suppressing my reaction to difficult experiences in my conscious life was a generational habit I had learned from my family. Looking back on the poem as an adult I'm able to appreciate the complexity of my family's experience with owning and operating their own business in a dangerous and not very profitable (at least for a small business) field. I believe I felt while composing the poem and reading it after a sense of sight that was heightened, piercing or had more depth/complexity. Not related to this particular event, I have had experiences that transcended the physical world in a religious and mystical way.
164. I read a passage in the Bible that mentioned a man (Elijah) outrunning a horse chariot. I was intrigued by this as I have never seen it before with my own eyes. So I decided to draw what I thought it might look like. It may not be the best but I wanted to do my best to replicate it in a picture forms. It is a black and white. I drew it with a pencil. It's funny because as I am thinking back on it I was aiming to capture movement though I had never tried before. I don't know what made me want to try something so ambitious but I just had to do it. It took me a while to draw it. I learned that I am determined and that I will give a thing my best. I guess it also showed me that even though I don't have major experience I can still pull something out of myself and bring as much life to it as possible. I will say I was proud of myself for doing it. As I stated earlier it may not be the best but I put my mind to something and I did it. I really enjoy drawing and I hope to get back into it someday.
165. I recently 3D printed out a figure of a large turtle named Miriel from the video-game Elden Ring. I used black abs-like resin and a small personal 3D printer. This would be my first time painting this model. I wanted to accurately capture the texture of the turtle's skin and cloth texture and gold embellishments of the pope hat. At first I struggled, because as a beginner with painting 3D models, it was difficult to get the texture just right. I learned that I was determined to get a good result and spent many hours on it, improving my techniques. I cannot say I learned anything about ultimate meaning. I hurt my hand by painting for too long, but I feel like it was ultimately worth it. It was not religious experience, but a calming one that made me feel like I created something.
166. I recently crocheted a blanket for my aunt's new baby. I had never crocheted before, but did not have the money to buy a more expensive gift, as I already had a few colors of yarn. I stayed up every night for hours longer than I should have, just to make this small blanket. I felt so proud when I got the stitches correct and when my aunt opened the gift.
167. I recently designed a poster that was highly abstract, with influences taken from urban art. I learned to let go of inhibitions and to just be happy experimenting; I tend to be too afraid to do experimental art, so this was a great exercise that I think made me feel more connected to my artistic self. Overall, while I don't think this was particularly spiritual, I did get hit with inspiration which often feels like a spiritual experience in itself.
168. I recently did a painting with cacti, flowers, and the shadows of rabbits. This peice was a little frustrating because I initially intended it to look quite a bit different than the final product and at one point I painted over several large sections to get to the final process. I learned that it was okay to overwrite some things as part of the process and to trust myself a little more in getting my vision on the page. It was ultimately one of my favorite pieces with bright colors and I can definitely see some major influences from my past and the culture I grew up in. I did not particularly have transcendental experiences.
169. I recently made some polymer clay hair clips for my daughter. I wanted to invoke the cutesy Japanese character art I grew up around while still having it appeal to her. It involved a fluffy cloud with bright colorful stars and starbursts. I do not not feel like there was any deep spiritual or reliogious meaning to this particular piece. It was supposed to be a way for me to connect with my daughter and have her appreciate and enjoy something I personally crafted for her.
170. I recently painted a picture of the sunset at the river while I was observing it. I was by myself and used it as a form of meditation. I learned that I am a very visual person. I wanted to capture everything I was seeing with my work. I felt as if our identity as humans was so basic and we are so much more than social media, war, drama, and other things that incorporate our world today. I definitely felt the presence of a higher power as there has to be something bigger than us that created such a beautiful sight.
171. I recently painted a scene of colorado. During this, I learned that I not only love nature, but am a free spirit, like an animal. I learned that my ultimate meaning is that I should be kind to nature. I need to protect myself like animals do. I was inspired by nature that this had to be created by God and no one else.
172. I recently painted an abstract art mural in my home office. I didn't have a plan in mind, just hoping something would come to me as I painted. I felt completely at piece, and was able to do a lot of connecting with myself during this process. It felt very freeing. I do feel that my deceased grandparents were watching me and guiding me on what to create. I do feel this way often.
173. I recommend putting yourself out there and taking risks, you might become someone new. Small town college life can feel like a different planet. There are people in another place now far away who would expect that it would always be that way. I see from a distance what a heightened moment that was. Playing in a live band then feels like a place still there somewhere, though now it's a good day just to get instruments out for a small moment of immersion.
174. I recycled old woolen items by unraveling them and then hand-weaving them into squares. I joined the squares and created a blanket. I learned I am patient and that I really hate waste. I got a lot of satisfaction from reclaiming something that would otherwise go to waste. I learned that disparate patterns and textures can come together to create something both beautiful and unusual.
175. i remeber when I would photograph something my dad would paint a picture of it.
176. I remember a time during the pandemic where I was feeling especially creative in my journey with videography and photography, moreso videography. I believe it was themed off a poem from one of my favorite poets, Rumi called "The Guest House", basically speaking on the human experience of being a soul within a physical form. It was a collection of aesthetically moody or darkly lit video clips of parts of the body in different angles with b-shots of whimsical pan-overs of parts of nature and settings related to parts of the poem. I would narrate the poem over these clips, with the end being a slow zoom into the upper portion of my body to focus on my face as I slowly turned around. At the time, it felt like such an emotionally charged piece to complete. But I had this conviction that it needed to be done and it needed to be shared with others, although it felt a bit self-centered to put out there. It definitely felt like some kind of otherworldly muse or energy just put all this passionate energy into me to put this out into the world. I couldn't sleep well for a long time or really do anything else but this at the time because I was so charged with the need to do it.
177. I remember being a child and creating a sculpture of a dragons foot cylinx. I was one of many students in my art class and I felt excited to make something I saw on a magic card. As for insights I was excited about my ability to create something and to hold a finished product. I made this, I do not believe this let me understand my true self, however. I felt the object I created was meaningful, something like I had seen in drawings or ancient art. I felt like it had meaning, like someone from long ago could have used this vessel. I did think of religious ceremonies that could be done with this vessel in some ancient time. Like pagan gods would look up on it.
178. I remember on of the artworks that i did that the proffesor that i had in that course that she kept as an example to show her students. It was more of a collage of magazine colors that i clipped out and put together and made two swans swimming in the pond. It could also be transformed into a stained glass type of art. I couldn't believe how it came together. It looked very good and real.
179. I remember the first time I created a drawing that I felt proud of. I was taking my first drawing class as an adult, and felt very self-conscious and awkward when drawing in the classroom, surrounded by people, working on big easel-sized pieces of paper, trying different methods/tools and being critiqued. One afternoon I decided to draw at home, in a small sketchbook that was maybe 5”x7”, and make a detailed, shaded drawing of my duck boot in pencil. I felt relaxed and focused working at this small scale, with a simple pencil, and really looking at the shoe and it’s textures and the light, instead of drawing what it looked like in my head. And when I looked at the final drawing, I loved it and I still have it tucked away somewhere. I think it was meaningful because it helped me realize that I can get out of my head and over my self-consciousness if I am alone, and that I need to trust my instincts about media and scale and just relax. Because this was an early experience and kind of a simple realization, I don’t think that I had a connection to any sort of ultimate meaning or transcendent experience.
180. I remember when I created my first piece in my new abstract style. I was excited to try something different from my usual art, and I drew freely to warm up. I started drawing horizontal and vertical lines and aligning them to a grid. I experimented with different lengths and thickness of lines until I started drawing patterns that were pleasing to me. I find that art is the most fun and rewarding when I allow myself to experiment and follow my intuition on what looks good.
181. I remember writing a poem that was especially meaningful to me. It was a poem about loss and grief, inspired by the passing of a dear friend. I sat at my desk, surrounded by silence, as I put pen to paper. The words flowed effortlessly as if they were coming straight from my heart. I wrote about the pain and sadness that I felt, but also about the beauty and joy that my friend had brought into my life. As I wrote, I felt a deep sense of catharsis, as if I was releasing my emotions onto the page. I felt a connection to my friend, as if their spirit was guiding my hand. The poem was significant to me because it helped me to process my grief in a healthy way. It allowed me to express my emotions and honor the memory of my friend. In writing the poem, I learned a lot about myself. I realized that I had the ability to channel my emotions into art, and that my creativity was a powerful tool for healing. The ultimate meaning of the poem was that even in the midst of loss and sorrow, there is still beauty and love to be found. It was a reminder that life is precious and should be cherished. While wrote this, I felt a sense of peace and comfort knowing that my friend's spirit lived on in the memories and love that we shared.
182. I set out during the Pandemic to make a micro-documentary about what it meant to myself to run my first marathon. I focused on telling this one timeline that it became too long and was more so beat by beat than emotional punch to punch. By the time I figured that out, to simplify, I had ran another marathon. It could no longer be about my first - it turned into why I continued. I scraped my beginning and my ending. I think I learned I wanted to showcase more than show, that's why I naturally went to beat by beat. That wouldn't have been what I wanted deep down however. It got cut to 1 page. I wanted to be seen I think. And 1 page was all the time I had to convince someone to look this way. The point to all of it was to get something off my chest, and it wouldn't be so nice. It was dark. My thoughts were dark. And I finally accepted that. I think I cut through myself as an object previously seen and defined. It felt like I found a hidden lesson. And an inner voice that wasn't there before. It changed my work, and I feel closer to myself, a self that was there from the start.
183. I started a rather large piece of art when I was younger that my mom wanted. This was after a family member passed away and I got lost in the drawing. When drawing this piece of a lake, I thought of the image of myself sitting there looking out at drawing what I saw. There was no right or wrong why of drawing this, it was me and the drawing talking to each other. The nature piece came out so nice, my mother framed it and hung it on the wall. 30 years later it is still there.
184. I started doing event photography to get better at directing and managing which did come out during this shoot. I did not learn anything spiritual or gain enlightenment, just got better at speaking up.
185. I started painting around Christmas 2017. Nothing fabulous. In March of 2018, our neighborhood was hit by a tornado. I eventually went on to paint a lot of storm pictures. I didn't necessarily learn anything, but it was a soothing experience. I have always been scared of tornadoes and experiencing one and then being able to paint one made me feel like I was in some sort of control. I could control how big it was, how destructive it was, where it went in the painting.
186. I struggled most of my life to connect with my maternal grandmother. One the surface, she was a sweet and kind lady, but once you spent any time with you her, you realized she had a deeply judgemental nature and negative lens. However, she loved to draw and paint. Art has always been a passion of mine - whether in a traditional sense or in a more abstract sense as a poet or author. As a teen I decided to go to the Getty Center with my grandparents to enjoy that shared common ground. We had a good time and created memories. To further lean on that bond, I decided to do a pencil sketch of a photo of my grandmother and I, then send it to her. I spent a significant amount of time drawing it, as teeth have always been a challenge for me. At the end, I was quite proud of my creation. At this point I was entirely self taught. Sure, there were issues, but it wasn't terrible by any means. And it certainly was far better than the cutsey drawings my grandmother copied over. So, I sent my drawing to her and eagerly awaited her response. She gushed to me when she received it and I truly thought we had created a shared realm of appreciation. But, without fail - she couldn't help to make a dig about how it was "too" realistic and captured and exaggerated her flaws. Disguising a negative in flattery was her specialty. I learned right then and there that my art would be forever tainted if I did it for the approval of others. From there I only made creations that gave me joy and said to hell with anyone else.
187. I tap danced and sang "Blue Skies" in front of one thousand people alone. I felt completely alive and in control. I love to perform. I am a natural performer with something to prove. I was one with the audience. I felt like a was floating with glee, even when I had to improvise because I forgot a step.
188. I tarted witth drawing of comic books after i wqas been influeceed by my neighbour back in town, he was a really good artist he paints for a lliving. i learnt a lot frojm him through his painting the beauty of natiure and with gradual process i started improving till i did all the interior decoation of my room myself, it was a wonder because i wasnt expecting it to come out the way it came. then i look fpr a mentor who took me in. it was really an inspiring story
189. I think I was in ninth or tenth grade, and was at home due to that school day being cancelled because of a snow storm. I decided I wanted to draw something and looked around the house for an object. My mother suggested I choose a banana in our fruit bowl. The banana was slightly overripe, meaning there were a few small brown spots on it. I got out my sketchbook, pencils, sharpener, kneaded eraser, and a paper stump to smooth the pencil lines. I'm sure I put on some music, but don't remember what it was. As I sketched the outline and details of the banana, I was also aware of the snow falling outside. It felt comfy and cozy to be inside, sketching for fun. As I kept drawing, I found myself amazed at how the drawing was taking shape on the two-dimensional page. It really looked like the three-dimensional fruit in front of me. It almost seemed like my hand was being "directed" by some invisible force, which was very wise and knew exactly what to do to recreate the object. When I was finished drawing, I showed my mother and she was impressed as well. I kept looking at that drawing throughout the day, amazed that I was able to draw such a close likeness. I still have that drawing somewhere, and have occasionally thought about it over the years. I think the meaning of this event was that I'm capable of accomplishing a lot more than I'm consciously aware of, especially in art-related things.
190. I think the most memorable piece of art I created was a cover of a cover song. About 20 years ago, when I was in middle school, there was a popular website for uploading videos before the era of YouTube. One such video was a "punk rock" guitar cover of the Super Mario Brothers 2 Theme Song. I learned to play this cover, and eventually wrote lyrics to it. I learned in the process of writing how much I was inspired by bands and artists that may not necessarily be in my "top 10" - I noticed shared themes between my work, and works I had only a passing familiarity with. I wouldn't necessarily say I learned anything about myself, but I did form new and better ways to articulate my worldview and philosophy, because the song was about being true to your friends, and savoring life. I felt a kind of enlightenment, like the feeling you get when there's a word on the tip of your tongue, and you suddenly remember the word you were thinking of. I suddenly realized I had much better words to describe my humanism, atheism, and egalitarianism than I thought I had.
191. I think this was back when I was around 10-ish? My mother had decided to buy some painting supplies one day, like proper canvasses and such. And decided we would both be making a painting. I was, unsurprisingly not terribly excited, but I went along with it. She had a grand old time, painting a somewhat abstract nature seen, with birds and bushes galore. I decided to be a complete edge-lord. Dead tree's in the background, a blood red sky, crowds of hooded death like figures. They all barely looked like what they were intended to be, but the intent was there. My mother found a smile in it. She took one good look at it all, and noticed, that the "Main Tree" and some of the crowds, were positioned and shaped in such a way that there was an abstract smile. I refused to admit it at the time, being a stubborn brat and all, but she was right. There was a smile.
192. I took a feminist media class in graduate school. As part of the class I had to create a short film. I used an adaptation of a piece I wrote that was very strong. I learned I'm a strong writer, including creative writing, but a very poor filmmaker. I also learned that making films, especially shooting and editing, is incredibly difficult and that quality production is really a refined skill set that seems more innate to other people than me. I was not moved in any way beyond that and was actually quite frustrated with my final product. But I developed a deeper appreciation for quality filmmakers.
193. I took a picture of my boss's dog Kaira and made a huge portrait out of it for him. He loves dogs and this picture meant alot to him and me. Because i succeded in putting a huge smile on his face and that made me happy. It made me feel like i am freezing memories for the universe. It inspires me to do more, to freeze beautiful memories and bring smiles to people's lives.
194. I try to create some form of art nearly every day. The one that come to mind however, is easily my longest running project, a novel codenamed 'Project Odessa'. I have been working on this project off and on now for roughly five years. It is a writing project, and by their nature writing projects tend to be solitary affairs for mostof their existence. However, I have had a few friends who have served as sounding boards for ideas I've had as well as offered encouragement in the hope that they get to one day read the novel itself. What the project has revealed most to me, is how much I can keep pressing on. writing a book of any length is hard, especially when you know no one might ever read it, regardless I always come back to the motive that this is a story I want to tell and I need to get it out of my head. All in all though, I don't think I've ever had any sort of divine inspiration to keep pushing through. Occasionally, I'll catch a moment of calm when I'm relaxing that the particular way something behaves in nature catches my eye and I need to put it on paper. Some people may call those instances divine inspiration, but there isn't a god that manipulates every little thing around every person every hour of every day.
195. I wanted to create some clothing I could bring to burning man that was created by me and felt like fully me. I went shopping with a friend for fabric, looking for inspiration. When shopping I was drawn to some specific patterns and my head was filled with ideas of what I would do and to me wearing the final piece dancing in the desert. I felt eager and excited for the process of creating something new. One of the pieces I made was an artistic pair of pants. They are purple with different patterns and textures. I will always remember making these and how happy I felt to create a style that was all my own. I felt unique and seen. I let myself out making them and when I wore them to burning man and whenever I wear them to this day. It is an honor to myself whenever I wear them and I feel in a special place. It's inspired me to always be true to myself and trust the method of creativity and growth.
196. I was a second year architecture student when I experienced a space of my own design for the first time on my twenty first birthday. Architecture studio that quarter functioned as a small competition where each student would submit a proposal for an architectural installation and the instructors would about a quarter of them to be built. The students who weren't selected would join teams working on further developing and building the selected projects. Mine was one of the projects selected. It doesn't translate well to text, but I had been developing a technique for making cuts in a surface (paper on a model scale, vinyl sheet at built scale) that would then be unfolded into honeycomb shapes under tension. It allowed the entire project to developed in "plan" but every decision made in plan made a change in section. I could further describe what I was developing, but that doesn't seem to be the interest of the prompt. On a Saturday afternoon, I was in the exhibition space at the architecture school with the two other students who were working with me. It was about two weeks before we needed to begin construction on the final installation and we were trying our first full scale material test. Everything before this had been work in small scale models. We spend the morning and afternoon laying out a plotted drawing of cut lines over top of a 20' x 20' hardware store tarp and carefully transferred the cut lines with xacto knives. After everything was cut, we removed the plotter paper and hoisted the tarp up from a second floor walkway. The cuts allowed gravity to unfurl the tarp back down to the ground floor revealing an intricate pattern. When the other two students realized the material wasn't going to fall apart and the test was successful, they quickly left. It was a spring Saturday and they had other things they would rather be doing. I stayed around to make more notes on the material study. I wasn't really expecting this to be emotionally impactful- I was thinking very pragmatically at the time and my only real interest as that things weren't going to collapse at a larger scale. When I draw something, I can experience the finished drawing. When I play music, I can hear what I'm playing. When I design something architectural- the product is usually a scale representation of something that might or might not be built later and usually by other people. You don't really experience the spaces you design- at least not until later in your career. It was something I hadn't really considered in my early 20s. I remember I was critiquing the end result- The material would sag at the edges between where it was fastened to supports. This wasn't okay because even though we chose a flexible material- it couldn't just be allowed to take any shape. There where places where it was supposed to self-organize but there were also places where it should have been controlled. I was having those kinds of thoughts when it just kind of hit me that the space I was experiencing was a space I designed and something just hit me. Tears welled up in my eyes and I just stopped and took things in. I know the point of this prompt was to put this part of the experience into words, but it was moving to a point that still really can't express well almost 18 years later. It was this unexpected moment of connection with whatever it was that I'd been chasing since I was five and became fascinated with space for the first time. I don't have words for what that feeling is because if I did, it wouldn't be something to pursue. When I play music, the action of playing feels like channeling something, but this wasn't channeling because there was no active engagement. I just had moment where I felt like I was involved in wielding the thing that I chased and it was devastating. Looking back, it was probably that moment that determined why I didn't pursue architecture as a career. Whatever that was, I didn't want to pervert that experience with capitalism. It was something sacred and you don't compromise that to pay the rent or you'll do something to your soul that's worse than not following your dreams.
197. I was able to design and curate the interior of my apartment in a minimal amount of time and with minimal cost, using 95% preused furniture and accessories. My wife and I settled down after traveling due to COVID Pandemic and didn't have anything at the time. I purchased things through Craigslist and OfferUp second hand as we didn't have much money. However, it turned out great as I found new and like new items that all matched and went together well in the space. I was able to learn that I can make things happen if I put my mind to it. I also found that I am quite good at spatial art and settings. The best part was I got to enjoy the art when I was done as we had a nice beautiful interior of our home.
198. I was about 25 years old and had just moved 12 hrs away from home, gotten out of a toxic 8 year relationship, and just got out of rehab for a raging heroin addiction. While in rehab I did A LOT of writing, Journaling and poetry. I had to write a goodbye letter to my drug of choice which was really deep and raw, super meaningful for me. So I was out of rehab, staying with my parents and bored out of my mind and started making collages and attempted black and white sketches, all while listening to music that resonated with my soul. I came across my goodbye letter and thought of turning it into a poem. I ended up drawing a self portrait, in graphite, looked dark and emotional. I then wrote my poem in grungy, Gothic calligraphy in straight lines around the drawing. I added some sparkles, a little paint and framed it. I still have it hanging on my wall as a reminder to myself of feelings and emotions I don't even have to experience again.
199. I was asked to design a new signage for the owner of the company I worked for for a new building project that would be named after his father. This was a lot of pressure and many of my designs he did not like. This was disheartening at times, but I kept going till he found one he like. It turned out it was the one I disliked the most! I learned from this that art is truly in the eye of the beholder and their wants and likes at times in art is to be appreciated more then your own.
200. I was asked to paint a beautiful nude couple for their primary focus piece in their home. The couple involved was a man and a woman who were married. I felt their intimacy and romance during our session. It was a wonderful moment I was able to capture for them. This event captures who I am because I could express them as a couple through art, and they can look back on their lovely portrait for many years. During this event, I had an out-of-body experience; beautiful soft music played, sunlight cascaded into the room, and white furniture with little pops of color. It was like meditating or spiritual. It was a peace I wish I could grasp all of the time.
201. I was commissioned to make a mixed media art piece for someone that just wanted something original. That was the most meaningful piece of work I've done because I thought so much about what I wanted to make. I had a ton of fun with different media mediums. A little that I learned about myself was how much I loved making a piece of art for someone. The piece was made out of a sunflower and other garden items. And I really realize how much I love making art like that. I'm not sure I can say I had a spiritual experience but it made me feel good about myself. I don't think I felt anything supernatural during the process.
202. I was creating a painting during school based off of a paper collage I made. I was just learning to oil paint and discovering how emotional and subconcious the act of oil painting was. When entering a flow state it was like I didn't have any concious thoughts, just something controlling my actions and decisions. It took me several weeks to complete the painting, and about halfway through, a medical episode lead me to permanantly lose vision in one of my eyes. This led me to need to relearn my whole process, as it made physically interacting with the paint difficult. It also changed my color vision, making all the colors I had been working with look different and made mixing them a whole different process. I had to relearn and reconnect with my inner artist to learn to adapt to this new disability i had aquired in the middle of making a piece of art.
203. I was entered into a contest and I had to paint anything on want as long as it was on the required sized canvas. I decided to do a painting of a landscape background with a group of native people riding horses in the fore front. This painting brought out so many emotions in me because it was the first I've painted on such a long surface before. I was an art student at the time still so I didn't quite know everything and was still learning different techniques. I learned real quick that I can be too hard on myself and overthink the simplest things, which made the process harder. I didn't really believe in myself and I think it showed very well. I felt like this experience was to teach me patience and to be kind to myself. I had some sort of guidance to show me what was wrong and what was right.
204. I was feeling particularly down one day and decided to break out some paint on a canvas painted black. I took darker shades of the paint, such as blacks, greens and blues with the occasional streak of crimson. I painted curved lines all around the canvas which eventually formed a sphere of greens and blues, on a black canvas. The crimson was streaked around the very edge of the sphere, leading it to show my anger on the outside and my collective consciousness on the inside. "Underneath" the red paint toward the core of the sphere was mostly green leading into blue, swirled more and more as we went to the center. I had sort of learned, as I painted, that anything that happens on the outside of my body doesn't always affect what happens on the inside of my body. I can be angry one day, sad the next, but the inside of me will generally remain the same, and I will always find a way to level out. I was in a down mood when I painted this, but calmed myself when it was complete because I was sort of educating myself on how I was feeling as I painted it. I chose dark blues and greens as I find those colors to be calming and representative of my being. I didn't really connect any of the work with any outside spirituality, as the main focus of the piece was of self reflection and expression.
205. I was having a hard time when I was younger dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts all the time. I never attempted suicide but thought about it a lot to the point that i didn't want to wake up everyday and just wanted to sleep as long as I could because I didn't want to face the feelings I was feeling and all the stress that I felt like life was throwing at me. I decided to write a song about how I was feeling and how I no longer wanted to be on this planet and only wanted to reach the otherside and see those who I had lost in my life. The song was a rap song in the style of the horrorcore genre and allowed me to let all my feelings out and after doing so made me realized that I wanted to continue making music and it actually gave me a reason to continue to live as it helped me release my anger and emotions by expressing them through lyrics and music. I also discovered that others could relate to my music and also liked the subject matter as it was personal to them as well. I learned a lot from that experience and don't regret the years I had suffered with depression as I feel it helped me grow as a person and better myself in helping me realize what was happening inside my brain. Music was my therapy and in creating that song I also started experimenting with artwork to release artwork that coincided with the song and albums to follow. I started working more with art and sculpting as both a part of my music experience and as a hobby as I enjoyed it a lot. I have felt guidance from a higher level while writing and recording my music and sometimes it feels as though it was channeled through me in a way.
206. I was in a competition with my crew. There was tension in the air as everyone wanted to put in their best in order to win the competition as stakes were high for us. As the play started and everyone dived into their role,something tragic happened. There was a scream that echoed through the halls and everyone knew it was a scream of pain. That pain I heard too but it was coming from me. I had twisted my leg whistle dancing. Seeing the shock,concern and heart break in the eyes of my crew as they gathered round the scene to tend to me I could not believe I was the one who would let's us all down. Immediately I spoke out to the crew head "we need to Finish this,we can't stop here" with that we quickly changed plans and adjusted the performance to suit my condition. You could say we improvised and decieved the audience that it was all part of the play as we carried on and I became the center of focus. Long story short I had no idea where the inspiration came from but due to the unexpected turn of event our performance was unique and that was how we won.in that moment I felt like I had been elevated by something sinister in my mind
207. I was in high school art class trying to figure out a paper mache project. I had no clue what to make for a face mask. I ended up making a outstanding snarling wolf mask. My art teacher was so impressed she sent it to the school district main building to be hung in the front office. I was surprised how well it turned out from just a couple of pieces of paper. I think it says a lot about my creativity and ability to adapt to situations. It was a event in my life that drew my deeper into art than just drawing. 1. I learned I am able to create something from nothing with no instructions. I learned I can be imaginative and inventive. 2.It didn't have much of a deeper meaning. 3.The mask itself my have been a inspiration from how I was feeling at the time. The mask is angry and mean looking. It was a time in my life where I was getting angry with life's situations. I felt it manifested in my creation.
208. I was in middle school and in art class we got to make a sculpture of whatever we wanted out of clay. I had no clue what I was going to make and everyone else seemed like they already had an idea. The girl across from me was an amazing artist and I was a little envious of her. I tried to focus on what I was going to make. I didn't have an idea but I started making a bowl. Then I squished it into an oval. I add what looked like two eyes on top. I finally decided on making a frog. I'm not sure why, I don't really like frogs but it looked really good. I then sculpted the legs and the little webbed toes. Lastly I made a tongue that was sticking out, kinda like they do when they eat a fly from a cartoon. I was so happy I created this little frog and it actually looked decent. I learned that I should trust my gut and go with wherever my mind takes me. I was caught up in the moment of creating something with my own hands. I realized that I was more capable and artistic than I thought. I shouldn't be jealous of this girl across from me because I was great at something too.
209. I was in senior year of High School and there was an art competition to see who could create the best looking art. My entire class was involved. I wasn't fearful at all, as I was confident in my artistic abilities. However, it would take me more time than most of my classmates. I decided to pick a subject that felt supernatural and spiritual to myself, mainly music and specifically jazz. I decided to draw a graphite portrait of the jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker. I felt his music on a very spiritual level. As I also played saxophone, I felt his music as a higher being and a guide in life. I didn't learn anything about 'ultimate meaning' from the portrait. But while I was drawing, I was listening to his music and the process of drawing and listening became one. I felt like I understood myself a bit more through being able to fully detail Parker's being. I was able to understand a bit more why I like his music and why I initially chose jazz saxophone as a hobby. The event was also significant because I won the art competition. I was given first place, and was recognized as one of the best artists in the school.
210. I was in third grade and my teacher asked the class if anyone would like to participate in a painting competition, and I was the first to raise the hand, and in fact, the only one. My teacher later told me after the class, that she knew I would be the one, but still wanted to give everyone a fair chance to join if they wanted. The theme was landscape, which was perfect, because that's exactly what I loved to do; painting landscapes. I grew up watching Bob Ross and imitating him. I had learned everything from him at that age. I handed my painting in a few days. Then I forgot about the competition, because I always painted regardless of any competition. About a month later I walked in the classroom to see my painting hung on the wall, and thought to myself, "oh, well it's nice of them to return it". As I got closer I noticed something hanging right below the painting: The winning certificate! I My painting was chosen the best in the county among all grammar school participants. I felt like a famous artist, and felt appreciated, because I had never received recognition for my art. This was the most inspirational point in my art career, because it motivated me to do what I love, even if it doesn't make me any money. To this day, I still paint for the passion, without any monetary expectation. My paintigs make it to some galleries and displays sometimes and that's more than enough for me.
211. I was making music at like 3 am, and as I was creating a melody in Ableton for the lead synth. I thought about my grandpa who had recently passed, and I usually have a hard time expressing emotional vulnerability. I tried to make a sad melody, but it wasn't right. The more I remembered about my grandpa the more I realized his life should be celebrated. That struck a chord with me, and I came up with this melody that was almost haunting in how I remember my grandpa growing up. It was weirdly warm, and odd because of what I typically was producing at the time was always something experimental. Digging into myself like this experience showed me that I have things in me to be a great song writer/producer, but it takes time to get there. Sometimes something so sad as loss of a loved one can be a happy thing, I never thought I could say that. Maybe that was me using music as a tool for healing as well, it could very well be. I wish it was something like he was looking down on me and helping me get through this like a movie or something, but I think with my grandpa, its how his life reflected in me, and how easy it was to access that part of me, I didn't know I had.
212. I was once called upon to paint a mural for the city, on a small section of bare wall in a lower-traffic area of the downtown scene. Large-scale painting wasn't my forte, but I was a student at the time, and my teacher certainly seemed to believe in me and thought this would be an excellent opportunity to expand my skills, so with much trepidation, I agreed to do it. I was only given a weekend to bring my work to life, with the week leading up to it meant for plotting out my process--and that's when I learned my first lesson: either my local arts commission has no idea the length of time required to create a mural, or I work at a much slower pace than the average artist. Coming up with the idea was no problem, I've always been full to the brim with concepts awaiting execution. The street I was to paint my mural on led directly to the library, a place where I spent hours upon hours of my childhood, so I knew I wanted to create my mural in homage to the building seen from the sidewalk there. The theme I settled on was Reading Unlocks Every Door, and in my mine I imagined a cloudy skyscape with disembodied doorways of all shapes and colors floating, and books in various stages of being read, pages open to allow key-shaped bookmarks to fly free and find their corresponding door, unlocking the lock and opening it to reveal a detached scene behind it. Second lesson: this vision, while beautiful, detailed and appropriate, was much too ambitious for a weekend project. I did manage to finish my mural, but it was nothing like the vision I had in mind. Where I wanted realism and detail, I had to settle for childish, almost comic book-style illustration, with heavy outlines and little nuance. What I had perceived of as being the headlining artwork for the local newspaper's entertainment section, didn't receive any coverage whatsoever. My teacher was very complimentary on what I did accomplish, but never again volunteered me for another project for the city. It wasn't long after that that I left the art program and stopped working in paints altogether.
213. I was really inspired by an artist Edward he really got me well One evening he said he was walking along a path, the city was on one side and the fjord below. I felt tired and ill. I stopped and looked out over the fjord—the sun was setting, and the clouds turning blood red. I sensed a scream passing through nature; it seemed to me that I heard the scream. I painted this picture, painted the clouds as actual blood. The color shrieked. Something related happened to me it happened in glimpse while I working along aisle. I saw my neighbour got into an accident he was surrounded by a pool of blood. I scream and it was touching but something amazes me he was very determined after the accident happened . I had to look up to God and tell him he is amazing
214. I was riffing around on my keyboard/ synthesizer one day and entertaining some local neighborhood kids. I had my patio door open and they were seated outside. I don't know whatever possessed me -- an appropriate choice of words considering the topic I'm about the dwell on -- but I started thinking about the movie "The Exorcist." It must have been on TV recently. Anyways, I started playing the haunting theme from the film. None of the kids knew the song, so I started adding more effects to it -- drumming, a bass track, and then I sped it up into more of a dance tune. The kids outside loved it. Then I explained where the song originally came from. That led to me explaining to them, but not in great detail, about the devil and hell and the theme of possession and exorcism. I'm sure when they went home there was some quite riveting dinner table conversation!
215. I was selected to perform in a bellydance choreography for a local event last year (April 2022) as part of a student troupe. It was my first time on stage in 20 years and while I was nervous, it went super well. Performing was an important part of my life long ago, but I had to put it aside for various reasons and it felt great to have it back.
216. I was setting up for an indoor photo session that would involve create an image that illustrated the intensity of surgeries. I wanted to capture the intense focus of a surgeon's face. Something you would not normally see. I used very intense lighting with black backdrops to focus solely on the face of the surgeon, which was me dressed up in attire. Getting the perfect shot while using timers was very difficult and took quite a while, but the final photo was fairly stunning. There was no deep learning through the process but I did find that I am very stubborn and will keep at a task until I get the result I want. I did not feel any other presences or enlightenment.
217. I was sketching a woman who was a good woman. This was not an actual person then. I was trying to show her goodness in the sketch, that she was ethical and sympathetic. When I was sketching her I was sketching her face, hair, arms, legs and her whole self wearing a dress. I think that influeced this experience. Sometimes I saw light when I was sketching like I could see her aura or part of her aura. When the sketch was done I did sometimes see her aura and parts of her aura. The aura was pretty full and around her body in an aura shape. I think there was some inspiration or guidance concerning her being ethical and sympathetic and that good people have stronger and brighter auras. The person in the sketch seemed like a person not just a sketch.
218. I was so eager to try paint pouring to create a large scale triptych for my home. I carefully mixed colors and painstakingly layered and mixed them in order to create maximum movement on my canvas. (It was actually kind of funny - I took over the whole garage for this project and therefore our family cars were parked outside in the freezing cold rain. I don't remember feeling cold at all though - but I definitely remember slightly cursing myself for the next week or so while the paintings dried in my garage!) I remember how excited I was to see how my paints would actually look on the canvas once I removed the pouring vessel. I suppose I learned a bit about my own nature in terms of problem solving to create the look I was after. I had more patience/grace than I might normally feel because I was caught up in the process of creating. Also
219. I was tapped by my high school to choreograph and perform a piece for my senior class’ convocation ceremony. This was a special piece because it marked the last time I would perform my chosen art form as I’d had my career cut short due to several back injuries. I chose a beautiful instrumental piece of music by the same artist I danced to in my very first ballet performance at the age of 4. It was less ballet and more of a lyrical piece. I felt a lot of pride in both the piece and my performance. It was a gift to be able to share it with my graduating class.
220. I was trying to draw something based on a real person. I was wondering what I was doing because the drawing itself was a caricature of said person, using a comic book motif. I didn't learn any deep meaning or ultimate meaning but I did stop doing the drawing in question because it made me think of what purpose was I doing it and who I was doing it for. I wasn't drawing it for myself, instead, I was drawing it to mock someone else. It felt like a waste of time since the said person wouldn't care if I mocked them or not and it would only gain negative emotions rather than positive ones. it made me re-evaluate myself and what I do online and on social media.
221. I was working on a video project last weekend that was about the process of fixing a rental property in the back of the house I'm currently staying at. My parents and brother were also involved in fixing up the property along with some workers we hired to help replace things on the property. For my project I wanted to show the viewer the look of the house before it was worked on and after when it was done which gave me a feeling of relief because it took a year to complete. Finishing this project meant for me was that I realized I have value in this world and its important to put all my focus and hard work into it so it can pay off. This was truly a blessing from God because when I was younger I always wished for a house that was two-stories and I finally got my blessing when the house we bought came with a two-story back house.
222. I was working with a fellow student while in college, we worked at the gallery together. Part of his class was to choose an object at random from a hat and then photograph it in a way that the object was not intended to be used. He lamented over this for a week - the object he chose out of a hat was toilet paper. How do you use TP for another purpose? TP a tree was about all we could come up with. Then I had an idea and he agreed it would be fun and maybe a little provoking - and that was to have a model laying on the ground, where most of the body was left exposed - the "important" parts were all that was covered with the TP. I agreed to be the model and the shoot took hours. The pictures were to be in black and white, so the shadows and the lighting had to be perfect. The pictures came out so well, no one knew if the model, aka me, was wearing clothes or not, and it got a lot of people talking. The following year, it definitely got my family talking when the picture was featured on the postcard announcing his student show. I still have a copy of that postcard. I never would have thought art to be so much fun and other than "real" photographers, I never really considered it art until then. It really changed the way I look at all art now.
223. I was working with singer/producer El Debarge on a song for an artist he was producing. It was my first time working on a music production for an R&B artist, as up until that point I had only produced hip hop artist. El is a genius in the studio and quickly came up with a melody and a chorus for the artist. He told me he wanted a hard edge to the drums and trusted me to do the drum programming to back his synth melody. I than began programming the drums as i would for a hip hop artist, but included some soft sounds as accompanying sounds to give it a melodic edge. We threw ideas off of each other and ended up building a really strong song. I did not know I was capable of producing such a song, and during the mix down it felt like an out of body experience. I could hear my signature all over the song, but still couldn't believe that I had produced on the song. Whenever I listen to the song now it feels like a religious experience, I feel that is the time of my ife that unlocked all of my potential.
224. I wasnin High School and I was entered into a art contest at community College. Me and my friend Nathan were both entered into the contest. His mother drove us to the event because it was not in our town. I had a charcoal picture of a landscape entered. I didn't actually think it was very good but it ended up winning a silver key award. My friends art didn't win anything and he was jealous of me. I didn't have any religious experience from this didn't really even think it was a big deal. I don't even paint or draw anymore. Some days I think I'd like to get back into it. I probably never will though
225. I worked on a watercolor for a few weeks recently, and it was a really meaningful process for me all the way through. The painting was of a river running through a dark forest and I was trying to capture the feeling of peace and calm that I get when I'm in nature. When I was working on the painting, I was focused and felt like I was in the moment, feeling the rhythms of the river and the trees around the banks. I was alone while I painted, but I started to feel connected to the world around me in a way that I hadn't before. I felt a sense of accomplishment and pride that I had created something that was at least beautiful to me. This creation process taught me that I am capable of making something that I am really proud of, and that I should not limit myself when it comes to art. This event also taught me to appreciate the beauty of nature, and to make time for moments of peaceful contemplation in daily life.
226. I would describe the piece as a very simple drawing of a girl model based upon the flow of her movements. It helped me learn that I was more into feeling out the gestures of what I am drawing and basing the world around it upon movement. This helped me learn that I was better at drawing movement and ultimately the stillness that surrounds that movement. While this didn't make me have some sort of religious or transcendent experience, I feel like it gave more meaning to looking at the movement in everyday things in how to draw them.
227. I would have to say the work of art was La Belle Dame Sans Merci by John William Waterhouse. I was in my early twenties at the time and was just starting college (started late). I went through a pretty bad breakup where I had my heart broken. I was searching for meaning in many things and came across this painting. I had and still have a love of history and the humanities and I found comfort in this painting. For whatever reason it gave me hope that I would get past this breakup and move on with my life in a better place.
228. I would say the most significant moment art played in my life was when I was in elementary school. I distinctly remember having a "draw off" with some other school boys my age. We would get together in intermissions and come up with cool creatures all with number 2 pencils and our notebooks. This was a moment that I felt art connected all of us in a way that encouraged our creativity and strengthened our bonds.
229. I wrote a book as a participant in National Novel Writing Month. This was several years ago, though I've continued to take part in the event. I was overjoyed to have finished, even though I realized it was a first draft that would need a lot of editing before it was worth attempting to pitch or publish. My family wasn't as impressed as I would have liked them to be, I think perhaps because I've always been a writer and they were used to hearing about it. I took their lack of enthusiasm to heart and it affected my creative output for a while. I learned not to discuss so much of my process with them.
230. I wrote a journal full of poetry about my emotional transformations during my teen years. The journal contained my deepest feelings and hopes, my sadness, and trauma, and all the things I couldn't hold in without it breaking me. They evoked memories of joy and love, of the hopes for my future I held close without telling anyone, as well as my deepest sorrows and memories of loss and pain. The words weren't always pretty or nice, and they didn't reveal their meanings outright. At a moment when I had allowed myself to be vulnerable to the mother who had abandoned me, she betrayed me in the most devastating way. In the tiny new room with bay windows, and a walk-in closet, where I'd set up my stereo because the antenna could get the am talk radio stations from Dallas if I pinned it to the south wall just right, lay my journal, exposed, and unashamed on the floor. I'd not lived with a parent for over a year, and had no expectation that my things would be of any interest to her, but my mother came into my room, and entered the closet for a reason I can only imagine was a concern-veiled odd curiosity, and read the journal with ignorant eyes,knowing the words she read, but without their meaning or context. Her face flushed, and chest tightened, her mind creating images of beasts and demons where reality was too unbearable to accept. These words were ripping her world apart, and the only person to blame must be their creator. She had to destroy this evil thing that had been created as a testament to the rot within her garden of lies, so she burned it. She took all the things that were a part of me, but I didn't have the strength to carry, and threw them in a fire. The black smoke and fluttering ash took me, good and bad, into the sky that day without my consent. She burned it.
231. I wrote a piece, a short story, for a work assignment. I had already written the scene in a story so all I had to do was adapt it to fit the paramenters of the assignment, which was to basically allow it to stand on its own. Aside from the person who hired me to do the writing, I was the only person involved. I like to think it said I have an imaginative romantic nature. It wasn't lovey-dovey they fall in love kind of romance. It was this might not work kind of thing. It helped me see that I can adapt my work to fit the medium. The medium here was this was going to be used in a test. That's a very interesting thing to write for. Students would be reading this story and then answering questions on it. That is kind of weird when you think about it. Originally writing the piece before I adapted it I felt happy about it. It was fun and exciting to play in this world and to disrupt the lives of the characters. That's what I did. It is interesting to find out where they want to go and where they end up.
232. I wrote a short story a few years back when I was still in college. I was doing online college classes before the pandemic and was in the middle of writing one of my novels. It is among my favorite pieces that I have created and I was the only person involved. It was a small drama piece set in the future but with an emphasis on human nature and on the feelings and emotions of the characters featured with the science fiction part of the piece being rendered to the background and the drama and emotion of the characters being thrust front and center. It was a marvelous piece, at least to me, and very personal. I remember creating this piece because I wanted to test my abilities in the short form of writing and because I had a deep yearning to tell this story. Something inside me called out, which was strange because I only ever write longer pieces. The piece is about two people who have a night of passion in passing. Their souls and their feelings intertwined. And yet even though the event was but a brief spark of passion, a mark remains on those who were involved that makes them remember what happened and how they felt, even if they did not remember the details. They crossed paths and now they share a piece of each other, though that piece may be small. While writing this piece I felt vulnerable but also emotional because I could relate to this and I felt it and it made me feel strongly about my past life experiences. I still remember this piece and many who have read it loved it as well. Through this piece, I learned a lot about myself and the way I form attachments to people and my belief in humans and our nature, and how everyone who we cross paths with, however brief our encounter may be, leaves us something behind in our souls. A beautiful but also melancholy thought. It helped me understand myself as a person better and helped me to better appreciate the interactions I have with others and to try and hold on to feelings for as long as possible as they can be fleeting. This piece also convinced me to continue my writing journey and that with writing I can touch other people's souls and hearts. Through my writing, I can reach out to many people and leave them all a piece of my soul and my heart without ever meeting them.
233. I wrote a short story for a college writing seminar taught by an illustrious writer. In the story, I transformed a childhood memory with a family member into a counter-factual; the way I wished things had been. My story drew praise from my cohort and I was very satisfied with the story. It felt “finished” to me. (This was hardly ever the case with my previous efforts.) Funnily enough, I don’t remember the feedback from the professor (A case of literal writer’s block perhaps?) but I knew that story had made me into a writer. I had the ability to create a microcosm and bring people, however briefly, inside.
234. I wrote a story about a white police officer stopping a black teenager and the teenager accused hm of being a racist skinhead. In writing the story I learned I had mixed feelings about how police offers approached youth that might be involved in crimes. The ultimate meaning I learned was to treat people fairly.
235. I'm a *slow* writer. I take my time, am very careful with my diction, and sometimes spend months completing poems and short stories. I worked on the first poem I published (in the New Orleans Review, 1972-73) for almost a year before I felt it was ready to go out. The writing experience was one of intense concentration over time, something I wasn't aware I was capable of. The poem itself concerned a young man sorting through the fragments of his brief history, attempting (and failing) to make coherent sense of it all. I learned that I (or the young man) probably didn't have an "ultimate nature"; "ultimate meaning" was out of the question. The movement in the poem was towards grounding in the natural world, however chaotic and unknowable, without any resort to metaphysics. And, no, no experience of the nonphysical or supernatural.
236. I'm in the music industry and I love what I do even though I'm not signed to eny music label I was very close to getting signed to Sony music a couple years back I was chosen to make a musical beat for Yandel a famous artist from Puerto Rico and I was praying to God that he would like the beat that I made for him but I couldn't share my beat with him because of COVID I couldn't travel so it was cancelled I was devastated! But I've had the chance to speak to him in the last couple of months and told him what had happened so he decided to give me a nother chance and he heard that beat I made for him and now I will be flying to Puerto Rico on the 1 of April God is good!!
237. I'm thinking of a time during college when I was performing with a chamber group of singers. I was not a music major, and I had auditioned for the group and still gotten in. I learned about myself and how much determination and grit I have. I worked hard for something that was a bit unconventional because it brought me joy. I don't fully know how to explain it, but music, particularly choral music, feels so profound and even spiritual to me. It brings me to worship as I marvel at the sounds that are created that are unseen. I am a Christian and highly value my spiritual relationship with God. Naturally, I think of Him when I am in awe of music and song. There is just something about the harmonies and different parts that come together to form a whole that bring me to worship.
238. I've been working on a rock decoration in my yard. I have two types of rocks around my home, rounded river rocks and regular, multi-shaped rocks. The river rocks go around the base of the house. These multi-shaped rocks have no purpose. I want to get the rocks out of the yard so I can put down so dirt, but also I wanted to use the rocks in a garden. I have three large boulders that emerge 6 inches from the ground, and there is some greenery around that. So I take the small rocks and fill in around the plants. I want to make it look good. I learned that it is more difficult than it looks, and it is taking longer than I thought it would. It is half finished. When I see it out my window, it makes me happy and I love how it is coming along. I think about how I'm going to finish it this summer.
239. I've been writing memoir essays, one of which has been published in a literary journal. The nature of the process is interesting because memory is by its nature, faulty. So I struggled with being authentic, expressing myself creatively, and tried to worry less about getting each detail exactly right. I was trying to convey an overall feeling of the event I was recalling, not a photographic image. I learned that what I write can connect to other people and they may feel some validation from it. If I describe a memory that others can relate to and can feel heard, then I've helped that person. I did not feel a spiritual or religious connection, but I--oddly enough--worried that relatives who had passed on may be hurt by some of the things I wrote about. It made me consider if there is consciousness after death, which I wound up not truly believing, but it somehow remains a factor for me.
240. I've chosen the painting I made from the first time I ever painted something with acrylic paint. I was still in high school and I had chosen Art as an elective in my senior year. The teacher was a little eccentric, but meant well and really encouraged all his students to try a variety of styles. I was a t a loss for what to paint until I went to a friends house and noticed a very particular looking candle. It was about six inches tall and had a gradient of different colors, I thought it would look great on canvas so I got to work as soon as I got home. I had never used acrylic before so I went in blind and painted as best I could from memory and also gave it my own spin. I created a deep contrast between the candle burning brightly and the darkness surrounding it in a way reminiscent of chiaroscuro, but in a very amateur way of course. I also added an elaborately ornamental gold candle holder which reminded me of the kind of ornamentation you would see in fancy cathedral. When I finished painting I new I would like the class and that art was something I definitely l had an interest in. I don't have the time to paint much nowadays, but I still doodle from time to time. It's a little therapeutic in way, it helps me relax and explore what things I like.
241. I've just recently started to explore my creative side in more depth, and I just wanted to draw my son a picture. He's half Hawaiian and embraces it fully so I wanted to draw him a cool Hawaiian hook. I didn't understand the significance or meaning of the tribal yet, so I just picked a cool one. I used sharpie for the lines and a paint pen to fill in the white areas so it would pop more. Then of course it needed a frame. So we went to Michael's and they had shadow boxes on sale. We'll, you can't put just a flat picture in a shadow box. So I decided to make a flower out of paper and watercolored it. Which then turned into an entire jungle. Assorted jungle plants and leaves hanging from the frame. All were attached to wires they were able to be arranged and moved as I saw fit. Everything was hand drawn, watercolored, hand cut, hand glued each petal, with moss. Nobody except my other half knows the extent to which went into that thing. I made it out of a notebook and super glue. It was amazing.
242. In 1984 I spent a long vacation of 5 weeks on a 58-foot sailboat with a friend named Michael. I come from a family who loves sailing, boating and water sports, but for me it was among my least favorite things to do. I prefer being on land, playing tennis, baseball, horseback riding, and have been involved with dance (ballet, jazz, and ballroom) all my life. So when Michael suggested I join him on this 5-week adventure I was very resistant at first. After much coaxing, I finally agreed and it was the most memorable and enjoyable vacation in my life. I brought my 35mm camera as well as my painting tools and supplies and created many paintings while on the trip. For many months afterwards I kept recreating many of my memories and experiences from the trip through my work. Even when I didn't want it to, it kept creeping into my work. Finally, I gave into it more freely, and from my early paintings while on the boat and the photos I had taken I created a series of paintings inspired by my feeling and emotions from being at sea for 5 weeks. About a year later, I was commisioned to do work for an organization in Florida, which ultimately led to my being contacted by an agent who wanted to represent my work. And from that point on, I've made my living as an artist. I don't really believe that spirituality or other worldly forces influence my work, but when I am painting or drawing, I do go into a state of "flow" which is very similar to the freedom of thought and experience that I remember from that vacation with Michael.
243. In 2009, I created a 75th Anniversary logo for Penn State Hazleton. I was chosen as a freelance graphic designer to help them with this project, after the marketing manager, Susan was unhappy with the logos their in-house art department created. I felt honored that she chose me to design the logo and that she thought I would do a better job than their in-house designers. We went through many versions and revisions, but ultimately, she loved the design I came up with and she chose that to use for the University. I felt really amazing that I was able to get this job and create a logo she was happy with.
244. In 2016, my 3 year old son was diagnosed very suddenly with stage 4 cancer. I had a 9 month old daughter, and had also just found out I was expecting a third child. It was an incredibly scary and overwhelming period in all of our lives. I lost my home business that i had worked to build to full time over the last 6 years, because it was personalized gifts and I did not have time to design anything custom on the fly (I had an Etsy shop), and I was always going back and forth to the hospital at scheduled and unplanned times over the course of eighteen months. To stay focused on something I COULD do, I made my son a special hospital blanket. It was a classic square rag quilt, and each block featured something he loved or that made him calm, happy, safe feeling, etcetera. It became a mainstay for him, with him at every appointment, hospital stay, and at home. I learned so much about myself during that time. That you can appear strong, you can hide everything inside and make your child feel safe and secure, even when everything is falling apart and you do not know if your child is going to make it. You can keep it together for your children. I definitely had moments that were "God moments" to me. Chemo did not work, and we were told he was inoperable. A specialist of his particular type cancer would not take his case, but a local Atlanta surgeon did, and she got all of his tumor out. It felt miraculous. Also, my sister gave me a plaque that said "When you go through deep waters, I will be with you." from Isaiah in the Bible. The next day, at another unplanned hospital stay, someone slipped an anonymous card under our door with that same verse. I think I was in too deep a survival mode to "feel" God, or anything beyond the physical world, but I still cried out to God - ugly, swearfilled, agonized prayers I lifted up, many times on the floor in a dark hospital bathroom while he slept fitfully nearby. Someone once told me you have never really prayed until you swear while you do. I think that is true. And looking back, those moments of miracles after lost hope and connection in the chaos are the very things that carried me through. My little warrior is 10 today, and I am still amazed and grateful for how far he has come.
245. in college I created a song. I didn't really learn anything about my true nature other than that I am quite a perfectionist. I didn't really learn much about his ultimate meaning other than that I need to chill out. I do not have any experiences beyond the physical world.
246. In college my friends senior project was a "gorilla street art show". We had this small park in the city I grew up in that was usually just full of homeless guys fighting and drinking. My best friend (whom is like a brother to me) put out a call to all of our friends both at school and from our friend group to put together some street art. He was very loose with this definition the joke being that if it was all to be displayed on a literal street surely any medium was "street art". He built out canvases for everyone to use that were of a massive scale, think 10ft by about 5 ft. He didn't give anyone any requirements aside that it be original and that it "look dope as hell". I agreed to do a piece even though I was working two jobs and going to school part time. A week before the show I still didn't have anything more then a sketch which in all reality was more like a few loosely connected ideas. The clock was ticking and as per usual - I had put off all my work until the last minute. Josh and I used to live in the same apartment building and so at the 72 hour out mark he was asking me "hows it going?" to which I just said "will get there". I had to start painting and I knew it had to start now or the piece wouldn't be dry. We lived in the rainforest of Juneau, Alaska and since the show would be taking place outdoors the last thing I wanted was a ton of paint running off the canvas. I buckled down and gathered supplies: spray paint, house wall paint, oil markers, etc and the most crucial supply of artists and web developers alike: caffeine. I locked myself in the bedroom of my apartment and spend the next 24+ hours working steady. At the 12 hour mark I could start to see the piece taking shape. This of course empowered me further and I grew excited about what was shaping up in front of me. The painting was bright and vivid using a Pink Panther Pink color with various hues of blue and black. The art was of a typical graffiti style and had hand style tags listing all the things I loved. There were characters and large doodles everywhere but everything harmonized well together. Josh came down to take a look when I was putting on highlights and was blown away. That felt pretty good as I am generally speaking pretty sure I am the worst artist on the planet and Josh is an artist I've always looked up to. The day of the show came and we had rented a box truck to move everyone's paintings. The "gorilla" part was our lack of permit. We just showed up to the park and started unloading and hanging everyone's paintings. The entire park came alive with an assortment of truly unique pieces. There were traditional oil pieces, one where a friend had let his kid's doodle all over, various sculptures, etc. The event happened on whats known as "first friday" which is a day where all the shops downtown host art and everyone mills about the city looking at it. My piece gathered a ton of attention and I eventually I was offered money for it. I opted instead to keep it. When the cops showed up they didn't ask for a permit but instead commented that this was "the nicest the park ever looked". As to what I learned? I learned that sometimes starting is the hardest part but once you start momentum is powerful. I don't know that it was spiritual in any way but I do know that I felt a strong sense of being connected to my community - something that I feel is rather rare on this planet these days.
247. In college, I was invited to contribute a solo dance piece to an evening-long art event with a gallery and several performance pieces. I had a hard time in choreography class because I did not know I had a neurological disability that made it very hard to plan projects and work with others, and I would often be forced to improvise my pieces for class and hope for the best. For this solo piece, I did create a score for myself with some regions of improv within the structure. I used an acoustic popular music song that was personally meaningful to me in that its lyrics described some of my own frustration with sensing my own potential but being unable to fulfill it. I incorporated a large, very soft-looking sweater in the piece and occupied little room as I used a fairly small range of motion and was not on an elevated stage but out in the floor area of the gallery with the audience surrounding me. I learned nothing about my "true nature" during the process. It felt good to begin to express my frustrations with my lack of process and production, but otherwise I was just relieved to have made something and contributed to a show. I learned nothing about ultimate meaning. Or perhaps I reinforced my belief that anything I made would be transient and not permanent in any sense, and may only exist in the moment it is happening, although I believe someone was taking a video of all the pieces in the show. I felt the immediate fulfillment I expected to feel, followed by a deep sense of futility. I felt more cold disinterest from the void.
248. In grade school, I had art classes at school and won a state level prize for one of my pieces. This gave me the idea that I might have artistic talent. This was at a time when I didn't know what I might be good at, so this was an epiphany. What a great feeling it is to find out that you are good at something! So, I began to draw outside of school as well, for pleasure. I remember one piece in particular. It was a realistic drawing of the head of a chimpanzee. I drew it using pencil and I spent a long time getting the shading just right. I felt that it was even better than the art piece that had won the state prize. I was very proud of it, and it meant a lot to me. I felt that it really captured the humanity of the animal, especially the eyes. I put the drawing aside and some days past. When I went to find it again, I noticed that one the back of it, my grandfather has used the drawing to tally some figures. His writing bled through to the front of my drawing an essentially ruined it. I was heartbroken. I was sad that my drawing was ruined, but I was heartbroken because he did not see value in the drawing. He used it as if it was just a scrap piece of paper. I learned that you can have a strong connection to something that you create, and it can break your heart when it is devalued. Forty or more years have passed, but I still feel those feelings as if it had happened today.
249. In high school, I designed the cover for the high school yearbook. The final design was airbrushed by professional artists. I visited their studio and was amazed. I was unsure of my design but they really liked it and said that it was good as is. My base design was used. They just accentuated it. It was then that I realized that this could be my future career. There wasn't any deep meaning to the art itself. The process from start to finish had a profound impact on my life. It set me on the path of my career which has been 30 years now.
250. in highschool i created a ceramic piece of art that is two hands praying. i remember using my own hands as a guide and mock up of the piece. i. called the piece hope as it represents the possibility of better things ahead. I like to imagine someone praying for a good friend or a second chance. it is very sentimental to me but also amature as i was very young and inexperienced when i created it. It is delicate and fragile similarly to myself i like to think. I am very sensitive as a person and it shows in my work. The colors are pastel and subtle. Maybe i am looking for a sign of hope in my own life and circumstances and it still resonates with me today.
251. In making of a fantasy illustration that I spent a month on I learned quite a lot. Well it's hard to talk about deep meanings because I tend to focus on art at the surface level I learned a lot about painting castles and clouds better and using composition to draw the eye to different parts of the images. I guess in terms of meaning , what fantasy has always done for me is bring me to another world, away from all the harsh parts of reality. Growing up in foster care it was books, games and art that gave my life happiness and meaning.
252. In my art therapy group we were told to draw and color a patchwork quilt of family members and friends who make up who we are. A very deep ask in my opinion. I found that it was difficult to just limit to the number of people I had room for on one sheet of paper. It was also difficult to draw a representation of certain people, I tend to associate people with the feelings they produce in me not physical things I can draw. Some people were easy to come up with something to draw, the people I knew better. I ended up drawing a quilt that included a couple of my friends, several pets, and many family members. Both family members who are still alive and some who have passed on. It was a deeply contemplative experience, most of the time I create things it's a contemplative experience. It really made me think about who I am and why, what made me who I am. The answer was a lot of people and some furry friends as well. It moved me and helped me realize the importance of our past in shaping who we are in the present.
253. In my early 20's I wanted to start a record label. I was going through a really rough patch in my life and I just wanted to do something cool and interesting and something that I would be proud of. I found a local band that I liked and I set out to put out this record. Part of that process is creating the album art. I had never done anything like that before so it was a real challenge for me. I had never made anything that people publically saw let alone were going to be paying money for. The design itself was pictures out of an old yearbook that were placed almost in a mixed-media collage style. I was using Photoshop, but not very well as I didn't really understand how to use it. Once it was done I gave it to the band and they were mixed about it. Two of them loved it, the other two did not. Eventually, they decided to go with it. That cd is still in my collection. I'm sure just about all the other copies are long gone but it means a lot to me. I learned I was capable of doing more than I thought. I can't say it was a religious moment when I made it, just kinda shocked that I was able to do it myself.
254. In my painting class, we were instructed to paint a landscape from a photo that we take prior to the class using acrylics. I love colors, so I chose to paint a blue sunset at a beach. I felt my hand tremble slightly while trying to add little details to my work, such as far city windows and foam in the ocean waves. In painting the sky I realized that I subconsciously gave it a textured effect, similar to Monet’s application to his work. Needless to say, this piece had been my best work throughout the entire semester. Upon completing my piece, it still felt incomplete. I looked it over and over and somehow, the perfect colors, blending, and detail looked imperfect to me. I have a weird instinct in me to ruin everything I make, so I did just that. On the blue waves, I painted a green and purple swirl. In the gradient sky I added bold red bars. I didn’t completely cover up the sunset, but I added just enough shapes to draw the viewer away from the sun and the beach. In my head I thought, someday we won’t be able to see the sunset anymore anyway, because the world is dying. It was a dark thought, but it’s what drove me to follow my gut and complete my piece in a way that is somewhat out of character for me.
255. In my second year at college, I had to take a required 3D Art class that covered the basics of three-dimensional art. The professor was pretty into more abstract art and installation type artworks. Our final project was to make a figure sculpture with two requirements: 1. it had to be as tall or taller than us, and 2. it had to stand on its own. Otherwise, we could make whatever we wanted with whatever materials we chose. I chose to make an angel-like figure that ended up being a little over six feet tall. I used a lot of different scrap-type materials. I chose to make an angel figure because, at this time in my life, I (thought) I was madly in love with this man who sang at the church I was forced to go to by my family. He was much older than me and I was pretty much unheathily obsessed with him. It's probably relevant to note this was two years before I finally had a "mental break" of sorts and went on medication - so I was fairly off at the time. I had been drawing this guy obsessively for the past year or two, but in a fairly abstracted, non-realistic way. Usually with an abstracted mask-like face and a stained glass-looking set of wings and a halo. It was probably also a byproduct of my religious upbringing, which was a very negative experience as a whole. So, I made this sculpture that was more or less a three-dimensional version of the drawings I was making of this guy. The basic structure was sort of like the wooden support beams that you make for a scarecrow - made out of scrap wood bought at the Home Depot. Then I made a face/mask out of bits of thin plywood sheets that I cut into individual pieces for each face plane. That got glued together and spackled over with some kind of putty stuff and painted over with white. The halo was a cheap circular mirror that I bought, scraped the reflective part off, and then glued down with broken pieces of glass (For a few years prior, I had a pasttime of walking around collecting broken glass for no real reason and saving it - I used most of it in this project). I used the same collection of glass for the eyes. It essentially created a (cheap, scavenged) stained glass effect. I bought a man's suit jacket and shirt and put that over the framework. Then I created a set of wings out of wire with netting stitched over it and then individually glued craft feathers down onto it (this was the most time consuming part). The whole thing took a ton of time and since it was for finals, of course I was up at all hours working on it. I got it done, got full points for the final project. I kept it in my room afterwards for two years or so. Then when I hit the point in my life where I ended up having a sort of mental break - a friend had come over because she was worried about me. I was ranting about a lot of things, but specifically I mentioned that I hated certain religious items that had been forced on me to keep in my room. My friend said well let's just take them down and took down some little religious icons and a crucifix. For a while, I'd been thinking of taking my sculpture and sneaking it somewhere for display like an abandoned building or something. So, suddenly I decide let's grab that too, and let's take it down to this marsh that's a few miles away. So, I ended up taking this religious items and this weird sculpture of some guy I was once obsessed with and propping them all up in a marsh (which looking back on, I now realize is littering). So, what did I learn from this? 1. As far as art goes, you can make whatever the hell you want if you just go for it. I had no real sculpture experience but I just went for it anyway and I was actually fairly satisfied with my final product all things considered. It's freeing to know you can just "do it" regardless of your formal training, or whatever. 2. Probably that I have some mental health issues - at the time I was acting this way, it made sense in some kind of way to me. Looking back at this kind of behavior now, I'm like "what the hell was that" and "what was I even doing?" It was weird, basically. That said, I do have some nostalgia and fondness for this period in my life, even if it was sort of unhinged. And I will say that even if I was an emotional wreck at the time, it gave me some sort of motivation to really make art and just throw myself into it that I might not have as much nowadays. 3. I wouldn't say that I learned anything about "deep ultimate meanings" or had a "religious experience," but there was a sense of like, intense feeling and emotion, I guess? Obviously, it was born more of finding a way to deal with my shitty religious upbringing and coping with my poor mental health with the terrible strategy of just obsessing over some random guy, but there was a lot of feeling there at the time. At that time in my life, listening to this guy sing at church was honesty the closest thing to a religious experience I got out of church for my entire life. So, it was messy and unhealthy and a little crazy, but yeah, I did have some kind of sensation of just feeling so much at once.
256. In the short weeks following the death of my mother, I had no will or desire to pick up brush or mouse to create anything, but had the strongest of pushes in my soul that forced me to my easel. I decided to do a Bob Ross style, wet on wet, mostly because of the ease of setup and not really being concerned with results, just fulfilling the push I felt. It started with the simplest of skies, not blue, but a quiet somber gray and led to cloud that appeared to weep soft blots of rain. After the sky was established, the soft green mountains of my Kentucky home started to flesh out from my brush. The whole thing being strange as i painted, myself not really being mentally in the moment, just my body painting with my brain on autopilot if we must call it something. Then came trees, a small creek and waterfall slowing winding it's way down the mountain, and to finish it off the brightest and most wonderful carpet of flowers of all colors sheltered beneath the trees. I looked back at the whole and noticed that I had painted one of my mothers favorite places to picnic and pick flowers and could not help but in the moment feel her presence there. Since I was in the military, I do not process emotion well, whether good or bad and this time painting was the moment I properly grieved and put into reality that my mother was in her Heavenly home now. I actually gave that painting to my sister and she asked before hearing the story if it was one that mom had painted rather than myself even.
257. It happened at a time when I travelled by road, though I was not the one driving it was a driver that worked for my Uncle. While on the journey we had an accident which was fatal but interestingly we came out with a little scratch but the car was totally destroyed, it was during this accident that I realized that life is too short to live been scared. When I got back home I swung into work putting all my thoughts oh paper in form of a long poem contrasting the purpose of living, the why of living and the triumph of death...these I have been able to teach to students that attend the art class that I teach and also people I mentor. Over the years since it happened I have created at least 6 wood works from the poetry and I believe many more will come.
258. It was a collage of creative-commons licensed photos representing my partner's dungeons and dragons character. It captured the trauma the character went through, the difficulties he currently faced, the pleasures he sought out, and other aspects. Most of the images were red, on theme with the character, causing splashes of other colour to stand out. I did not learn anything about myself while doing it, but as a character study, I developed a thorough understanding of what went on inside of his head. I was thinking about my partner, and how he would feel upon recieving it, and wanted it to be as authentic as possible. I think that the dedication involved in making it for him was significant; it felt like he did, as well.
259. It was a hot summer day in a small town in Florida. I was visiting my grandparents as I would normally do when I was young. This memory takes place when I was 11 or 12 years old. I sat at a small 'kiddie' table in the middle of my grandparents art studio. The walls were covered in their own artwork- paintings and drawings, and also art from my great grandparents that had been passed down. There was a large table in the corner completely covered with different tubes of paint, brushes, tools, canvases, and anything an art family would need. At the other wall sat a yamaha piano which was playing pre-recordings and demos on a loop. An easel holding the painting of a little girl petting a white tiger was on display. My grandmother had just finished painting it. The room was lit by a large sliding door that looked onto the patio which was shaded by tons of grape vines hanging overhead. I sat alone in this room, the music playing songs I still remember to this day, painting a mountainous landscape with the moonlight bounding from the peaks. The smell of the paint always inspired me. My grandparents would check on me occasionally and tell me how great my art was- sometimes offering different tools to try. I specifically remember this because I knew in that moment that art was going to be part of my life. The sense of peace, relaxation and creativity I felt that day seemingly made the rest of the world melt away.
260. it was an art fair in my university days. it was a voluntary event where we contributed to art and culture of the school. Every participant made at least 1 art work. I made an abstract painting using over 12 color shades.
261. It was in my drawing class freshmen year of college. Our final project was announced and the theme for it was "Memory." The intention of it was to draw yourself, not literally, but figuratively. You were to draw yourself as you are in a memory. What are you? What represents you? Who really are you? The due date was on the last day before finals week (because the professor was going to be leaving early). It was that weekend that I began. I was there in the art room at night, around 9pm, sitting by my big easel. Two other students joined me to begin on their projects as well. I'm a very shy and reserved person, and I wasn't too keen on drawing around other people. My easel was faced away from the others so I'd feel a bit more comfortable drawing without prying eyes. My biggest interest ever since I was a kid was, and still is, dinosaurs. I knew right away that I wanted to incorporate dinosaurs into my project. But what dinosaur? My favorite dinosaur, the Troodon, came to mind. I was browsing images, but somewhere along the way I thought that it'd be a good idea to show the dinosaur as a vessel for the other things that describe who I am. Thinking about that, I decided a bigger dinosaur would be better so that I'd have a large head to work with. I also realized that my love of dinosaurs is vague. It's a strong love for dinosaurs and all things dinosaur-related. I don't only love certain dinosaurs, I love them all. I want to be able to show that I love dinosaurs in general. With that, I thought, what better way to represent a love of dinosaurs than with the most famous dinosaur of them all? The Tyrannosaurus Rex! I browsed through pictures and found a good reference for the T-Rex's big head and thought of what I'd do with that. The vessel idea was good, I thought, but what is this dinosaur going to be a vessel for? What other things describe who I am? Right away, the first things that came to mind were music and video games. I didn't know then how I'd incorporate them, but I knew that that was what I wanted to do. I was asked by one of the other students in the room what my idea was as they were discussing generally what they wanted to do. I told them about the dinosaur idea and they thought it was cool while they told me about what they were doing. It was a nice little moment, and they didn't judge me for an admittedly childish idea either which was especially nice. One of the students had a physical shoe to help them as a reference, which gave me the idea to get a physical reference for myself too. I left to my dorm room to grab a T-Rex toy I had lying around and bring it with me back to the art room. With my physical dino toy and the reference images I found online, I felt like I could start. Especially since by then I had rather spontaneously come up with the idea to incorporate the music aspect of my life by replacing the dinosaur's teeth with sheet music and having a video game interface inside its mouth. It would be as if the T-Rex itself was some sort of gaming and music system and it looked so cool in my head! I got to work drawing my T-Rex head which took me many hours. I wasn't even done with the thing by the time the other two students decided they were done for the day and left. It was pretty late, probably around 1am. I was alone and able to just listen to music as I worked. I set up my phone nearby and played whatever songs I was in the mood for and continued drawing. I felt awful to be honest. The T-Rex head didn't look at all like how I envisioned it, and its neck, which was rather vein-y since that's how it was in the references I had, looked like a neck with random lines. It didn't look good and I didn't know how to shade it. Nothing else was shaded either, since that was something I'd do later. I hated what I was looking at and I felt like this was looking worse and worse with everything I tried to do for it. I kept erasing and redrawing the veins, but it still looked awful. I tried to shrug that feeling off while I worked on the music sheet teeth. That came out well! I had the notes arranged and everything and it worked out, but the neck was still so bad looking to me. As I kept messing around shading the neck and the veins on it, hoping that shading was what could help it, I felt like hot garbage. For hours I kept at it, and eventually, probably around 6am, I got it looking right. I took a step back and was actually happy with what I made, though it did look a bit awkward since only the neck was shaded. Regardless, the neck finally looked proper, with its veins and all! My dinosaur actually looked good so far and I was able to continue. For my video game reference, I decided to put in the mouth of my T-Rex a little low-quality knight and a bunch of squares with an arrow path from the knight's square to another one. This was intended to be like a Fire Emblem map since Fire Emblem is my favorite video game franchise. Once I drew that into the mouth, I was unsure of what to do with the roof of the T-Rex's mouth. The game reference was specifically taking up the place of the tongue and the back of the mouth essentially, but there was nothing for the roof. I didn't really want to spend hours upon hours shading it like I did with the neck, so I ultimately decided to make it like a black border that you'd see in some games with ratios that don't match your TV's size. I darkened the roof of the mouth as black as possible. Sure enough, I thought it added a cool effect to the T-Rex's mouth especially with its musical teeth and the game reference inside. At this point I did figure that there was too much white space since my T-Rex was very off to the right side of the canvas. Obviously I'm not going to redraw the thing, so I thought of the idea to add another dinosaur. I thought, hey, the T-Rex is like the system: it's got the game and the sheet music. So what if I make the player? I thought that it'd work best to make an opposite to the T-Rex. With that, I figured using an herbivore would be a smart way to show that. Since the space wasn't big enough for a second large head, I went with a Brachiosaurus since they have thinner necks and smaller heads: another perfect contrast for the T-Rex's thick neck and large head. With that in mind, I sketched out the Brachiosaurus which would have a controller on its nose and a recorder in its mouth. I chose a recorder since that's a very basic instrument which I felt was a good way to show this sort of "where it all began" type of feel to music. Technically for me, I started with piano, but recorders are most kids' first instrument and, like using a T-Rex to show a vague love of dinosaurs, I went with a recorder to show a vague start of music. As for the controller, it was an NES controller. An old video game system controller, to show a vague beginning for home system gaming. Once I got that sketched out, I went back to finish off my T-Rex by fully shading it... but like the neck problem, this was giving me issues. It didn't look right. It kept looking bad no matter how much I shaded it. After hours of shading it, I felt like I wanted to cry because it still looked awful and it was about 10am. Mind you, I was in this art room since around 9pm so I was here for over 12 hours drawing this thing. I felt useless. I felt like garbage. I wanted to cry. Why was this taking so long? Why doesn't it look right? It was due in about 24 more hours by this point and given it had already taken me over 12 hours just to get HALFWAY done I felt like I was running out of time. I thought that there was no way I could finish in time and that I should give up. I really, truly felt hopeless. But I just kept going. It was around 2pm that I had finally finished the whole drawing, shading and all. I would have never thought it would come out like this. It looked good. In my honest opinion, it was a good drawing and I felt like it was my best work. I took pictures of it even. I was so unbelievably proud of it! Through this whole thing, I had learned just how strong my drive is to just keep going even if I feel like it's hopeless. Because, really, I wanted to give up but I just didn't. And I did cry during this, too, I'm not going to lie. But I was proud and think that it's my best drawing. Ever.
262. It was not that momentous. It was in 1969. For our first anniversary I painted a portrait of my wife from a photograph I used red and blue for skin tones. She is a dead now. It is a favorite of my grandson. He will have it after I am dead.
263. It was really just a normal artwork. I didn't really learn anything from it and I pretty much figured that It was just kind of an existing problem that had continued. I went on my day and just kept working as per usual. The artwork more or less existed for me to try to and branch out. It was an artwork of a car iirc, one from a mobile game.
264. It was the summer before college. I convinced my parents to buy me a drumkit from a pawn shop as a birthday present. My best friend, Jon, played electric guitar. I had some competency on the drums from having spent many hours playing a video game that used a drumkit peripheral. I threw myself into training on the real drums with everything I had. My favorite artwork I ever created was a simple improvised jam with my best friend. The music was very mellow--beginning as something very "chill" and spacey. We gradually built it up until we were both playing full volume, full speed for several minutes. The song ended I think because we got tired just as much as anything. I felt absolutely locked into the moment, in one of the purest states of "flow" I've ever been in. I was not consciously thinking about anything and yet my mind was racing--but not in an unpleasant way. Everything just intuitively came to me--I felt exactly what to hit on the kit when and where and how. The event taught me that I'm a much more intuitive and musically gifted person than I'd ever known. I'd played piano for several years prior to picking up the drums, but I never felt that freedom or ability to improvise with that instrument. I did not learn much about ultimate meaning, except that I would continue to pursue that sort of flow state as often as I could in my life. I did not perceive any experiences beyond the physical world.
265. It was twenty years ago and about a week after my brother died. I had to begin work on another self portrait, one of the final art assignments in high school. I was in a room full of other art students, desks positioned around the edge of the room effectively making it like a kind of big round table. I was just one of a dozen or so other students, but I felt on display, vulnerable, raw, given the recent loss having happened only a week or so prior. The pain I was in seemed to be nearly all encompassing, and I was just going through the motions I had done so many times already. I remember the mirror on the desk; I just picked up a pencil and drew what I saw, as if on auto-pilot. I wanted a passing grade of course, but mostly I just wanted the project to be over, for the school year to be over, to move on to something else, some new chapter in my life. It carried on like this for days. It didn't feel divine or as if I was assisted, just going through the same motions I had done for years (i.e. sketch a rough outline of sorts, draw what I see, fill the picture in with values from what I see). Eventually the portrait was completed. It was me from the shoulders up. It showed my newly shaven face, side burns, thin eyebrows, blue eyes, a rather roman/chiseled looking nose, and short hair. But mostly it showed the grief on display in my eyes, on my face; lips twisted a bit to reveal grief, haunting eyes that were too large, too wracked in pain and close to tears. My hair short now, face freshly shaven for the first time in years because of the funeral. It was so revealing it shocked me, made me deeply uncomfortable. It was probably one of the best pieces I've done, yet it amplified my feelings on being on display, of being vulnerable, of wanting to get out of there and move on. It was featured in a school art show; I don't believe I attended. Shortly after that, high school was over. Ultimately I think it shows, and indeed subconsciously taught me, about my inner strength, my resolve and the need to continue moving forward. It taught me that I was my own person, about my emerging identity as an adult. It directly shows the pain and loss in life, the suffering we each have to go through in our own way ever day, and how it is reflected in our art.
266. Last summer I went to the beach with my family and we decided to make cute beach handbags. We collected a lot of shells, rocks, and sand from the beach. We then made toy umbrellas to put inside the plastic bag window. We then picked out the fabric and practiced sewing a bag to attach to the beach scene. We had so much fun discovering new things on the beach because Florida is so different compared to the beaches in Michigan. This was the first time we had ever been to Florida before. While we collected objects to put in our bags we made up magical stories about each of our items. Such as what creature owned the shell or rock before we found it. We talked about the supernatural world a lot. I am agnostic but I can still be a spiritual person. My kids asked me questions about fairies and if they are real or not. We talked about how maybe one day there will be proof that fairies are real. I had a lot of fun showing my kids how to sew and it was fun to see how creative we could sew our bags. I had fun drawing a little on the bags too. I felt so loved and happy to be with my family. I thought that maybe God was real because I was having such a great time with my family on this special vacation creating fun art with them. I felt that my meaning in life was to be happy and to love and spend time with my family.
267. Last week I created a piece of work called The Flower of Life. I made it out of 8 different layers of wood. After cutting each piece out I sanded them down, then painted each layer, then they layer on top of each other to make a geometrical flower of life. I made this piece alone late at night while my children slept. It has deep meaning to me as it is the beginning and end of all life. It is the hidden pattern that everything begins with in this world so it had great meaning and deep significance to me. I was able to use all my favorite colors as I created it too so it represents and fits well into my world. It made me think about life, how it starts and ends, my part in this world, where i come from , how I was created and so on. The symbol definitely makes me contemplate life, who we are and where we come from. This was a fun project I was able to do without kids or any interference, just a little something I've been wanting to make and create for myself to decorate and bring the ambiance I would desire for my room aka sacred sanctuary. I can't wait to get it hung up on my wall!
268. Last year I was able to do something I'd long dreamed of, which was writing a book. I started slowly and modestly, but gained steam over time. After about a year and a half, I had tons of material to parse to complete a full length book. It turns out the hardest part was formatting and editing. I learned that if you want to do something, all you really have to do, is do it. I did not have any spiritual epiphany or anything like that, but the project reaffirmed that we are ultimately masters of our own destiny.
269. My art is an extension first of my anxiety, which arise from a lifelong battle with depression that was maintaied reasonably until I turned 36 when a second manic episode hit. I had never had anxiety before, and then I start self-medicating and compulsively taking pictures with my phone. Editing those photos made it possible to calm down and function. I met god high the first time I injected crystal meth, and he told me he loved me and just wanted me to be happy. I kissed him on the nose and fell back down to earth. I didn't believe in god before that moment. I realized no body is here for you on the planet, you are in fact only responsible for yourself, and other people, when you reach out to help them, they will as often swat you away as assist. They don't want your help - and if they do, they'll take everything to spite you - and they don't want to help you. Even your family. And it hurts so much to feel so alone in the world.
270. My artwork is a simple one. I'm adding some crocheted flowers to a white leather and woven straw purse that I retrieved from the Goodwill pile. I'm actually working on it today, but there's so much that no one will know when they see it. It's a purse from my mother's closet, that she rarely if ever used. She never thought that she deserved the good things in life, that they were meant to be saved on a shelf, that the ordinary day wasn't meant for niceties. She grew up in the Depression, scrimping and saving. Having been taught by her to deny myself those good things, I no longer subject myself to that. Life is too short and I will use the good china, I wear the nice jewelry. I was her caregiver for many years, watching her disappear into the fog of Alzheimer's. It wasn't a fair end of life; we had no fighting chance to win that battle. I've gone through most of her "stuff" now, figuring out what's "meaningful" and what's "junk". I rescued this purse from the donation pile. I took her favorite shawl which was a gift for a woman who took care of her failing body, and I unraveled the yarn to use to make the crocheted flowers that I will attach. The yarn, the shawl, the purse, the flowers. All the hands that took care of my mother, and her hands that carried this purse. All of that experience and connection will be in this one object. And I will carry it, as it is my turn to face the future.
271. My boyfriend and I took a pottery class in order for us to bond. I was working a lot. It became a way for us to get out of a rut and meet up. The class ended up being a was for each of us to explore our creativity separately. I enjoyed throwing useful items in bright colors that expressed my feelings such as cups and bowls. He did very detailed and sculpted pieces with intricate designs. They were vases with very detailed flowers. It really said a lot about each of our personalities. We are so very different but appreciate our differences and our uniqueness. Seeing our pieces reminds us of the quiet time that have to create the artwork.
272. My design started out in a small section in my yard. I created a Secret Garden for myself and cats. It has an entrance that is a rounded trellis with morning glories that grow all over it. They have a beautiful scent when you enter. I go in this garden to do my work and to also ground. It's private and calm. My true nature is the connection to nature and Earth. It is a very spiritual feeling and feel very connected to a higher power when I'm out there. My garden is completely surrounded by tall bushes and more morning glories that climb all over my wire fencing that encloses my small yard. I have a swing that I sit on with small pebbles that is 4 inches deep where my feet go to give it a massage, the rocks are hot and it is amazing! I have a greenhouse out there too that I can ground in when it is cold outside but the sun is shining so it feels like a sauna in there while I plant my bare feet on the ground. This is my sanctuary and I stay healthy, or when I need to recenter myself. I also have humming birds that come to feed in my garden. They are use to me and will fly up to my face, it's very special. My cats, love to lay around in there and take in the sun also.
273. My favorite art is that of prose and poetry. I just love the flow and the way that it is written, and when works of art like watercolor or painting can go along to provide a visual aid, it just makes it better. My best work was a piece of fan fiction in which I described a one shot of Harry Potter, in which I showed off his life in the future, and how although he defeated the ultimate evil, he still didn’t have a quiet and peaceful life. Throughout the process, I recollected quotes from other authors that I loved, and learned how to collect my own insight and emotions and put them on paper to create a story that was enthralling and thrilling to read. I didn’t really learn anything about an ultimate meaning, mostly just about myself, and have not experienced any world breaking experiences throughout this process
274. My favorite artwork that I have created is a pixel art painting of the pokemon dragonair as a more realistic creature in the water. I created it myself as a passion project instead of for any client. I spent longer and was more invested in the design because it was my own creation. I did not learn anything about my true nature during the project other than how much I enjoyed what I was doing, at the time I was doubting my artwork and unsure if I wanted to keep going in that direction. I did not learn anything deeper during this project than my own personal enjoyment of my own art.
275. My favorite piece that I created is a very realistic acrylic painting of the ocean horizon. I went on a trip in college to a remote island in the Gulf of Mexico with some classmates and instructors. While there, we were challenged with many art projects. This painting was one completed for this purpose, which turned out to be my favorite piece ever. It reminds me of the sereness of the island and the ocean; away from the hustle and bustle world we live in. It is very calming. It made me realize how much we tend to put on ourselves and that we could be one with nature and survive just fine.
276. My first piece, at 11 years old, I remember being excited and proud of was a painting of nature. I painted a country scene that included a pond with rocks around the outside of it, a classic red barn, a small white farm house that was a bit run-down, high grass which needed to be attended to, a huge maple tree in the front yard with a tire swing. A bird house and wind chimes hanging from the front porch, and an old, broke down truck sitting in the far back of a stone driveway. I learned that I am really good at painting nature pieces. I realized that I liked how the setting felt as it was very peaceful.
277. My first short film is the piece of artwork I will be talking about. I was thinking about creating a short film for a while, for our podcast. I had the ideas fleshed out, but needed to work on a script and write out scenes. As I was writing out the scenes, it hit me, that I was creating something special for myself and my grandchildren to enjoy. As I got around to record the scenes, I realized that I didn't need the script, and could just recite all the lines and improv better than what I wrote, it was a moment that I realized that I was not just a person making a short film to show on a podcast, but that I was creating something special, and all the work I had been working on was being put together for the film. I was proud and moved, and still am to this day.
278. My friends and I visited an out-of-the-way community college and rented out their recording studio. It was the first time that I had recorded a full-EP. The drummer, guitarist and engineer were all good friends of mine and we were completely unbounded in terms of what we could create and record. To this day, I feel it is my greatest work and remains deeply important to me. We didn't have to create for anyone but ourselves, and what came out was magical. Even after touring with professional bands, I still listen to that DIY EP that we created and think it captures the essence of me. Punk AF. I learned that I can tell a story through music, and that storytelling was my overall aim through art. I learned that four humans, when they all tune in to the same wavelength, can create beyond themselves and make a real impression on each other and their perspectives. I do not believe in god, and I do not feel there even can be a god. Art is the closest I come to transcending this world. Amazing what partially evolved apes can do.
279. My grandmother was passing away with Dementia and my family wanted pictures of her before she passed. Given that i was studying photography I took it upon myself to visit her one day unannounced and I brought over lunch. We spoke and talked about her life and how she felt and throughout it, I produced a series of portraits of her. It helped me learn a lot about myself and her as well with regards to having a positive outlook no matter the situation. The images were sad but happy at the same time and we reflect on them often. I felt a connection with her that I had never felt. About 7 months later she passed away but I will always have these memories. It was art in its truest form for me.
280. My greatest artwork is and probably always will be my writing. I've been gifted from an early age with the ability to communicate my thoughts much more eloquently through written communication. It's very innate to me to be able to come up with clever turns of phrase, creative wordplay, or interesting analogies to really make my writing "pop" and stand out. I've been fortunate to write for a number of clients over the years across many industries. It gives me a great sense of pride, both during the writing process and even years later, to create something so impactful using only my words. Some writing I did years ago may very well land me an upcoming "dream role". What sets my writing apart, and why I do not fear AI like ChatGPT, is my ability to take any topic and make it not just informative, but interesting. I've learned that I truly love and value my writing -- I'm not just doing it to church out profits for a company. I think this speaks highly of how I value journalism compared to some others. I can't say most of my professional writing has had anything to do with spirituality, although my personal reflection in my journal sometimes has.
281. My high school only had bands but in college I participated in an orchestra as an oboist. The first time I played with the orchestra was very memorable because it was my first time actually being a part of a symphony (Beethoven's Pastoral). It felt thrilling and amazing to be able to finally be a part of a group that is producing this amazing music. I guess it says that I like being with people, and collaborating to do something fun together. No ultimate meanings though, my goal in life is to lead a content life. No religious experiences either.
282. My journey took me from being an unemployed marketing professional in the music industry to attending one of the most prestigious graduate schools for music in the country. I'm thinking of what was my first performance there of the leading role in Le Nozze di Figaro which happed to be directed and conducted by legends in the field. Standing behind set and listening to that majestic overture. Six months prior I was working at a now defunct video store as the only job I could find. I was clinically depressed and had given up hope. Many days were spent praying for deliverance out of my situation. Then one day, seemingly out of the blue, a call came inviting me to attend this school based on an unrelated audition years prior which I had frankly forgotten. I learned that I was loved and cared for in ways I never imagined nor deserved.
283. My junior year of college I made a film called "Love: The Movie", a meta-comedy about filmmaking. I learned that while I enjoyed making my own work I didn't like leading a large group or a big team, commanding an army, to make something, I preferred to work in intimate environments. I like having done it once, but that's about it. I wanted to prove myself and I suppose I did. My classmates were very complimentary. After all, the film was essentially about them. I learned that we are all looking to see ourselves reflected back at us. I didn't feel a transcendence in making this work. I have sometimes, mostly when writing alone. Never with other people, and film is so collaborative.
284. My last year of university I really enjoyed my ceramics classes. We were challenged to make a set of mocketts representing characters in a fable, fairy tale, or myth. I wrote a story interpreting my life at the time, and made my models of a dove of peace, a two headed monster with snakes for tongues, and a "fioenix" or "fiance phoenix." My parents were in the process of disowning me for marrying a man they did not choose. Fionix was the character I chose to make full size. The Fionix was my largest work until that time - the head was carefully skulked with cheek bones and eye sockets, then the mouth and nose were formed as an elegant beak. Ceramic spectacles were placed around the eyes. The eyebrows and beard where portrayed as human, while the hair was replaces by a careful spray of feathers. The neck and chest were covered in individually sculpted feathers, and the wings were made separately and attached after the fact leading to a 5 foot wing span. When finished the piece took three people to move, and was known to injure anyone it fell on. I found the work very cathartic in portraying the start of a new life, and the way the people we love hold a place as themselves and as the roll they fill for us. I would disagree with the younger me who made the piece on many topics, but she was write that starting over is a consuming fire we have to go through to become who we will be next. The man I sculpted then would put me through more destructive fires and rebirths into other new people, but the piece was accurate to it's time and a foreshadowing of our life together.
285. My mom bought me an art set and encouraged me to paint. I painted, a lot. I had a lot of fun with it. Later I met an art teacher who recommended I get involved with a city program. I was an apprentice assigned to mater painters who taught me techniques. This program really got me excited about art. I found love and love and it pulled me out of a deep depression. It changed everything for me.
286. My most recent art was a song I made about my dad who passed away and I played a snippet of his voice at the beginning of the song, sampled a few guitar notes and talked about how much I missed him and how impactful he was to me during my childhood. The making of the song was so intense that I cried and had to redo 10 times before I could master the full version of it.
287. My most recent painting is my most meaningful piece of art. I painted a realism photo of my grandfather sitting on a couch. He recently passed away and it was a gift for my grandmother for Christmas. I started it back in July and it was so hard to keep going, but it was very important I finished not only for myself, but for my grandmother. It's so significant because it was not only my first memorial painting, but it was my first painting of family I've ever done. It was hard emotionally, but I truly think it made me stronger artistic wise and emotionally. I do believe I had a spiritual guidance. Halfway through painting my grandfather, I wanted to give up and I started crying. I suddenly felt a warm sensation on my shoulder and it spread to my chest and suddenly the words "Don't give up" went through my head. I know it sounds crazy, but I feel it was my grandfather watching over me.
288. My most recent piece of art I created was a beat for my beat store which can be found here https://www.beatstars.com/brokent. When i created it i felt like i was in a state of flow and that my hands where moving to their own devices and my ears fully trusted my hands
289. My most recent successful artwork was a watercolor portrait of my boyfriend's dog, Spike. I was very nervous that it wouldn't be good enough, but he loves it and keeps it in his room. I learned that the best part of making art is making people happy. Art means that you get to express yourself and your affection toward others in a visual way. I haven't felt any "transcendent" experiences when it comes to my art, but I believe that it does happen.
290. My oldest son & I worked on an artistic creation together. It was particularly meaningful because of the time we spent creating this piece. We decided to create a directional sign for our tropical landscape design and pool area.we wanted to include various tropical locations on each individual sign. My husband cut the signs for us. Then, we stained and painted them. We tried to incorporate symbols, pictures, and colors that applied to each tropical destination. This project took quite awhile to complete using appropriate fonts, color schemes, and pictures for each sign. The project turned out so great. It was especially fun to work alongside my son creating this project together.
291. My piece of artwork was a musical composition called Two Mockingjays. It is a pretty short composition only around 12 measures long. This composition was an assignment for a class which was due very recently around a week ago. I was the only person invovled in making the actual composition but I did allow for a few friends to listen to it once it was finished. When I made it, I actually felt very proud of myself and I consider it to be one of my best compositions to date because of how much I liked it. What this event says about me is that sometimes I may never know when the best of me can come out and it can happen whenever. My true nature did come out a little bit during the process, there were definielty times where I almost felt like I reahced some sort of nirvana because it felt like me and my insturnment trying to write this composition was the only task I ever had to do in my existence.
292. no
293. not really, no, nope
294. Now that you mention about architecture, I was a drafter/designer for home design. So the only real experience had with artwork os designing a house plan from scratch. I did a design for myself as a final project. It showed me that with time and absorbing myself into the project, I could really come up with a creative design. Creative enough for my professor to use it as his own and sell it.
295. Oh this is a fantastic question. The reason that music is so important to me, specifically playing music, is because it is the closest to a feeling of spirituality that I have in my normal life. I'll relate a very special practice session I had with my friend, a few years ago. Shortly after my Mother passed away due to complications with kidney disease, I was understandably distraught. I felt so empty and words can't even come close to describing how awful I felt at that time. Nothing seemed to matter. Nothing I did was making me happy. And if I did feel happiness, I felt guilty for it. Just a miserable time in my life. My best friend showed up at my door one day with his keyboard. He sat down and plugged it in, and told me that he thought I was one of the most talented musicians he had ever played with. I realized at that moment that I was neglecting something very important to me. Something that makes me feel more connected and alive than anything else. I picked up my acoustic guitar, and we played music, wonderful music, for several hours. Since then, we get together as often as possible. Especially since I got my drum kit! I still get that awesome feeling of being more than myself, of being connected to nature and the pulse of things...transcendence. I also feel like I'm utilizing a gift that was given to me by my Mother, as she was very musically talented and as a kid I marveled at her and my Dad's abilities. I am proud to be a musician! Even if no one hears me, I am in love with the act of creation! You might say it saved me.
296. Once when I drew an elephant. I love drawing animals and I particularly love drawing the elephant for some reason. So when draw for fun I try to just pick a reference and go from there. I thought this one was pretty really well done, but I'm also my biggest critic. My todler nephew recognized it immediately he's still growing as a toddler learning new shapes, animals, words, and colors. So this felt really nice that he understood what I was trying to convey. I believe, but am not super religious, but I would say it can be argued it was a spiritual moment. I felt something deep and strong emotionally that this kid I adore was appreciating in some way the work I'd created.
297. One artwork that I created that is especially meaningful to me is a mixed media piece that I made in high school for Ms. C's art class. The theme for that project was "fighting". The artwork was a bird similar to a phoenix rising from the ashes. It was created in acrylic paint, cardboard, hot glue and rocks. As I worked several weeks, pouring my creativity and energy into it, I was driven by a desire to express my own personal journey of growth and transformation. I felt a deep connection to the symbolism of the phoenix as a powerful metaphor for rebirth and renewal. Throughout the process of creating this artwork, I experienced a wide range of emotions. At times, I felt frustrated and unsure of how to bring my vision to life. Other times, I felt a sense of excitement and joy as I saw the piece coming together. Overall, I felt a sense of deep satisfaction and pride as I completed the piece, knowing that I had poured my heart and soul into it. In retrospect, I realize that this experience taught me a lot about my own true nature. I learned that I am deeply creative and passionate about expressing myself through art. I also learned that I am willing to put in the time and effort necessary to bring my vision to life, even when it is challenging. As for ultimate meaning, I believe that this artwork represents my belief in the power of transformation and the potential for growth and renewal in all of us. It also speaks to my belief in the importance of creativity as a means of expressing ourselves and connecting with something deeper than ourselves. While I did not have any experiences in which I perceived a reality beyond the physical world while creating this artwork, I did feel a sense of connection to something greater than myself as I worked on it. This connection was rooted in a sense of purpose and meaning that came from expressing myself through art and creating something that was both beautiful and meaningful.
298. One day I was hiking in the Mount Lofty Ranges outside Adelaide, South Australia. Along the trail I cam upon a group of eight kangaroos lying on the ground amid eucalyptus leaves, tree bark and other debris. Only one of the animals took notice of me and seemed ready to sound and alarm that would have caused the entire group to spring into action and disappear deeper into the forest. I crept closer, quietly and with no sudden movement. I reached a point within fifteen feet of the group and felt a strong urge to capture on film this classic scene. Because I used a medium format camera mounted on a heavy tripod in those days, which was a bit cumbersome to set up, I knew that the chances of my getting a few images without causing the kangaroos to become alarmed and disappear were quite small. I decided to give it a try. I turned my back to the animals and worked slowly to get the camera set up, expecting at any moment to hear the rustle of leaves and sticks indicating that I frightened the animals to sprint away. When I turned around to once again face the animals they were still there! I took my time and shot a roll of 12 images. At the time, I was 10,000 miles from home, completely alone, and not a soul on Earth knew where I was. I felt a strong kinship with the animals, who had allowed me to capture a few moments in time in their life. As I write about it, I can still recall in incredible detail the entire scene, where I was, on which trail, the time of day, the weather that day, etc. and could return to the exact spot where I stood when I took the pictures.
299. One day, a client approached me for a new logo that reflected their commitment to sustainability and the environment. I set to work, researching different symbols and images that could represent the client's values. As I experimented with different colors, shapes, and textures, an idea began to form in my mind. I would create a logo that incorporated the image of a tree, with branches spreading outwards to form the letters of the client's name. The tree would be rendered in a minimalist style, with clean lines and simple shapes that conveyed a sense of strength and resilience. Over the course of several weeks, I refined my design, tweaking the colors and proportions until every element was just right. When I presented my final design to the client, they were thrilled with the result. For me, this project was a testament to the power of great design to capture an idea and turn it into a lasting work of art. It was a fulfilling experience to create a meaningful and memorable visual identity for the client's business, and to know that my creation had satisfied their brief and contributed to their success. I believe this event shows my determination and attention to detail.
300. One frequent theme I have whenever I draw certain pictures like cartoons is that I try to draw myself as a cartoon character in the style that I enjoy. Is sometimes it is difficult to capture emotion of human characters if they are not drawn with exaggerated proportions. As such, I don't think that it is necessarily easy to determine that it is me, but it is still something that I put a lot of thought and effort into, even with the background of the scenery. Sometimes I also try and draw my friends as cartoon characters with me in it. It really is a way that captures sort of an ideal happy utopia that I would live in with all my friends. It's an interesting experience creating it because it is almost like taking a picture of something that never happened but could have happened if the circumstances allowed for it.
301. One impactful piece of art I created was a tapestry with my family's celtic symbol woven in. It is very rudimentary and not professional but I was very proud of the result. I loved researching the symbol and our family history. I chose colors of yarn in various hues of green and yellow and I worked on it in the evenings after work while my husband watched TV. I first started weaving as a child and enjoyed my fisher price weaving loom. So weaving brings me back to my childhood and I find it very soothing and therapeutic. It reminds me of my grandparents and my dad who are all deceased. I feel my dad especially around me when I delve into Irish artwork. It brings me a huge sense of calm which is important during stressful times. Weaving can be very repetitive but I love that part of it.
302. One meaningful artwork that comes to mind is a wooden statue that I carved a few years ago. It was a representation of a fictional character from a book that I loved as a child. The statue was about 12 inches tall and carved from a single block of cherry wood. I remember spending countless hours in my workshop, carefully chiseling away at the wood to create the intricate details of the character's face, clothing, and accessories. It was a slow and meditative process that required patience and attention to detail. I was completely absorbed in the task, and time seemed to fly by. I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment when I finally finished the carving. It was a tangible representation of my love for the book and the character, and it was something that I could keep and cherish for years to come. As I reflect on the creation process, I realize that I learned a few things about myself. Firstly, I discovered that I have a great deal of patience and perseverance when it comes to creative projects. I also learned that I have a deep appreciation for detail and craftsmanship. Finally, I realized that I have a strong emotional connection to the things that I create. In terms of ultimate meaning, I don't think that the creation of this artwork had any deep, underlying significance. However, I do believe that it was a valuable exercise in self-expression and creativity. It allowed me to connect with a character that I admired and to express my appreciation for the book in a tangible way.
303. One night with friends at a music festival, we played together under the moonlight inside a deep, round, empty fountain. There were a few old friends but mostly new--people from the US, Japan, Dominican Republic, and more. That night there were violinists, cellists, and violists coming in and out as they pleased. Even though we didn't speak the same language, we were able to create something on the spot that kept evolving and changing and all the walls between us came down. There are a lot of things that can keep us separate whether it's language or governments or ideologies, but none of that mattered. Those things that get pushed on us like they matter didn't matter. Everybody had their own way to sound authentic and anyone could recognize it, no matter where they were from. It was like the constructs in place in our daily lives vanished and we could really be ourselves with each other. I realized that my favorite thing about music was connecting with people that I otherwise wouldn't connect with. If we bumped into each other on a street, we wouldn't have much to say. Realizing that there was potential to have that much in common with anyone next to me, and not realizing it before, was a profound experience of connection. I'm not much of a nature person, but being under the same sky together with the moon and stars above us made it feel extra special and that fountain was our little piece of Earth where we all came together. I felt excited and peaceful at the highest levels all at the same time and it gave me a new perspective on how I can use music to reach out to people instead of perform in front of them. I realized over the week once I had that feeling that I could generate it with others, too, and made it my mission to let them experience that kind of connection that goes deeper than words.
304. One of my favorite paintings was a loose impressionist style watercolor lemon and leaves collection. I make graphics for my work and there is not the same type of emotion behind my art that is usually correlated with artists. Instead I felt pride because it was one of my first collections where I felt completely competent in my technical abilities. I learned that I could take the process from conception all the way to production/printing and be satisfied with the result. Usually I am my own worst critic. Creating a work that I am completely happy with is far and few between.
305. One of my favorite pieces of art that I have created is a charcoal piece I did about 5 years ago. I didn't have a reference picture, it was all from my mind, but it was of an older married couple that just lost their son in war. My dad was in the military and retired about 10 years ago, right as my brother was joining the Marines and I saw the pain in my dads eyes when he was sent on deployment. I tried to show the same face my dad made, but more painful to show a story. I learned that life is full of ups and downs. One moment of joy and being proud can lead to a moment of anguish and pain. I've always been able to read my dad, but this was one of the few times that I couldn't understand his pain, and pray I never have to.
306. One of my favorite pieces of artwork that I created was a music video I made with my best friend when we were 17. We took film production classes together in middle school and creating our own music videos became one of our favorite hobbies. The two of us spent a couple of days working on the project all day- from coming up with ideas to filming to editing the final product. We went around to various locations such as public parks, a lake, a parking garage, and friend's houses. This project was really meaningful to me because I got to spend so much time doing something I love with my best friend. I remember that we both felt really proud of the work that we had done and shared the final product with our families and friends. I don't remember having any thoughts about ultimate meaning or religious experiences, but I remember feeling like art, especially film, was a part of my identity and was important to me. It was also a way for me to express myself creatively and collaborate on something meaningful with a close friend.
307. One of my favorite pieces of artwork that I have created would be an illustration done in charcoal called 'Midnight'. Some of my favorite pieces that I make, such as this one, come from an emotional time in my life when I felt most vulnerable. Usually, they occur after a bad day or when my mental health is below the average. The time would also be during the night as well. It's an odd comfort to work with charcoal because it is only made of black and white hues. I feel that helps represent the artwork theme and the certain emotion behind making it. I believe I learned how much that certain emotion comforts me when it comes to creating the artwork. I find the monochrome and making the art itself helps me cope better with my situation at the time. It also makes me think that if I didn't have such bad moments I wouldn't be able to create such personal artwork. I believe the ultimate meaning behind being an artist would be being able to experience these certain feelings. When I thought about it, the feelings are what made me motivated to inspire and release my creativity. The most creative people are bound to some type of suffering, which I believe makes them create the most personal and powerful pieces of art. As an emotional and spiritual person, I do have my experiences with a reality beyond the physical world. I believe in the energy around me and it's presence and magic helping me feel better. I know there is power behind a mystical energy, which helps me manifest things into my life and helps me connect with my personal feelings. It is also there to serve as guidance and encouragement, which reassures me in my daily life.
308. One of my favorite pieces of work that I've made is actually a cookie. A Lemon Sugar Cookie. But that cookie encompasses a lot of myself, and it's a recipe that I created from the ground up. The first time I made them was when citrus season was beginning to peak, and everyone in my neighborhood had lemons to spare. The neighbor down the street who had taught me how to properly grow a citrus tree had set out a red wheelbarrow overflowing with lemons, a small cardboard sign placed atop saying "help yourself". And I did. The late winter held little weight in the sunshine of southern California. The day was brimming with pre-spring energy, and I wanted to funnel that into a little creation that the whole neighborhood could enjoy. Piling on as many lemons as my arms would let me carry, I waddled back home and got to work in the kitchen. These lemons were HUGE. Some were the size of five lemons in one! The treat would have to be handheld, so cake was out of the picture. Needed something small, quaint, and easy to enjoy for all ages. At first, the thought was a lemon shortbread cookie..but that would've been a little tougher than I wanted. I wanted to have the softness to counter the citrusy zing. A texture that would invite you back for another bite. Then I would roll each ball in sugar to assure that the sweetness would still be there for balance. It only took one monstrous lemon to create the first batch. Anxiously, I waited by the fresh sheet of baked cookies to transfer them to the cooling rack. By the time they were transferred, I had to make another batch- my mother, father, and husband had devoured all but one cookie; it was an immediate hit. The next few dozen went out to the neighborhood and it was very empowering to hear that everyone had drawn the same conclusion- this cookie was the 'hope of spring' in a sweet, little bite. For me, this meant I had found success; not only was the recipe a hit, but my audience was in need of more.
309. One of my favorite works occurred in the year 2007. I had taken too many mushrooms, and I was tripping so hard I could barely hold a pen. My friend was there and that was it. I swear I could feel the ink touching the paper as I drew every line. I drew a woman in a mountain children rolling down hills that were her bosom. It was all black and white, no color, and it took nearly 4 hours, but I wouldn't stop. It was so satisfying, it was the most satisfying artwork I've ever created in my painting career. I was at one with my third eye, my inner self, my sixth sense, something that isn't tangible unless your brain is swelling with psilocybin.
310. One of my first acrylic on canvas paintings turned out to be one of my favorite pieces. I was 25 years old and just wanted to get into the visual arts. At the time I was staying the summer at my sister's house in the country. Her daughter, my niece was already painting for years at this point and she taught me some painting techniques. The painting in question was one that was inspired by one of hers, and she said that as a first painting it was really cool and had good composition.
311. One of my most emotional paintings is that of a church set in a winter background with snow falling outside. It reminds me of my grandma and her recent passing prior to painting the church. I felt relaxed and at peace while painting this piece of art. Looking back at it months later and I still have a feeling of calmness. It makes me feel somewhat closer to my grandma as she's no longer Earth bound. The painting lives on my dresser filled with other items of my grandma's such as her jewelry box, her novels, and photos. This area makes me feel connected to her.
312. One of my most meaningful pieces of work is the first mask I created. It's not anything particularly special, but I made it to sort of cope with a house fire that destroyed all of my belongings and that I was lucky to escape from. It's crocheted from yarn that covers the wearers eyes, mouth, and nose in a cross shape, with just the cheeks and part of the forehead exposed, and a small flame is crocheted on a the bottom. I think it was interesting because it was the first time I was really *compelled* to create something physical, and it came out of one of the worst experiences in my life. It did feel sort of like the idea came from beyond me, or like it was something that needed to come through me and out into the world. Everyone who has worn the mask has said that it feels comforting, like a blanket or a hug, which is also interesting given the context. It looks sort of like a knight's armor as well, and I did not have that protective imagery in mind as I was creating it. I think I was trying to create a metaphor for my suffering and instead created something that could protect and comfort me in the aftermath, entirely on accident.
313. One of the artworks that I created that holds special meaning to me is a mixed media piece that I created during my senior year of high school. The piece was created for an art class project where we were required to create an artwork that represented our journey through high school. The artwork itself was a large canvas that was covered in various materials such as fabric, paint, newspaper clippings, and other found objects that I had collected throughout high school. The materials were arranged to form a collage-like composition that represented the different experiences and emotions that I had gone through during my time in high school. Throughout the process of creating this artwork, I found myself reflecting on my experiences and emotions more deeply than I ever had before. I was thinking about my friendships, relationships, academic achievements, and personal growth. I remember feeling a sense of catharsis as I was creating the artwork, as if I was able to process and release the emotions that I had been carrying with me throughout high school. Looking back, I realize that this artwork says a lot about who I am. It shows that I am a reflective and introspective person who is able to channel my emotions and experiences into creative expression. The artwork also represents my interest in using found objects and mixed media to create unique compositions. In terms of the questions provided, this event did give me some insights into my authentic self. It allowed me to reflect on my experiences and emotions and how they have shaped who I am. I also learned about the importance of creative expression as a tool for personal growth and healing. While I did not have any experiences of perceiving a reality beyond the physical world or gaining insights into ultimate meaning, the process of creating this artwork did give me a sense of inner peace and understanding.
314. One of the most meaningful experiences I have had was taking an art lesson with a talented local artist. I was intimidated, especially because it was a private lesson. She taught me so much about perspective and use of color. I am proud of that painting and have it hanging in my house. The studio in which I took the lesson was warm and welcoming and immediately helped to put me at ease. She was a patient teacher and knew that I was just a beginner so she took her time and explained things to me without making me feel stupid. The painting is an abstract using blues, greys and gold. It was not an introspective experience but I learned a great deal about the craft.
315. One piece, or example or artwork that really meant something to me was a song that I wrote. I wrote it about someone in my life and put a lot of work into it. It was nerve racking when I finally showed them but I know how much effort I put into it so that was definitely anxiety reducing to an extent. I knew how authentic it was. It wasn't something extremely deep or religious, or anything of the sort but it showed me that there are more ways to connect with people, or even one-self than we could begin to imagine.
316. One such artwork I created was a photograph of my Dad taken with a Nikkon 35mm camera when I took photography classes in college. It invoked vivid memories of our strong relationship and it was an emotional reminder of what family means to me. The shot was taken on Wall Street on a busy early morning trading day. It captured the hustle and bustle of New York and the professional side of him that I did not normally pay attention to but I was able to appreciate his multi-faceted personality even more. We always had a close relationship and this photo reminded me of his strong, caring and personable manner. Time seem to freeze in that moment and I felt that I could relate to him not just a daughter but as a human being and on a higher level where our relationship was strengthened. I developed the photo in the lab and framed it. It gives me comfort to look at it at times and to remember my father who helped me to becme a better adult.
317. One such moment in time comes to mind. One day, I was sitting, being bored, when inspiration struck as it so often does. Since I'm an eclectic pagan, I spend time with my gods when one deity, that I knew but had not ever had much one-on-one time with, approached me because he was curious about something I liked to do. He was nudging me towards making a candle or two but he wasn't sure about what he truly wanted in one. This particular being had never been one that most people worshipped, in fact, most were scared to even say his name so leaving him offerings and gifts wasn't something that was done. I did some research on him and through it, I was able to pinpoint colors and fragrances that would have meaning to him without being overwhelming to me. I made him a 4 ounce container candle, done up in an amethyst hue with a gold band with the scent of roses and lilacs with an underlying feeling of a hug. He likes it well enough that every time he shows up, he usually circles around the candle for a few minutes before doing any other interacting.
318. One thing I did somewhat recently was create a short film for a college class project. I worked with a group of 3 others and we created an episode of a short film. Our film was a western theme with cowboys and horses. Nothing in particular made me perceive anything beyond a physical world and nothing made me learn anything about my true nature.
319. One time for an art project in college I created a mosaic on a piece of plywood.l It had to do with ancient Greece. I was meant to display what an entrance of a wealthy person looked like. For example what you could expect from being a guest within this home. If they were lover of wine, food and music, the entrance would have mosaic displays of these things. I learned from this that cutting glass is very dangerous and hard to do, but the outcome is beautiful. I learned that back then there was a deeper meaning to hospitality that does not exist today. Now people have doormats that say Go Away. Back then they wanted to display allt he things you could look forward to by being their guest.
320. One time, I was doodling in class during my high school 2-D art class. It was nothing specific, just some characters I was drawing. It didn't help me understand my true nature as much. I also didn't learn of an ultimate meaning, either. Instead, my art teacher started to notice my creative talents and let me into her honors art class. I have never experienced any supernatural or metaphysical experiences when it comes to my art.
321. Outside of my usual graphic design, I decided to create an oil painting inspired by the general style of Paul Klee. I was alone in this venture and I was very much outside my comfort zone, but really did marvel in the physical process of mixing the paint colors, deciding on brush stroke patterns, and watching the elements of my imagination come to life on the canvas. I feel like I felt a deeper personal connection to my creation than I have ever experienced in working in digital design, especially in light of the fact that the work I do is utilitarian and often not for my own pleasure.
322. Perhaps the most meaningful piece of artwork I created is a game poster for a video game. It was my first ever poster , I had just earned my degree in computer science , and had started working as an intern for a major studio. I was offered the opportunity to help with the design of the poster because of my experience with the game . The most difficult part for me , was the preparation process , I was brought onto the project because the team thought I could help capture the essence of the game to the hardcore fans . I spent a lot of time making figures on a blank canvas , trying to be perfect , and not mess up too much . After a week of trying , I realized that some of my best attempts were the one where I was not trying to be perfect . So I accepted that the design did not need to be perfect , and the imperfection was probably what was needed for this particular task . So, I made a small little sketch on a piece of cardboard , took a picture , and sent it to the team leader . Within the hour , he sent me an email of one of the designer informing me of their plan to include my drawing in a booklet to be sold with the physical copy of the video game. I have had many other amazing project I worked on since then , but this particular game poster is the most meaningful to me.
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324. Recently I made a drawing of a pilea plant using pencil and ink on white paper. I am a minimalist so I made it a line drawing and kept it very simple. It is a part of a series of plant line drawings that I made to hang in a room in my house. I looked at a few different photos and clip art online and used them as guides to make my own drawing. I learned that as an artist, I am good at imitating details of my subject from either real life or photos and filtering them through my artistic lens to make them into something new and my own. I felt focused and relaxed while working on my drawing, but I didn't experience anything supernatural beyond being in a "flow state" which helps me to deal with stress.
325. Recently I made a painting inspired by a psychedelic experience. I really focus on the power of them and drew 5 mushrooms symbolically because I believe in numerology. I really took my time to curate this and wanted to really show myself in this piece. After every time I have an experience I leave knowing that I need to continue striving to be the best person I can. To do good by others and to love one another. I have definitely have had unique experiences beyond reality. I am guided by something or someone that always has my back. There are many situations that I get in where I just know that couldn't have been only me. Some would refer to this person as their higher self.
326. Recently, in 2020, I composed the soundtrack for a hand-drawn and animated video game. It was 'anime' inspired and so the music I created drew great inspiration from Hayao Miyazaki, one of my favorite Eastern composers. The score was incredibly difficult to write and even harder to produce as I had to rely on every colleague and friend I have met and worked professionally as I could. The vision for the music in combination with the style of the game was so strong that we all stuck together for a two year-long production cycle in order to bring this idea to life. It was intense, long hours and by the end of 2022 I was absolutely burnt out. However, the game released, and the music was universally praised by players and people began reaching out to me with stories of how much they listen to the soundtrack outside the game and how much it means to them. I've learned from this that while the burnout is warranted for some projects, there are "diamonds in the rough" which will always remind me of why I do what I do - I just love entertaining people with music that I've always wanted to hear. This project has once again reminded me that my best form of communication as an individual is music. And I've been reminded to be thankful for when these projects come along - and thankful that people are willing to help me with my vision.
327. Several years ago, after participating in a community choir and taking a short seminar after the end of the season from the choir director, I was idly wondering what I was going to do to fulfill my need for music until the next season's choir rehearsals began. The director invited me to join a local group affiliated with the Cambridge Revels, which is a folk art/music/theater group known primarily for its Christmas Revels, wherein they use music and theater to celebrate Yule, the midpoint between the darkest, shortest days and the beginning of spring. I accepted the invitation and attended my first rehearsal in September of that year. From the very first rehearsal, although I was very nervous about joining a large, established group where everyone seemed to know each other, I was awed and amazed by the warmth, community, and welcoming attitude of the group. I learned amazing music in multiple languages that I do not speak, in meters that I would not have thought possible, and was thrilled to be included in folk dancing and acting in a Mummers' Play after the medieval English tradition. At that point in my life I had not celebrated the winter holidays for nearly a decade--they had been spoiled for me by the death of my husband two weeks before Christmas, and the entirety of the winter season had been nothing but an emotional pit of darkness for me since then. Being welcomed into the Revels group awakened a joy in me that I did not think I would ever feel again. The following year, COVID robbed us of our opportunity to Revel. The year after, we struggled through three months of music and dance rehearsals wearing masks, and many of us openly wept the first time we were able to gather together again to sing and dance and play and welcome Yule. The sense of community that Revels brings was sorely missing during the long, draconian rule of "THE SCIENCE" that the Powers that Be used to justify locking down and isolating everyone. I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian church, but lost my faith as a teenager and am now not religious in any sense of the word. My spiritual beliefs align more with Buddhism than anything else these days, but I do not practice any religion. Music, though, always has been and always will be a transcendent experience for me. The sense of community, togetherness, and fellow feeling that comes from creating music together with fellow Revelers is mystical and inspirational, and I hope I never lose that again.
328. Several years ago, I created a quilted wall hanging based on a drawing one of my children did. I wanted to give her a special Christmas present, so I enlarged the picture, cut the pieces out of fabric, and arranged them to look like a stained-glass painting on a black background. I enjoyed the process of creation just as much as the finished product, and frequently got into a creative "zone" while working on it.
329. Several years ago, I was going through a particularly difficult time in my life. In Times like this, I turn to music to soothe myself. I came across this song by Matt Nathanson called Headphones. This particular song really inspired me. It made me feel validated. I took these feelings and put them on canvas. I could tune out the world with my headphones on, and just paint. I painted a portrait of a girl/woman in all different colors wearing headphones. In the painting, you can tell she is in her own world. She feels invincible now and you can feel that. In this painting, she is free. She is truly herself. And I guess that is what I learned...to just be myself, even without the headphones on. I can't please everyone, so I just need to be able to please myself.
330. So many years ago, I created an instrumental track that sonically put me in an out of body experience. Sonically it sounded like me floating over the streets of Japan. Think the movie "Enter the Void" mixed with "Lost in Translation". I was thinking at the time when it was all finished; "where am I going from here?", "where is life leading?", "can I just vibe here? for eternity?". I thought that if I could make music like this, I feel I'm enough. I feel like I don't have to abide by any other's standards. I can just float. I learned later that this music could be morphed. I went and reversed it and made a whole different instrumental. That one sounded completely contrast from the other. This one was more depressing. This one made me feel like the worst would always be around the corner, but I had to cope. That instrumental ended up being placed on a fairly popular rapper's album and it turned into yet another song. This one was complete. This one was what bloomed through the whole experience. I realized that whatever you might create, you can add another experience onto it. All of these feelings that went into the music were necessary. It could never be the same without those feelings.
331. So there I was at a my friends, kids, 5th birthday party and I did not want to be there. So her husband comes over and is like,”bruh, want some?” Dude this was some serious shrooms, and I said fuck it. Next thing I know 5 year old Jesus or Jesús comes over and I am tripping balls. I feel as if I’ve been personally blessed by this miracle child and have to excuse myself to go cry. So I go off into the wood because it’s at a national park, and start building this thing out of mud and rocks and sticks. This creation was like gods creation, beauty hauling what he has given us. Or so I was telling myself. I felt as if I was Mother Nature baring a new gift unto the world. Well after I came down it was a pile garbage. Like there was literal garbage I had pulled from a trash can. 10/10 have tripped again.
332. So, a couple of years back I decided I wanted to do a master study of Paradise Lost Satan is conquered by Gustave Dore. But not just a simple copy job but interpreting it into a piece staring the legendary Pokemon from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. I felt motivated to do so, compelled to it putting in far more hours than I usually put into digital paintings. It ended up being far and above my best piece for a long time, though I am somewhat miffed by it being essentially derivative. Am I alone not good enough? Such a thought has plagued me all my life. I felt alone then as my parents forsook religious notions and I followed in their shepherding. It was in a sense, transcendent of my own will and a point I shall ever endeavor to emulate. But I cannot say I felt anything beyond my self, no greater understanding beyond that surface-gleaned knowledge. Is it ignorance or arrogance if I say I cannot know?
333. So, I always like eyes, especially drawing and painting them. I did a watercolor of a giant eyeball with a surreal reflection in the eye that was a self-portrait of myself. The self-portrait part in the pupil was realistic but more surreal meaning that I did not really follow the curvature of the eye, since if I were to the self portrait would have been distorted so I made the self potrati as realistic as possible which is why I call it surreal since everything else was very realistic. It felt good to paint that, and I really enjoyed painting it. I sold it to a dermatologist and have no idea where it is now, I hope he enjoyed it. So, there wasn't any deep meaning I just wanted to do an odd self portrait, and I do love drawing and painting eyes. There was no deep spiritual meaning behind it.
334. Someone I know was leaving for a long time, so I decided to give them something from my heart. I took careful time to pick something out that might mean something to them. I ended up drawing and coloring a cardinal bird sitting in a branch with red apples on the limb. I thought it was beautiful and they would like it. In a way I wanted them to remember me in that way. It was one of the best artworks I have done. I learned that when my heart is in something I can do better at my art almost effortlessly. Though ever since then I've realized that not all my works have not the same heart in them. Seeing that person go came with a lot of grief and resulted in a break from creating things. I did not experience anything mystical, but I did attribute some kind of symbolism in my colored drawing that one day we would meet again.
335. Someone on facebook posted a picture of some birds at a pond. Three white herons and an anhinga off to one side. the Anhinga was black. Something about that scene spoke to me...the three white birds gathering and the black on alone to one side. I did a digital drawing of the picture from memory using crayon like markers and saved it to my ipad. I would like to make it an NFT but i have no idea how to do that. I thought the whole scene was touching itself and just felt the urge to recreate it.
336. Sorry but your isntructions above are a bit convoluted, verbose and confusing. So I will now write something about an experience with my art. Making custom-made jewlery makes me feel in control. It is something that I enjoy doing and that I am good at, it helps me relax and I find that having something beautiful come to fruition is very satisfying. It also gives me a chance to guide others. So I had not seen a dear friend for months, so I invited her to a craft class for making custom made jewlery. It is something that I enjoy doing and that I am good at, it helps me relax and I find that having something beautiful come to fruition is very satisfying. We went to Hobby Lobby and had a great time choosing the stones, the colors, the textures, my friend asked me about the things I was purchasing and I told her I had a large collection of stones and beads. I then offered to give her some of my beads and stones for her to start on her own jewelery. She was very happy making some sets of earrings and necklaces from the materials I gave her, which made me feel great. I had total control of those possessions and I had control of my gifting those to her.
337. Sorry in advance as this might be a bit sad, but the first memory that came to my mind has to do with trauma and art. My 6th grade year of school was a very bad year, and I was in an extremely dark place for someone so young. I still have the sketchbook I had back then, my little sister had given it to me as a birthday present. A hardcover, black and white, Jack Skellington sketchbook. I don't exactly know who alerted my teachers to the nature of some of my drawings, but during my typing class they came and took my sketchbook from me. I remember going into a panic, shaking, becoming very confrontational. I was verging on destroying something, and as I was already known to be a problem child, and my teacher made a few calls and the counselors came and got me out of class. Looking back as an adult, I think they just wanted to look at the drawings in question and formulate what they were going to say to me about it before confronting me, but I had no way of knowing that as a kid. I just knew that these strangers had come in and taken something precious from me. The counselors (there were two, one old lady and one young) brought me to a deadend hallway and started asking me about my drawings. I remember being confused and to emotional to understand why they were prodding. They showed me one of my drawings in particular, though I had many of the same nature this was my most graphic one, of a girl strung up by chains covered in torture wounds. I didn't understand why they cared, it was just a drawing. They pressed me on if it was a reference to something I had seen, or if it was supposed to be any girls I knew. They told me that a student (who they wouldn't name) had told them about it and said it was supposed to be her, I was even more confused and agitated. I told them it was just how I felt. I grew up in a sheltered house and had never seen anything like it, and it wasn't supposed to be anybody in particular, it wasn't some obscure threat or cry for attention. It was just how I felt, plain and simple. They didn't understand or believe me. They told me when I was ready to tell the truth, they might consider giving it back. I said they could keep the picture and give me back the sketchbook, but they refused, saying their was more than one disturbing drawing in there. The next bit is a little fuzzy, I went hysterical. I stormed back into the classroom and demanded to call the one person I knew would make it right without question. I called him, and within 10 minutes my dad was at the school demanding to speak to whoever had taken my sketchbook. They talked to him for awhile and eventually gave it back to me. They tried to tell him I was making threats against other students and he wouldn't hear of it. Outside of school he never brought it up again, as my parents were not very attentive. I love my dad, but he was struggling with major depression and an opioid addiction following him surviving a year in the hospital with stage 4 lymphoma. And my mother was just a bad mother, she was busy having affairs or emotionally abusing me. I had those same two counselors the following year for anger management. They didn't like me then either, and eventually when they brought up habit of drawing other students being tortured I again tried to defend myself saying it wasn't meant to be anyone it was just how I FELT. They still didn't believe me, I guess they thought I was some sort of psycho, and I stormed out of their office and refused to see them again. I was put in counseling every year from 5th to 9th before I dropped out, and they were the only bad ones I had. They were also the only ones to see those drawings. It wasn't until many many years later I learned what trauma art was, and started looking back through that sketchbook. If those ladies had talked to me about how I felt, if they had asked me why I was so angry, if they had asked me if the girl in the drawing was me, maybe they could have understood. My brother started sexually abusing me in my 6th grade year while my parents were living at the hospital. That's when the torture drawings started. It was always the same thing; a girl clearly in pain, being detained in a small room and held up by chains, covered in blood while being pierced through by giant blades. I drew it over and over for years. Maybe if they had asked me, if the girl in the picture was supposed to be me.. maybe I would have had the courage to say yes. Then maybe they would have asked me why I felt like that, and maybe I would have told them.. But they didn't.
338. The art I would be talking about is dance, dance itself is spiritual with a form of connection to it. I remember I would dance especially with a partner and just forget all about my self and just feel connected and flow with the rythmn of music. I got so self absorbed that I was stopped towards the end of class. I love dance
339. the art work i created is a painting. i started out of curiosity to see if i could replicate an image in my head.
340. The artowrk that I have created that has meant the most to me is a comic book script that I crafted, bit by bit over the course of a year of my life that incorporated aspects of my childhood into its story. Writing this script forced me to re-examine old memories of my life in a way that I am not prone to do, and taught me a lot about myself, and why I think the way I do about things. I think it was also the first time I began to think about the nature of writing and *where* the ideas come from, as I would often have script inspirations during moments of my day when I was "zoning" out - doing exercises or chores that are repetitive in nature and don't require much thought. It began to make me wonder about where these moments of inspiration actually came from, and what they might mean about the larger universe. My first real steps in the direction of thinking about such things, I believe. I don't think I ever thought of it as being supernatural in origin as much as the idea, that other writers such as King and Lovecraft have has as well, that I was glipsing some other reality where this was happening. It wasn't something I especially dwealt on at the time, but it did get my gears turning in that direction I think.
341. The artwork I am going to describe is a painting project that was done 5years ago for my first child’s bedroom. This is especially meaningful to me because I did it whilst pregnant with my first child and did it as a means to feel a connection to the baby inside of me. I painted blue, green, and white mountain scapes onto the walls which took over a week to complete. I enjoy painting and feel a connection to getting paint on myself in the process. It’s all part of the art for me.
342. The artwork I am thinking about is a choral music piece. This happened when I was in high school. I sang this with familiar friends, as well as other high school students throughout the state as it was an all-state choir. The event was significant for me because it was my first time being part of such a large choir, and I always really enjoyed choir. I had made some friends from across the state over the few days we had practiced. I also became closer with the friends from my high school as we had practiced together prior to this event. I remember feeling a deep sense of community, belonging, and content. It was different from excitement and joy because it felt very stable and safe. I’m not sure if I felt a particular transcendence or meaning in that particular moment, however in general my time in high school choir gave me a strong sense of community and peace, and transcendence in how much joy and togetherness can be fostered in such brief, fleeting times. I would say it was participation in choir as a whole, over time, compared to a singular event.
343. The artwork I created is a word art / typography piece. The words are from a famous bible scholar of 100 years ago or more. When I first found his writings, a particular portion spoke to me. He was explaining a bible passage and relating it to modern man and woman. It was stunning. I then set the words in a way that I felt was not only pleasing visually, but it emphasized his key points. Later, a contemporary religious figure gave a lecture about this very quotation. My art piece became relatively popular because of that. It was a wonderfully enjoyable piece to make and it came together very easily. I feel that it deepened my own faith. It seems to also have touched others on their Christian journeys. It felt as if I was prompted to create it and that gives me great comfort and peace.
344. The artwork I created is one that says, "Stay Wild" - it is in mixed typography. The "stay" is in a script. The "Wild" part is done with watercolor with trees and birds in some of the letters. It was an idea that came to me while looking at some other artists on Etsy. I wanted to create something that someone might be interested in purchasing. I really love how it turned out. Unfortunately, it hasn't sold, lol. Still, I'm pleased with it even if no one buys it. I guess the reason it's significant is because it's one of my favorite pieces. I guess I should get into watercolor more, that's probably all it says about me. I can't say that I learned anything about my "true nature" or "authentic self" in the process. There was nothing specifically meaningful or transcendent either. And I didn't experience a reality beyond the physical world as well. I'm not particularly spiritual.
345. The artwork I created was a unique chapter of the space marines I came up with their own name, backstory, and color theme. I then painted the entire army and entered it into a painting compeition within a tournament. I won the tournament and the painting competition. It was signification because it showed I can win the game and also win the painting, and showed i was the complete hobbiest. I learned I can do both, be smart and skilled, artful and tactical. I did not learn anything deep. I did not have anything religious happen.
346. The artwork I created was graphic design brochure. This was done as part of a campaign to raise awareness about wearing masks during the pandemic. This was a very rewarding experience and I felt a deep sense of fulfillment in creating the design that went on the brochure. I took a picture of the actual virus and used that to create something that resembled an ad for an old horror movie. It looked creepy and eye-catching.
347. The artwork I would like to describe is my first short film, Karma. I had recently moved to New York and was super excited about networking in the film community and becoming involved in real high profile projects. I was interested in working with an established producer, and he asked me did I have a portfolio. I didn't have a film portfolio at the time, and he told me in the next few weeks I want you to create a movie. Go out and make it happen. And so that's what I did. I had a few friends coming into town for a music festival, so I decided to center the film around that. It would be a film about the have and the have nots, and the age old principle of treating people how you want to be treated. The film was a blast to put together, from writing the script, to laying out the scenes for each. We even had to pivot during the filming, as there was a rainstorm that canceled half of the music festival. When it debuted, the film was a great indie success, garnering a few film festival awards. I learned so much in the creation of this project. I learned that I was easily able to translate principles that were near and dear to my heart onto a much bigger canvas. I became addicted to showing positivity in the world. Positivity is something I feel I embody at every turn.
348. The artwork in question is a short film that I created during my college years. It was a collaboration between me and a close friend who was also studying film. We had been talking about making a film together for a while, but we struggled to come up with a concept that felt meaningful and emotionally salient. One day, while wandering through the city, we stumbled upon an abandoned building that had been slated for demolition. It was covered in graffiti and looked like it had been forgotten by time. We were struck by its eerie beauty and decided to use it as the setting for our film. Over the course of several weeks, we filmed in and around the building, experimenting with different camera angles, lighting, and sound. We didn't have a script or a clear narrative, but we knew that we wanted to capture the feeling of being lost, alone, and searching for meaning in a world that can often seem cruel and indifferent. As we worked on the film, I began to realize that I was more interested in the process of creating art than in the finished product. I enjoyed the collaboration, the experimentation, and the sense of purpose that came from working towards a shared goal. This insight helped me to better understand my true nature as someone who values creativity and connection. While working on the film, I also began to grapple with questions of ultimate meaning. I found myself drawn to the idea that beauty and meaning can be found in unexpected places, and that even in the midst of decay and destruction, there is a sense of hope and possibility. This realization helped me to cultivate a sense of gratitude for the beauty that exists in the world, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Although I did not have any experiences in which I perceived a reality beyond the physical world, the process of creating the film did feel like a form of spiritual exploration. I felt connected as I worked alongside my friend, searching for meaning in the abandoned building. The experience left me with a sense of wonder and reverence for the creative process, and a renewed appreciation for the power of art to bring people together and inspire us to see the world in new ways.
349. The artwork in question is an upcycled dress. I wouldn't say it was the dress itself that was really special, but what the experience of making it brought to me. I was in a very depressed state for a long time, and didn't have motivation to do anything. I have always loved to sew, but I had to leave my sewing machine in Utah when I moved to Illinois. My boyfriend's mom heard that I had been without one for a while, and she let me have hers. I pushed myself to use it. I reworked a little black dress out of a big and kind of ugly dress I got as a hand me down. Seeing that I can indeed make something out of almost nothing made me feel happy and confident again, like I wasn't useless. I had convinced myself for so long that I grew out of my talents, and this made me realize that I didn't. I wouldn't say that I learned anything about ultimate meaning or felt anything beyond this world, rather that I was grounded in reality that I had strayed so far from.
350. The artwork in question was a portrait painting of my late best friend that I made 6 years ago. This peace was/is very important to me because the last tie we spoke we didn't end on good terms and this fact kept haunting me literally. I had to take it off my mind and I thought putting things on canvas would help me get some peace. 1. While creating this artwork I reflected a lot on my behaviors in the past and the way I communicate with people. Especially when I don't show them they are appreciated and take them for granted. I felt regret that I didn't spend the time I have with my friend the way I should have, happy and joyously I learned a great deal about myself and I think the thought process helped me to take a step towards being a better person in the present and future. 2. I learned a lot about myself and why I do (or did) things the way I do. I learned that I'm too privileged for my own sake to understand the things that are happening around me fully. I don't think I learned anything about the ultimate meaning of the world, if that's what the question is asking about. 3. Not while creaitng this particular artwork. But yes I had such experiences before but in a different (not art related setting).
351. The artwork is a song about finally getting closure after a very long, painful situation. It happened in November 2022. I was the only one involved. I was feeling inspiration, relief, and comfort. What is says about me is that I can create something beautiful even after years of trauma. The song is significant in that allowed a healing process to happen. My insight about my authentic self is that my creativity and musicianship will always persevere regardless of the situation. I did feel like I was connecting to the universe and channeling something from the universe when I was writing the song.
352. The artwork is in watercolor. An orange and white cat is sitting on a quilt with roses around it. The quilt is different blues and greens. I made it to deal with the grief of losing my 19 year old cat, who was like my child and I loved him dearly. This was one of many paintings I made of him. I felt compelled to paint and draw him over and over. I didn't want to forget his face. I felt like if I painted him a little bit of him would still be around me. What it says about me is that I do not view animals as just "pets". They are family members. I love animals in general, and I personally don't eat them. Although I understand that lots of creatures in nature have to eat other creatures. I learned about myself that I can grieve a beloved animal just as much as my human loved ones. I felt like my heart had been ripped out and I was hemorrhaging in my soul! As far as ultimate meaning goes, I knew that Kiba still lived in soul/spirit form on the other side and we just wear these bodies while we are here doing our Earth walk. It's like a school. And it's hard. We have to learn to seek God and we have to learn how to love each other. I found that includes all of God's creatures, not just humans. Suffering is part of us not loving each other and not seeking God. We can't control what others do with that, but we can learn and change ourselves to not inflict suffering. Having bottle raised Kiba when he was a newborn and going through so much with him, he greatly helped me learn about how to love. We rescued each other and I wanted to honor him with art. At some point around this same time period, I did have a very spiritual experience (and have had many in my life besides this). I had a dream that I was at my mom's house. I saw a cat we had in childhood that we loved. She seemed to lead me to the sliding glass door that leads to the backyard. When I went through it, it wasn't my mom's backyard. It was this wondrous, beautiful garden full of waterfalls and bright flowers
353. The artwork that comes to mind is a drawing I did of peonies, kind of in the style of a scientific illustration. I usually don't draw in such a realistic and detailed style, nor spend as much time as I did on this drawing. The drawing included different parts of the peony plant, as well as a drawing of a bunch of dried peonies, which were from my relationship at the time. While I was making this drawing, I thought a lot about living and things dying away. Mostly I just lost myself in trying to capture the delicate petals of the flowers. I was happy that I was able to capture them in a realistic way, and I learned that I was definitely capable of creating in that style if I wished to. I learned that I could be patient and finish a drawing like this that takes a long time--usually I am eager to move on to the next project and leave things unfinished. This artwork is significant to me especially because I was just at the beginning stages of realizing the relationship I was in was not right. I felt like the dried peonies should have been a sweet reminder but I felt a little sad and empty as a I stared at them for hours while I drew. One thing I realized about myself is that I have the tendency to disengage and detach from my feelings, but I need to spend time considering and digging into them to know how I really feel.
354. The artwork that comes to mind is a painting I created a few years ago. It's an acrylic painting on canvas that measures 24x36 inches. The painting features a landscape with a mountain range in the background and a river flowing in the foreground. The sky is a mix of warm and cool colors, creating a beautiful sunset effect. I remember that I created this painting during a time in my life when I was going through a difficult period. I was feeling stressed and anxious about some personal issues, and I needed a way to escape and relax. I decided to take a painting class to learn a new skill and to distract myself from my problems. The class was held once a week for a few hours, and during that time, I was completely focused on creating this painting. I spent a lot of time working on the details and getting the colors just right. As I painted, I found myself feeling more and more relaxed, and my worries and stresses started to fade away. I remember feeling proud of myself when I finally finished the painting. It was the first time I had ever created something like that, and it gave me a sense of accomplishment. Looking back, I think that this experience taught me that I have a creative side that I didn't know existed before. I also learned that art can be a therapeutic and calming activity that helps me to reduce stress and anxiety. Regarding the additional questions: During the process of creating this painting, I don't think I had any particular insights into my true nature or authentic self. However, I did learn that I have a passion for creating art, which is a part of who I am. I don't think I had any experiences that revealed any ultimate meaning or deep, underlying meaning that transcends subjective, personal meaning. For me, the act of creating this painting was more about the process of escaping and relaxing, rather than any deeper philosophical meaning. I did not have any experiences that revealed a reality beyond the physical world. My experience was mainly focused on the act of creation and the relaxation that came with it.
355. The artwork that comes to mind is a pastel drawing that I created when I was 25 years old. It was a portrait of my grandmother who had passed away a few years prior. I had always admired her strength and resilience, and I wanted to create a tribute to her that would capture her essence. I started by selecting a photo of her that I felt was representative of her personality. I then spent several hours sketching the outline of her face and features. As I worked, I found myself feeling both sad and grateful for the time that I had spent with her. I also realized that the act of creating this artwork was helping me to process my grief and honor her memory. As I continued to work on the portrait, I noticed that I was becoming more confident in my ability to capture her likeness. I began to experiment with different pastel shades and techniques to create depth and texture. Through this experimentation, I discovered that I had a natural talent for pastel drawing and a passion for creating art that reflected the world around me. In creating this artwork, I learned a great deal about my true nature. I realized that I had a deep love and respect for my family and that creating art was a way for me to connect with them even after they were gone. I also learned that I had a natural talent for art that I had never fully explored before. In terms of ultimate meaning, creating this portrait helped me to see that there is a deep significance to honoring the memories of our loved ones. Through my art, I was able to celebrate my grandmother's life and create something beautiful that would last beyond her time on earth. Although I did not have any experiences that I would describe as mystical or transcendent, I did feel a sense of connection to my grandmother as I worked on the portrait. I felt as though I was channeling her spirit and capturing her essence in a way that was meaningful and profound. Overall, creating this pastel drawing was a deeply emotional and significant experience for me. It taught me about my own nature, the ultimate meaning of honoring our loved ones, and the power of art to connect us to the world around us.
356. The artwork that I created that stands out to me the most would be the first play that I took part in. I was in the first grade and was given the part of an angel in the Christmas play. This stands out to me the most because it started my love of acting and it was my first ever role. I remember how I felt on the stage in front of everyone. I remember how I was able to transform into someone else and play act with others. I remember how fun it was and how thrilling it was. I remember the excitement and the unexpectedness and the involvement of the audience.
357. The artwork that I created was memories that lasted over the last four years the Global Pandemic to be exact. My mother and father were getting up there in age and I wanted to create something for them that could bring them back through the years. I gathered all of the pictures that I could get my hands on from old black and white photos to pictures from my phone and CDs that I made. I put them all on the computer and edited them, arranged them by year, and organized them into different moment categories. I created a photo book that was lined with collage-style pictures then I put funny, serious, sad, and/or religious captions on each photo and made it into a story-telling picture book. There was a lot of time and effort put into this project because I wanted it to be perfect. I was very pleased with the response I received from my mother and father when they got the finished product. They both cried as did I. Tears of happiness. My dad passed away in September 2021 and my mother passed in March of 2022. I am so happy that I completed them before they passed because the look on their faces was priceless. I am very proud of myself for giving them both a walk down memory lane before they left me.
358. The artwork that immediately came to mind for me was a collection of 5 songs I recorded as a solo project when I was 20 years old, which was 16 years ago. I was in a band at the time, but was not entirely satisfied with the style of music we were playing or what I felt was the lack of depth in many of our songs. The band I was in was playing a "thrash metal" style of music, and most of what I wrote at home was more black metal in style, inspired largely by melodies and themes from Scandanavian extreme metal bands of the 90's and early 2000's. I originally started recording guitar tracks for the songs with nothing but a click track in the background using an analog 4 track cassette recorder. As I refined and polished the songs, I also purchased a bass guitar and practiced that as well as getting permission from my drummer to practice on his kit. After about 6 months, I eventually recorded all of the songs I had written and performed all of the instruments and vocals myself. It's hard to describe the feelings that were associated with the work, but they were very powerful. I was quite young and felt like I had finally produced something genuine and meaningful. It was also sort of odd knowing that due to the niche style of the music, a less popular subgenre within an already niche genre, that most of my friends or family wouldn't be interested. However, I was very eager to share it within the metal community. I couldn't say that I learned any overly profound lessons or objective truths from the experience. I do know that thinking about it even now fills me with emotions and feelings of passion that are difficult to quantify.
359. The artwork that is especially meaningful to me is a painting I created in high school. It was an oil painting of a part of a tree, with the bark of the tree and some of the branches painted in great detail. The colors used in the painting were muted blues and greens, which I felt really captured the feeling of the tree.When I was creating this painting, I was in a really creative headspace. I felt like I was really in tune with my natural surroundings and I was able to translate that feeling into my artwork. I was also feeling really inspired by the colors and textures of the tree, which I think really came through in the painting. Creating this painting was a really meaningful experience for me as it was one of the first times that I felt like I was able to express my artistic vision.
360. The artwork was a digital painting of my dog who had recently passed away. It happened about a year ago. I was the only person involved in the process. I spent hours for a few days painting while referencing a photo I took of my dog where she was sitting in a chair looking up at me. I cried multiple times through the process of creating the painting. This artwork was significant to me because I cared more about that dog more than most things in my life and I was having a hard time accepting that she had died. I was mourning her passing through the creation of my artwork.
361. The day after Halloween my partner and I decided to go peruse the local thrift store. As I listlessly walked through the aisles of decrepit old and musty items, one stood out- and old toy ship. It was by no means a looker, with the sails and masts thrown into the center of the ship, dust collected in the nooks and crannies, probably after many years sitting on a child's shelf, untouched and unfinished. I jokingly remarked to my partner we should buy it and put it on top of the fridge. BOOM. Idea. Literal light bulb goes on as I start to visualize the most epic ghost pirate ship, with little spooky lanterns and moss, skeletons, and maybe even a monster octopus. I slammed that boat down on the checkout counter and threw $30 at the cashier. Worth it. Winter is usually my time of hermitude, so I vastly looked forward to a long-time project for the entirety of the season. I procured random objects like sea shells and popsicle sticks, cheap paint and LOTS of super glue, and I went to work. Working on the ghost ship brought out a lot emotionally. It made me remember my days as a child and my mom and I would construct a Christmas village for the holidays. Painting and placing the small villagers in a cottonball-snow town. It also brought a lot of the connections/similarities I felt from other types of art or design. I wouldn't say I felt a spiritual meaning as much as I felt a sense of my artwork being exactly what it was supposed to be, and realizing that the things I visualize can become reality with a little work.
362. The first creation that came to mine was when I wrote a poem for my mom as a Christmas present when I was sixteen years old. In so doing this realized there was a lot more to the mind than I though prior. It was at the time a power and unusual process through which I found the words coming through me with such ease and fluency I had never experienced before. I did not even understand it at the time but I believe I was writing about my experience prior to incarnating here and what lead me to decide to live a physical life here on Earth. It might sound crazy but after all the transformations I have experienced when I read the poem again I always find myself coming back to this conclusion.
363. The first experience that comes to mind is the courting of my wife. I met my wife through music. When I was in college, my apartment had a nook that extended out to the side of the room. It was on third floor and was directly across from another room that had the same nook. I used this nook as a music area. I had my keyboard and guitar there. I would sit in the nook and try to create original songs after classes and to just unwind and relax. One day I was playing guitar and I looked across the nook. I saw an incredibly beautiful girl with headphones on, playing her keyboard. I was enthralled. I tried to get to her attention, but she never looked over. I was so inspired by her beauty that the song I was creating started to become about her. This mystery girl. The girl I could see, but could never see me. The girl that I knew but was a stranger. My inspiration from another planet. I didn't think too much about it, I knew she was out of my league, which I conveyed in my song, but it was enough just to get to see her lost in her art. Creating, and being moved by music. I felt like we had a connection through that, even though she never saw me. One night there was a fire alarm in the complex. We could not turn it off, so everyone had to go outside. It was maybe 2 in the morning. As I stood outside with my roommate, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and it was her. My mystery girl. She waved and introduced herself. She told me she had been watching me play guitar for a long time and always wanted to meet me. I couldn't believe it. I introduced myself and told her I'd seen her too. She then told me she wrote a song about me and would love for me to hear it some time. I was floored. I felt like I was in a movie or something. Like this was meant to be. As if the whole world became about me and her for a little while. I told her I'd love to hear it and she invited me inside. I rushed back inside and grabbed my guitar and told her I wanted her to hear something first. I played my song about her in front of about 100 people outside that night. I brought her to tears of emotion as she realized it was about her. The rest is history. I love her more today than I ever have. That night was magical thanks to music. She tells that story to this day and credits that song for falling in love with me. That will forever be my greatest creation.
364. The first installation I created was especially significant to me because of it's scale and the spontaneity that it required. I had a limited amount of time for the design phase and began creating brick towers using bricks from and abandoned tower. Internally each town contained a lamp that was controlled by a microcontroller to fade on and off continually. Each also contained a series of sensors that would gauge viewer proximity to the towers. As viewers moved closer to the tower the lights would remain on for longer durations. This enticed viewers to remain close together and closely inspect the brick towers. Through this exploration I discovered that i could manipulate viewers and how they interact with artwork and navigate a space. I do feel as though I felt connected with the audience and felt a spiritual connection with viewers but would not describe that as God of Christian faith. For me, it is more sharing in a life force.
365. The first song I ever wrote started out with a poem I had written in my teenage years. Most of my poetry was written from a place of depression and in my 20s I felt God telling me that I needed to provide an "answer" to the poem, which was essentially a list of questions. The answer was best suited to a chorus line -- I can't really remember now if the tune came first or the poetry, but once I had the first couple of lines of the answer written out the entire song fell together and it was very easy to write a second verse. Like all of my songs, it got under my skin and I had to keep coming back to work on it until I had it finished. I don't think anyone was around at the time. I was surprised it came out so well as a song, I hadn't really thought about trying to write songs before that. I have sung that song in various churches since then, and I always feel the Spirit moving when doing so.
366. The first time I had a line on television, back when I was a background actor and was supposed to dance to the music I was playing in that scene, was probably the most intriguing thing that ever occurred to me. The director asked me to deliver the line "No, he is not here." I did, and after that I witnessed my first appearance on television. I expressed to everyone what a significant experience that was and how crucial it is to have a direct question from the director in a scene when you are supposed to be a moving prop. It was incredible to see myself on television, and I made the decision to pursue all of my acting opportunities after that.
367. The first time I made a mask in middle school art class, I absolutely loved it. The fact that I was sitting there with my own hands creating this piece of paper mache but to me it was more than that. It was a work of art that I felt with every step of the way, it was part of who I was. I knew at that moment that art was a passion of mine. I love hands on art. I love paint and drawing but my heart is in really creating and making objects. It's fascinating to me the ideas that we can come up with to create something with so much meaning. I felt like I can give back to the world and so I have with my talents as a crafter to my own community.
368. The last artwork I created was painting my closet. My intention -- because my closet is rather larger -- was to paint it in such a way that it felt like a vaporwave space. I thought it would be a simple enough process, but it took me days ... weeks even. I learned I was impatient and at many points I really just wanted to scrap the idea. And I almost did. However, I was more than halfway done at that point and I figured, no matter the end result, I can say that I did it. And once I finished, I was actually really shocked at how good it looked. The pinks, blues, greens, and purples went perfectly with the jet black background. I'm not sure if I learned anything about ultimate meaning, and I don't think I experienced anything beyond this physical realm.
369. The most important piece I've ever done is an oil painting of my grandmother, as she taught me everything I know. I have only done this one portrait in my life. She recently passed away and took a lot of talent with her. Having this special moment in time and having this piece of art to remember her is priceless.
370. The most meaningful piece of art I ever created was a simple cover version of a 1960's folk song, which I won't name. This particular project was meaningful because it was a song my father had wanted to hear me play for years, and I had just never got around to it. That year, he had terminal cancer and I surprised him with a recorded version of the song for Father's Day - and it was received even better than I had hoped. This would be the last Father's Day we would spend together, as he died around five months later. The recording itself was not of exceptionally high-quality, nor was it performed with a particularly impressive level of skill - but due to the circumstances around its creation, it remains the most significant project to me personally, and will likely never be outdone.
371. The most meaningful piece of art I have created was an illustraion of a landscape that was completely created out of magazine pages. I remember being at a family members house and I was flipping through a fashion magaizine and I was looking at all the colors they were so vibrant and bright and they were right there but they were never going to be used again. They would be there forver when they were eventually thrown out and those colors deserved to be seen. I asked family member to give me the magizines and when I took them home I started ripping them up. I took out all the pages that were mostly colors and I cut them up so they can live again and I made moisic-type art with it. After a while I Keep thinking about everything that is being used to create stuff that will not be used again so I started thinking of other ways to use stuff that eventually would be thrown out and never seen again and just rot somewhere. In some sense I felt like I did have a purpose I had something that meant something because over consumtption and over use in society is something that A LOT of people do not think about especially in this country we are consumed by the idea of our life not being complete until we buy something else which we do not need. We buy things we use them and throw them out so its important to look for ways to reuse stuff and recreate stuff out of everything instead of letting it die somewhere.
372. The most meaningful piece of artwork I have ever created was a pencil drawing that I did of my great-grandmother and great-grandfather (deceased). It was a gift for my great-grandmother. I was probably about 13 or 14 when I drew it. I believe it was my mother's idea and she gave me a photo of the two of them to reference. I remember this being the first time I ever saw a picture of my great-grandad, who died before I was born. Seeing him, seeing the similarities between our facial features, felt very moving to me and I fell in love with the picture. I spent a lot of time on the drawing and did my best. To this day, I think it is one of the better portraits I have ever drawn, despite how young I was. It is currently hanging up in a frame in my great-grandmother's house and every time I see it, a part of me is embarrassed that something I created is on display but another part of me is proud. I don't know what this event says about me. The only deeper meaning I can think of that this experience gave me is the idea that family and love lives on, even when you don't.
373. The most memorable art for me, was a painting I did of a Macaw parrot. It was on a tiny hand size canvas with acrylic paint. My mother passed away in November of 2016 and she had parrot, she loved very much named ,Rambo. I painted this trying my best to make it look just like Rambo. It was something to occupy myself, through my grief and something I wanted to do for my mom. I placed it in her casket with her it was one last gift I could give her. It meant a lot to me.
374. The most memorable piece of art I created wasn't with the drums, oddly enough. It was when I was experimenting with Fruity Loops, a digital audio workstation, to make music. I was in college, and really started getting into music through the computer because I didn't have a drumset with me. I remember it was late one night, and I found a hook that just fuckin' banged. I don't remember how, I just remember thinking "holy shit, this is dope." I stayed up all night tinkering with the song, listening to it over and over and over just to add one little piece here, take a piece out there, shuffle in some effects, add reverb, sneak in a sweep, etc. I remember around 4am, my girlfriend woke up and was like, "Will you please SHUT UP." She was not as excited as I was, which is totally fair because hearing the same song 73 times in the middle of the night would be awful. When the sun came up, I realized how engrossed I was in making this song. I was so proud, and so happy. I skipped class, I had nothing in the tank, so I wasn't even gonna try. Once I woke up, I immediately played the song again and smiled. It was as good as I remember. I then considered if this is something I should pursue. Am I good at this? Would people be interested in hearing it? Would I be able to make a living off of this? But, after a few days of thinking, I left it alone. I realized that song and that experience was for me. And if I tried to make a profession out of this, I would lose the love. Since then, I have never considered pursuing any art for a profession, but rather a hobby to enrich myself.
375. The most recent digital painting I did was that of an African warlord from 17th century. I made a bit of research before making the fore-headed warlord. He is more like a deity people worship for goodwill
376. The most significant artwork I've done that holds the most meaning to me is a painting of a swan and nature I made for my mother. It happened many years ago when I was young and is very immature compared to my pieces now, but it still holds the most meaning because it started my whole painting obsession in the first place. I remember thinking I wanted to make something for my mother and how much time and effort I put into it. And I remember how much she loved it even if she was laying it on a bit thick because she's my mother. But her excitement over it gave me the encouragement to keep painting - something I don't think I would have continued with if not for her and that specific artwork.
377. The most significant piece of art I made was when I was in art school. I created a clay sculpture of a hurricane that was hollow. It is significant because while my teacher loved it and said it was something she had never seen before it wasn't enough to not get me kicked out of art school. It taught me how life is not about how hard you work it's all about whether someone likes you or not. I didn't care about leaving the school, but it really opened by eyes to how the world really works.
378. The Office of Research Administration has implemented SpartaIRB, which processes electronic protocol submissions efficiently and improves business process.The Office of Research Administration has implemented SpartaIRB, which processes electronic protocol submissions efficiently and improves business process.The Office of Research Administration has implemented SpartaIRB, which processes electronic protocol submissions efficiently and improves business process.The Office of Research Administration has implemented SpartaIRB, which processes electronic protocol submissions efficiently and improves business process.The Office of Research Administration has implemented SpartaIRB, which processes electronic protocol submissions efficiently and improves business process.The Office of Research Administration has implemented SpartaIRB, which processes electronic protocol submissions efficiently and improves business process.The Office of Research Administration has implemented SpartaIRB, which processes electronic protocol submissions efficiently and improves business process.The Office of Research Administration has implemented SpartaIRB, which processes electronic protocol submissions efficiently and improves business process.
379. The one thing that sticks out to me was creating a really involved set of skateboard designs for an up-and-coming skateboard brand probably 6 or 7 years ago. They had actually found some of my artwork that I posted on Instagram, and they really liked the overall vibe and aesthetic, and they asked me to create a skateboard graphic "on spec" just to see if it was the type of style that they were imagining for their brand. This was really exciting to me at the time because I never actually wanted to sell or promote my art as a "service" to other people - it was just something that I did for fun. I took this project head on and actually created a line of 6 different skateboard graphics. I had delved into the company's social media presence, looked at their website, and discovered a really cool angle to take with this set of cohesive designs that also had the ability to stand on their own. Essentially I took a lot of "vintage pop culture" things and did a bit of a mashup to make them more modern. This ended up being a jumping off point for me in terms of trying to think outside of what I WANT TO DO when it comes to my art and really tried to focus on MEETING SOMEONE ELSE'S VISION. I had never really done this before, and so it was definitely a learning experience to say the least. I did find myself having slight difficulty with making a compromise between what I think "is cool" and what I hoped "they" would think is cool. I went through probably 20 different designs before I kind of "stumbled" upon a theme/aesthetic that would ultimately be used to create the initial lineup of graphics for this brand. I used traditional sketching/drawing to come up with the ideas, and then transferred these into Illustrator to actually go a bit further and actually complete the art. I didn't necessarily learn anything about the idea of ultimate meaning or any sort of religious or spiritual connection, because it actually felt more like "work". This isn't to say that it was BAD or a NEGATIVE experience - it was actually super positive for me. It just didn't really have any sort of "deeper meaning" for me other than expanding my own talents and attempting to work in a different sort of way than what I was used to. I primarily do art as a way to get out my creative thoughts and really just de-stress from everything. I guess you could say this ability to use art as a "coping mechanism" or a "thinking tool" helps me get closer to my own identity, but not in any sort of real spiritual type of way. This project did help me learn and understand what I DIDN'T want out of art (I still don't want to sell it or provide a service to others with it), and I essentially "doubled down" on using art for my own personal benefit/stress relief/happiness/need for creation, and I actually find myself more in tune with trying to understand my art from an outsider's perspective instead of ONLY thinking of my own perspective, which was actually invaluable to understanding the way that I appreciate art in general.
380. The one time I really remember a drawing really meaning something to me was when I had to do some kind of drawing or painting to for my application for the school of design. I ended up doing a still life drawing in pencil. I remember taking my time doing it so that I could make sure it was good enough. I personally thing my drawings are okay. When it came time for my interview my interviewer noticed my still life that I had drawn for the application and asked me where I had learned to draw like that. I told him that it was somewhat self taught. It was one of the first time one of my drawings felt validated and in the end was probably one of the reasons I got accepted.
381. The painting depicts a female with a cranium sheltered into her dressing gown, who turns her head down towards her rounded belly. Underneath her, are three females lowering their heads too. It appears like they foresaw the child’s fate and are mourning with prayers. In this painting, the woman’s gold-patterned robe – drawn flat, has an extraordinary decorative beauty. Although Klimt himself called this work Vision, here; birth, death, and the sensuality of the living co-exist in balance. Mark of the greatest paintings of all time! The paint hangs at The Museum of Modern Art. In response to my personal self due to the first question i fee more connected to the painting bc it depict some parts of my childhood according to the second question, yes i did learn bc it's basically a painting that talks about me and how far i've came the third is unlikely
382. The piece of art I remember vividly was my first watercolor painting. It was of a women sitting at a cafe. It was shown in the capital building when I was younger. When painting this piece I learned that I had the capability to create larger scale projects and to follow through with them. I created the piece because I was lonely and I wanted to depict that loneliness. I don’t know about any ultimate meaning but I know that this painting changed my perspective on my skills in art. To answer the last question, I have never had any supernatural or spiritual experiences in my life.
383. The piece of art that sticks with me the most is the first time I made a crocheted scarf. I learned how to make it under the teachings of my grandmother. It was messy and uneven and very ugly. But I enjoyed the time I spent sitting next to her, listening to her guiding me in how to handle the crochet hook and yarn. I was 8 and it was not easy at all for me to do. At the time, I didn't like it very much, but she loved it, and kept it until the day she passed away.
384. The piece that comes to mind had no initial meaning other than a means to generate some income but as it turned out, the memory of that piece and the time surrounding its creation proved to be far more impactful. I wasn't an artist, not as I perceived it anyway, but a lack of resources and a dismal domestic situation led me to finding creative outlets under the guise of making something to sell. The piece was...bizarre; without revealing too much, it was a mixed media and found-object statement piece surrounding a then-popular celebrity who had an exceedingly tumultuous life. She was a force of nature in the way that an Alabama dirt devil is a tornado. This piece though....Barbie doll parts, medicine bottle caps, sequins, animal bones, plaster. It was a hot, gorgeous, visual cacophony and I realized, even though I was a polar opposite from a social and economic standpoint, I saw our similarities. Self portrait that looked nothing like me; mirror image from the multiverse. Spiritual? No, just self aware because that's all there is...self. It's been nearly twenty years since then and I don't miss the piece (sold it on eBay for a few shillings) but I do miss the inspiration to create with no regard for the outcome and absolute adoration of the process.
385. The screenplay was about living after a tragedy. It was about a 50 year old woman getting reading for a trip to Italy and was blind sided by a terminal (or what she thought was a terminal illness). It stressed that no matter what happens, attitude is everything. The mind leads the body and if you think positively it can truly affect the outcome of many situations. Spirits were involved in this journey. The sky and moon, there was even a planet that was visible in the night sky that was spiritual to me. I grew up catholic and attended 12 years of catholic school, but no longer attend church. I believe in a spiritual being and that is where my prayers are sent to..
386. There is one particular art that I made that just confirmed my love for art and continuing with my passion. It was the stop motion film I made in high school. It was a claymation where we would play out a scene to last 5 minutes. During the process of this I finally found out what I love doing. From just filming to the creations I made. It was so filling and fun to design the background and the characters.
387. There is one particular artwork that comes to mind that has a significant amount of emotion placed into it. It was not my best work by any means, and I did not publically post it online or show it to more than a few friends who know the character depicted in the piece. I was feeling awful at the time, emotionally distressed, and at my wit's end. The reason I was upset had to do with me mourning lost relationships, and my husband taking out his anger on me. I needed something, anything to keep my mind off things, and a few days before I saw a piece that uniquely depicted symbols coming from characters shown within the pieces in unique and beautiful ways. Once again, the piece was more of me placing my emotions into a picture at the time than anything, but I also wanted to experiment with symbols (think, x's, o's, and triangles) as this artist had depicted as well. The piece was dark and dreary, my muse was painted in darker colors than I usually placed down, there were violent swipes of red and orange like I'd never done before, and the bold use of the symbols swirling from the character's mouth drew the eye to the figure in a way that I'd never really done before. Trickles of blood fell onto the character's teeth as the character threw his head back in a maniacal bought of laughter. The background was simple, just a variety of blues and purples, but it made the piece interesting enough that I felt a lot better once I'd finished it that week. I'm usually a moderately calm person and prefer harmonic, scenic backgrounds as opposed to boring, simple, and even violent backgrounds. It came as a huge shock later on seeing that I could create something like that and that a piece that I hadn't entirely put my all into carries such significance. The character involved is my own, one that by our standard morals as human beings, is a taboo and awful person. He's cannibalistic, feral, etc. But I myself am not like that at all, and it took my friend talking me through having such a fictional character for me to realize that it's okay since it's fiction. My character has separate morals from myself and being able to use him as a medium for expressing this emotion, this anger at the world, it allows me to connect to the character and allow him to be relatable in a sense despite of what he is. Finally, I feel like this piece does say a lot about myself, despite depicting a savage character. I'm human, I have human emotions that I hide regularly, and I'm often angry, scared, and driven crazy. I can't handle being screamed at for no reason, and it makes me want to fight back, yet at the time I withdrew, for the sake of creating peace. My husband and I are a lot better than that time now. He's found a way to handle his misdirected anger, and I try to communicate my needs when he has crossed my boundaries with what he is saying to me more often. I don't think that the piece created an experience in which I perceived a different reality, but rather, I get wrapped into my character's minds more than my own. They, while morally wrong, are a part of me that I breathe life into with my art, after all.
388. There was a painting I once drew inspiration from. An abstract painting done by one of my closest friends back in school for he got into a fatal accident. It felt like a partnership. And after I produced the clothing in likness to the painting it felt like a revealing of something much deeper. From that moment I believed in the saying, "two heads are better than one" and together we gave the best creation and it felt pure and authentic. While working on the project we could both testify that there was a sensation or awaking if you want to call it that and it felt as tho it wasn't just us working on that project
389. There’s little relevance to any of these
390. This artwork I created was a Creative Nonfiction essay framed as a concert review, but it actually analyzed and discussed my own experience with mental health struggles and how they impacted me. This is significant because mental health needs to be talked about more in society. In this artowrk, I learned that music has very profound effects on me.
391. This artwork I really like is of the different selections in a vending machine that I drew in a sketch style. I was thinking about a fantasy world mixed in with real life. The protagonist by items they need from a vending machine instead of a shop. I drew a variety of snacks that I like and some that I don't like that are found in a typical vending machine. I drew this work by myself and for myself. I think I had been daydreaming a lot and made up such a world. I had to draw what I thought should be in the vending machine. I really like snacks and the experience of going to vending machines. I also thought they were so fun. I think it really reflects two of the things I like the most in this world after God and family of course, which is food and fun. As for a reality beyond the physical world, yes, the artwork came from a world I made in my head. It didn't come from a void. Drawing it made it seem even more real. It had crossed over to this world. It don't think I had a spiritual experience while drawing it. I felt loved and blessed by God though.
392. This is a craft embroidery of early small town America. People are enjoying the Christmas scene. There is a horse and wagon and an old fashioned car. People are enjoying their small town life and setting is the early 20th century. I am the only person involved in this craft and most of the time I am alone as I find it very peaceful This pictures says that I love calm, peaceful scenes and I love winter! The "self of me" enjoys calmness not only as I am working on the project, but the calmness it instills in me every time I look at it. I definitely perceive that there is God and He is working in our lives. I feel like I want to serve Him even though there is no way I can every work my way into Heaven. I want to live for Him because He loves me and sent his son Jesus to save me
393. This is the Song of the Left Handed I was sitting a work one day, back then I worked in a warehouse moving and shipping boxes. I heard a melody in my head. What was this song? Had I heard it before? I don't think so. I grab a yellow pad and started writing the words in my head. They just came out from nowhere. I wrote a verse, and another and a chorus, It was funny and catchy. I couldn't wait for work to be over and go to band practice to show to my band. They loved it, we added a synth line to my idea and recorded it at the next studio session. It became the title track of our next CD. I don't know if god came to me or my mind just became clear and super focused but I learned to let go of the process and just go with the flow.
394. This shouldn’t be too hard. Well, few years ago, I shit some people in preparedness for their induction out of medical school. During this time, I read books to keep me learned enough in terms of styling, posing and light adjustments prior to every session I shot. On this faithful day, I had already read my book (I remember vividly that it’s a book from Lindsay), my clients arrived and we started shooting, while shooting, we connected instantly, she was also quite easy to style, and we both had a great time during this session. Finally, while she checked the pictures on my Mac, she was speechless (and this is the part I love about my art, you get to see the happiness, the feeling it gives people when you flatter them), she has to compensate me extra for the job Welldone. On this day, I realized that connection is a key factor for portrait photographers. Therefore, I might be shooting their faces, but my aim is connecting with their hearts.
395. This was a pencil drawing of a Friesian horse. As a side note, but important to the story, is that I have a giant stuffed toy horse in the studio. I call him Othello. Well, the cats (we have several) like to hang out with me in the studio. Tuxie, in particular (yes a tuxedo, and quite the bossy girl), loved laying on Othello. So there I was at the drafting table drawing this horse, but felt like something was missing... and I felt the boss cat's stare and heard the purring from her kneading Othello. I smiled and then decided to add a cat to that drawing. I'm very connected to animals. I don't think I learned anything about my true nature I didn't know before.
396. This was a stand-up comedy bit that I began writing and performing a few months after my mother passed away. It started as a few throw-away jokes about feeling abandoned by her for dying. This allowed me to process her death in a way that was creative but changing, much like my feelings. I worked on the bit for months and by the end, the jokes seemed less cynical and in turn helped me gain a little closure.
397. This was my first freeform real piece of fabric art in that it involved spur of the moment fabric decoration (dyes, embellishments) and rather than having a pattern the pieces were put together one my one making it a one of a kind thing which was the first for me. I don't know about my authentic self, but I did learn that I enjoyed creating much more when I could just look at what was on the table in front of my, alter it as needed and put into a usable and one of a kind item. I did not think I was that kind of person before. I don't think I learned anything about ultimate meaning, but I learned something about myself and my own needs and direction. I believe that God guides me in what I do,and that any gifts I have he ga e me for a purpose and I thinkabout that often but I am not sure this answers the question.
398. This was my junior year in college, I created a painting based on a photo of my mom and me from when I was really young. It was an image of my mom holding me in her arms, and we were in a park. I painted the figures as they were and changed the background to be abstract. My mom told me where we were and what we were doing when the photo was taken. I personally don't recall any of these things, but when I was painting I thought about what she told me. I don't remember much from my early childhood, but whenever I think about those years, I always feel happy. As I was painting, I tried to connect my happiness with the stories my mom told me, and I felt that my emotions became more meaningful. I felt that my emotions were not just some feelings I had, but a result of my mom and other members of my family being extremely loving. I felt that creating this piece of work was a way to document my happiness and also to say thank you to my mom. I thought of the painting as a physical storage space for my happy feelings. After this, I started to use my works as a way to store my feelings. They can be products of happy memories or ways for me to get rid of negative emotions. I used to think the technique was the most important thing, but now I realized that it's more important for you tell a moving story than just create a pretty image.
399. This was the first time I ever created a three tier cake designed like stacked pillows for my daughter's 21 birthday. I was determined to crate the best looking cake for her birthday and I exceeded my expectations. This encouraged me to begin a career in cake decorating and creating art with cake for y clients.
400. Three years ago I built a Little Free Building. Walking around our neighborhood, I saw a few dilapidated little free libraries used to house books from the elements, but they rarely looked cared for. Their wood weathered, their hinges rusted, I wanted to create a home for books so that everyone walking by could enjoy this tiny structure. But the more I designed the library, the bigger I wanted it to be. I wanted it to be an Art Gallery. A Plant Library. A Food Pantry. I learned that I wanted to give so much to my community, that I wanted to create a community resource. So ultimately, we crafted a 4' x 2' x 1.5' structure that sit on a pole next to the sidewalk. I painted pictures on all sides to highlight what the tiny building was. Painting this Little Free Building was the first time I had picked up a paintbrush in a very long time. I poured my creativity into it and once it was erected, so many people commented on how it looked. This was in the first few months of the pandemic when people were walking around our neighborhood more. I'd hear people comment how happy the Little Free Building made them. It made me realize that I really like creating little bits of happiness or joy for others to experience. It's not important that it be attributed to me, but I like knowing that I helped someone enjoy life a bit more. Life's hard. If I can create a break of the monotony and depression and anxiety that a person experiences, I'd feel fulfilled.
401. Through my adventures as a live band musician I got to know some people involved in local theater troupe. This troupe was actually located in my hometown and they were performing plays written by a local playwright. The playwright though not of national renown was writing wonderful plays with the history of the county being the subject matter. I was happily volunteered to perform as an actor in one such play. This particular installment took on one of the darker episodes in the town's history. It took on mental illness,tribalism, and just illustrated the different attitudes and customs of the 1800's. Pair that with the fact that the stage that it was performed on is seated within a "pioneer" village consisting of actual cabins of the day that were moved to the park log by log. To be on that stage for that night performance in the cool autumn air was very special to me. Here I stood on stage reliving a painful stain on this town in the very place that it all happened. At the end of that play a man hanged and the actor really sold it. Even though we were all outside it was though the very air had been removed from the park. Were the very ghosts of these ancestors watching on as we re-enacted their injustices? It really moved me in a profound way. Though I am pleased that I have the experience and would happily do it again, it's something that I've carried with me since that night. It was electric. It was eternal. It was an echo.
402. Well this is a story I have told about one of my pieces. One day my husband came home from work and we eat dinner when he arrives. So when finding out what was for dinner that night he did not like what I made. So he told me it was turd and threw his fork. The fork hit the wall and the ground. After he left the room I picked the fork up and took it to my studio and created a whimsical town made of bent forks. The idea was to paint myself into a better reality and to turn an unpleasant experience into a much better one. It is a thing I do to escape my own reality.
403. What exactly happened in the event? I wrote a poem about my friend and I playing chess 2. Who was involved in the event? My friend and I. 3. What were you thinking, feeling, and wanting in the event? Sadness and how the time we spent together seemed meaningful 4. What does this event say about who you are? That I feel lonely 1. I learned that trying to escape loneliness in this life is futile. 2. There is no escape. 3. I did not, there is no escape from loneliness.
404. When I am considering the artwork that I have created, this was one of my first poetry publications and it really meant a lot to me because I was then asked to read the poem out loud at my school. This ended up happening about five or six years ago and my professor was involved as well as my family and even my girlfriend at the time because so many people came out to listen to me read this poem that ended up becoming published. I was thinking that I was sort of on top of the world. I really wanted to get recognized for my poetry and this was a great opportunity to do so and I was really feeling so successful. The event was significant in the way that people got to watch me perform the aspect of my life that I had always wanted to perform and I remember that moment like it was yesterday because it is so fresh in my mind. I learned that I am truly an artist and that when I try hard enough, people will definitely recognize me for my efforts, but for also my talent, which is probably more important. The ultimate meaning of everything involved in this situation was that I am as good as I want to be and I am as good as the effort that I put forward. My publication came from my own hard work and my persistence in wanting to get published as well as the recognition from professors and the people around me who felt I was so talented. I also did perceive reality beyond what we can call the physical world because I recall that I did a lot of praying in regards to this publication and I really wanted to get recognized. I had conversations with God over and over again and I strongly felt like God was watching over me in this process. This entire process taught me so much about myself, who I am, and the person that I wanted to become in the future.
405. When I desire to write a short story, the most difficult thing for me is the plot, or first seed of an idea that I can nurture and grow into a complete story. Plot ideas come to me in many ways. Sometimes I have to work hard and actively seek out ideas, other times an idea will come to me out of nowhere. Often, I find the best stories are ones in which the idea just hits me all of a sudden like a bolt of inspiration. Once, I remember spending days trying to think of something to write about and coming up empty. I went to bed, woke up in the morning, and an idea hit me like a slap in the face. It was so well defined that I could already hear the dialogue from the characters and see the scenes. When scenes start taking place in my head all on their own like a movie, I know it's time to hurry up and get writing. I don't want to lose any detail. This is when it feels like the story is being written through me, and I am just the vehicle, only there to observe and take dictation. Those are my favorite experiences with writing stories. I don't know what the characters are going to do until they act. I place them in a situation and write down what happens. This is the closest I get to a spiritual experience while being creative.
406. When I first started making my graphic novel. I didn't learn anything about myself, well other than that I can tell a half decent story with words as well as images. I didn't learn about any ultimate meaning, and in fact don't believe there to be any deeper meaning then what we make ourselves. And no experiences beyond this physical world as I was (and still am) creating it. I mostly did all the work myself, but I would be remiss if I didn't include the fact that my partner helped me flesh out the world I wanted to create. It mostly involves hand drawing/graphic design/writing.
407. When I lost my job at the start of the pandemic, my anxiety was super super high. With all the sudden free time but also inability to safely be around people, I started going to the local free botanical garden (outdoor) a lot. It was mostly empty of people. To shoot macro work, especially without a flash as I do, it's important that I control my breathing . . .wait for the exhale, and before taking in another breath, when the body is the stillest, get the shot in focus and hold, and take it. This has the added bonus of slowing down my breathing/anxiety. And doing macro work, it also takes my mind out of my swirling worries and I suddenly realize, "Oh! There's a wee tiny aphid walking across this rose petal." I feel extra connected to nature by noticing all the teeny tiny creatures that we all miss otherwise.
408. When I met my girlfriend she gave me drawing lessons. I remember sitting on the deck and experiencing the summer evening while she gave me instructions. It helped illuminate certain aspects of creating a drawing. Using geometric shapes to guide the artwork. It was a great experience and opened up a world of possibility. It showed me that I have the means within me to create art and with effort I can achieve bringing my ideas to reality.
409. When I restarting painting recently after a break, it resonated with me deeply because I felt like I had been missing something. Once I began, it was like a bunch or pain had washed away. I think it really spoke to me as person that maybe the process of creating is more important than the creation itself. It defined me and made me happier realizing that I could possibly be much more fulfilled doing so. I don't think I had a reality beyond this world other than the self awareness of completion that was spiritual only to me, but had no religious overtones.
410. When I was 17 I attended a painting class the summer before my senior year. I lived in a very small town. A lady from Japan was my classmate. I remember being fascinated by her and wondering how she managed to arrive in my small out of the way town. I chose to paint a mustang in oil. It was a very small canvas, maybe five by nine. The mustang stood shaggy, wild and free, in a neutral desert like environment. I always loved horses but rarely painted them. For some reason, in those days when the painting was born, I felt very relaxed in the presence of a graceful stranger. I am generally somewhat uptight but when creating, become free of that feeling. I feel like a traveller when creating art. Like I am transported to another life. I do wonder at times, if I would have that feeling more, if I could live in that feeling had I chosen art as a profession earlier. When our class was near its end, the Japanese lady admired my painting and praised me. I was proud of it. It had turned out well, and without a thought I offered it to her as a gift. I was just 17 and this would be the first of many gifts I would give to a complete stranger. I'm glad it happened and was the beginning seed of generosity and compassion. I did not realize until the next day that shenwould return bearing gifts herself. Some.lovely small things from Japan. I still have a small silk bag she brought me. I feel this was a defining moment for me. The day art became a necessity. It is fused with compassion, empathy and kindness.
411. When I was 18, I had the opportunity to help a family member with their small business' design aesthetics. They were starting a new venture selling handmade jewelry, but they didn't have a logo or any branding. I remember spending hours working on different logo concepts, trying to capture the unique style and aesthetic of their jewelry. After several rounds of revisions and feedback, we finally settled on a logo that incorporated an abstract shape inspired by one of their signature pieces. Working on this project with my family member taught me a lot about the importance of listening to clients and understanding their vision for their business. It also showed me how graphic design can play a crucial role in the success of a small business and how to handle unexpected situations such as when they were very direct and honest about the beginning logo drafts. I really appreciated the critique in a manner that no art teacher was willing to give to me at that time. Seeing my family member's business take off and succeed was incredibly rewarding, and it made me realize the impact that design can have on people's lives. It also solidified my passion for graphic design and my desire to use my skills to help others achieve their goals. Whenever an opportunity has come up since to help out friends or family with designs, I'm always the first to jump on the opportunity for them use me for any sort of consulting even now within a completely different profession! The whole experience taught me how to truly love the process and I'll be forever grateful.
412. When I was a 8th grader, a friend on school committed suicide after being bullied. I carried his memory with me all through high school. As graduation approached I wanted to honor his memory. I spoke to many officials at school who would not allow any sort of memorial (such as in the yearbook or a diploma for his family) as they were afraid it “glorified suicide”. I was alone in the fight as his other friends didn’t want to cause trouble. At the end of the school year, we had an optional baccalaureate service the night before graduation. I was asked to prepare a piece to play on the harp as a solo. As our mascot was the eagle, I selected On Eagle’s Wings. As I approached my harp, preparing to play, I instead walked past my harp and to the podium. I took a deep breath and said proudly that I was dedicating this song to my friend who was no longer with us. The room was quiet. I walked over and played my harp in a way I never had before. I felt every note deep in my chest. That was for Maxx.
413. When I was a child, my parents bought me an organ and I started music instruction at 8 years of age. I was a natural at it. While I learned to read music and could play the songs from sheet music, my real talent was hearing a song and being able to reproduce it on my own. My instructor was the first to tell me that I was a gifted musician. My parents would ask me to play when family or friends visited. I was a very shy child, but I had no problems with sitting down to play for people. I got lost in playing music and had no inhibitions at all. People were very impressed with my ability, and they'd request certain songs. It made me so happy to hear them sing along as I played. It was a very special time. I especially loved to play when my grandparents were visiting from across country. Later in life, after I had become a mother, my husband bought me a guitar and wanted me to take lessons so I could do something for myself. Three lessons in and the instructor told me I was a gifted player! I could play musical instruments for hours and would just get lost in my music. I'd fiddle around and make new little melodies. I now want to learn to play the piano. I'm much older now and preparing to retire, but my passion continues on and now I want to learn to play the piano. After rereading the directions above, I can say I didn't write the songs, but I created the piece on the instrument 100% by ear which is a creation of sorts.
414. When I was a freshman in college I was cast as the lead in the play Crumbs From The Table of Joy by Lynn Nottage. At the time. I was currently a pre-med major because my parents wouldn't let me be a theater major. So when I got cast all the theater majors were like, "Who is this random freshman stealing our parts?" I felt that not only did I have to do a good job on my craft put on a great performance for the audtience I had to show the theater majors that I belonged. I memorized the entire script. I didn't just know my lines, I knew everyone's line. I would show up to rehearsals early and stay late. I also put in the work to learn other areas of the theater such as lighting, sound, props, and set design. When the play finally opened I got rave reviews not only from friends and family, but from the theater majors I worked so hard to impress. My work in the play and as my character helped me finally feel accomplished. I knew where I belonged. I went against my parents wishes and changed to a theater major the following semester. I learned I have to go after what I love and have a passion for.
415. When I was a sophomore in high school, I was taking Art 2 with a pretty talented teacher. At the time, I had also just learned that my father (an athiest, divorced from my mom) had been diagnosed with cancer. My realationship with him was strained due to living with my very religious mother's side of the family who disapproved of him. In my art class we were learning to make prints for the first time and had to make a basic design for our first print project. My design ended up being a recurring theme in my artwork: a dancing girl with loose, long hair. I didn't realize it at the time but reflection on this period decades later, it was a real turning point for my self identity. I was under massive pressure from the religious side of my family to fall in line but I was personally having all these feelings of shame, inadequacy, guilt, and resentment that I was trying to resolve. It was like I had a choice to be myself but fall out of favor with my religious family OR completely shut down my personal feelings and please my family. I think the design I chose kind of represented a sort of freedom or carefree life that I was craving. I think ultimately I had felt at that point that if I had to decide between being in good standing with my family's church or being myself, I wasn't capable of being a good church member.
416. When I was a wildlife biologist at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel, Florida , I was out at low tide at sunset when you can find the most abundant and amazing variety of birds. I had the perfect light as I was taking a picture of a roseate spoonbill, when out of nowhere, an alligator comes out of nowhere and its jaws clamp down on the spoonbill. Right at moment, I snap the perfect picture. It encompasses life, beauty, and the inevitability of death. I know it sounds a bit corny, but it represents the cycle of and how fragile it especially to someone who has a life long chronic condition. I did not have any perceptions of god or mystical or transcendental experiences.
417. When I was a young girl, about 9 years old, my grandmother was visiting us. My mom wanted me to clean my bedroom. I was not very pleased as I wanted to visit with grandma but my room was a mess. As i cleaned, I made up a song. The song had a tune that was cute and here are the lyrics: "I'm a modern day Cinderella its true!! I'm a nursemaid to my parents and sister too cause my daddy's old and rhumetic and my mommy she's so very sick, but my sister's liver ailment is all in her head cause she just wants to stay in bed!! turaralee, turalalue, I"m a modern day nursemaid who don't even get paid, What What should I do?!!" I was sweeping, cleaning, singing and dancing around in my own little world and my mom happened to come in and see this. She called for my grandmother to come see!! My grandmother burst into tears and ran with my mom going after her. I learned in later years that my grandmother had been a singer and songwriter in her early 20s and I must have set something off emtionally in her. I always have felt a closeness with God. I don't feel any supernatural things like ghosts or those things. God and Jesus, and I believe in Angels. I've always been able to make up plays, songs, music, on a whim. Perhaps because I've always read so many books.
418. When I was about 18 years old I took my first Photography class. The teacher had a project where we took black and white photos using traditional film and we then worked in the darkroom to process those photos. We were focusing on focal points and how to create focal points. So, I thought about a large concrete water well at a local church that goes down from the base level to the basement level. It was very large and so I got a friend to get inside of it with a chair and a ball in his hand looking down and depressed. In the black and white setting, it gave off the emotion of being trapped and depressed. The photo came out so well and I made a print of the photo to show to my teacher. My teacher was floored by how good it was. He suggested that we submit it for a regional competition alongside a few other pieces of work that I had done. So, I went back into the dark room to make some more prints of the negative. Little did I know, I had put my fingerprints on the negative and left a massive fingerprint smudge on the image. I vividly remember the next print coming out with a fingerprint and my teacher getting mad at me and saying "Fatty fingers gone and fucked it up!". At the time, I just kinda scuffed it off but I look back on it as a moment when my teacher understood that my photography had value but my darkroom skills were very lacking. In the end, he detracted from helping me submit the photo and my work for the competition. It was a big learning moment for me. I learned that I really did have a good eye for creating artwork that can spark emotion. But, I also learned that artwork is only valuable, or perceived as valued, when someone is more meticulous with the production side of it. From that moment on I have always been very meticulous and detail-oriented when it comes to the creation of art. It does slow my process down a bit but I know that each piece of art that I make is always perfect! Lastly, the concept of "reality beyond the physical world" has never really been something I have experienced. I am a very rational person in all of my pursuits and that tends to keep me very grounded in general and in my artistic styles. That said, I do like abstract art and creating abstract forms of art simply because I like to imagine crazy or "out of this world" concepts to spark the imagination.
419. When I was about 18, in high school, we had to write a poem for English and it would count as a large part of our grade for the semester. I remember being nervous about figuring out what my poem was going to be about. But I also remember being very excited because this was something I was great at. My grandmother, who I was really close to, had just passed away and that had a large influence on what I wrote. My poem ended up being about “the spirit inside.” When my parents read it, I could see that I had made them proud. My poem was even published in the newspaper and I couldn’t have been happier.
420. When i was around 12 years old i was finally able to attend an art class one semester. I was always interested in art but never felt I was very good. My teacher was the sweetest person I have ever met and when I felt down about my art she would comfort me. She helped me realize that my artwork did not have to be realistic to be good. I used ripped up construction paper and glue to create a picture of a girl that I still cherish to this day because my teacher helped me to realize that my artwork did not have to be perfect.
421. When I was going through a dark phase, I drew a picture of a black ballerina dressed in a black ensemble that danced on the streets in Paris. I felt that I needed to get a way somewhere far away and also I needed to move with grace and silence. I felt like I was free in a city that is full of adventure and that my attire would make me the most beautiful and graceful; Black ballerinas are so rare to see, I just wanted to draw something beautiful and unique that set me apart from anyone in my imaginary world at the time
422. When I was homeless back in 2016, I had a super mean caseworker who spent all of our meetings telling me I wasted my life going to school for an art degree. One day, we had a meeting that tore me up inside that I was suicidal. Then I looked at a wooden panel that I gessoed a year prior. I looked at all my paints, and I splattered every color I could on the panel. I used my fingers because all of my brushes were in storage. Every finger had a color. Each color had a different texture to me. It was very other worldly. My fingers could blend colors, but also scrape paint away. Every mark I made was filled with gesture. I let out all my pain, sorrow, anger, in one painting. It was bright, colorful, beautiful; it was made from my pain. I learned that art is what I am meant to do. No matter what state of mind I am in, I am meant to create art. I felt God was healing me with every mark I made.
423. When I was in art school, I did a project in ink which used a stiple design. I had to take two separate images and combine them. I took the image of a young girl who was standing topless, though it was only from the shoulders up, so not graphic. I placed her in front of Stonehenge. I felt it turned out very well and looked ethereal and otherworldly. When doing this project, I found myself getting completely lost in the project. I realized that art is a passion for me. I became absolutely consumed with this picture. I felt that I had a special gift, given from God, to create. I felt more inspired by this work than I had ever been on anything that I had previously don.
424. When I was in college almost 20 years ago I was taking an art class where we learned a new technique for each project. We did a project on scratchboard and I did a man's face. I was worried about it because I had never done it before and I was working with new tools that I wasn't familiar with. The project turned out much better than I expected and everyone who saw it was very impressed. I was really proud of myself and try to remember that time when I'm afraid to try new things.
425. When I was in college, I created a large painting that sold for a lot of money at the time. I learned that I could create art that others would be excited about. The ultimate meaning was to be able to create artwork that would enhance another person's life. I learned that I could create beautiful artwork from beginning to end, from design to framing the finished piece.
426. When I was in college, I was the flute player in a small, intimate, musical ensemble. We as a group were invited to perform at the university's award gathering. The awards given out were for those special people on campus who had made a significant contribution to positive change, unity, and diversity. Me and three of my fellow musicians decided to compose an original piece of music for this performance. In order to compose this piece of music the three of us isolated ourselves for nearly a week in an old music practice building on campus. It was a rather spiritual experience even though none of us intended it to be. There was something magical about dedicating so much consecutive time to playing music intimately with others while creating a sound that was all our own. To this day I am extremely proud of the piece we wrote. It was intense, passionate, and extremely moving. The sensations that I experienced while playing my composition at our performance is something that I remember to this day as simply magical and out of body.
427. When I was in college, my friend and I collaborated on an animated short film. She was the illustrator/artist and I was the writer. Animation was not a medium I had any experience in. My focus in college was films with actors. I agreed to collaborate on the project because it felt a little bit out of my comfort zone. I wanted to see if and how my work would translate to another form of media that was still within the scope of narrative fiction. I wanted to see how my work changed given the limitations (or freedoms) of using a medium where the visual storytelling elements were hand-drawn characters instead of actors. Throughout college, learning how to hone my thoughts into visual expression was what I focused on. With this project, my expression was mostly limited to words on a script that still had a visual component, but it was a component I was not creating. The animation was a combination of hand drawn and photography elements. On this project, I learned a lot about collaboration and being open to express ideas in a different way. They were still my ideas, but they were brought to life by someone other than myself. There were times when collaboration was difficult, but there were also times when collaboration was easy, almost like we were two people thinking in the same way, having the same idea. We fed off of each other's energy. I felt a connection through art to another person. We finished the animated short and while it wasn't that great, it was a collaboration born from connection with other person. It taught me to be more open with the creative process, to welcome new ideas and to think about a story from another perspective.
428. When I was in grade school I took piano lessons. For an assignment, I had to compose a song including the words. It took at least 3 weeks and lessons to complete the song, with my teacher guiding me. I wrote the words first, and my teacher helped me write the music where it fit the words. The song was The Bouncing Ball. After I completed the song, I felt really proud because I didn't think I could write my own song. I felt that I underestimated my ability. Looking back, I think I could do more than I thought when I was at that age. I did not experience any reality beyond the physical world during this experience.
429. When I was in high school, I created a mixed media piece that remains particularly meaningful to me. The artwork was a collage of magazine clippings, newspaper headlines, and personal photographs, all arranged in a chaotic, yet deliberate, composition. I remember spending hours cutting out images and arranging them on a large sheet of paper, playing with different combinations until I felt like the piece conveyed the message I was trying to express. The message was about the pressures and expectations placed on young people, particularly in the academic realm. At the time, I was feeling overwhelmed and suffocated by the high standards that were set for me, both by myself and by others. I felt like I was constantly running on a treadmill, trying to keep up but never really getting anywhere. Through the process of creating this artwork, I learned a lot about my own true nature. I realized that I had been putting too much pressure on myself to succeed and that I needed to let go of some of those expectations in order to truly thrive. In terms of ultimate meaning, the artwork represented a deep questioning of the way things are and the role that societal norms and expectations play in our lives. It was a call to action to resist the pressure to conform and instead embrace our own unique paths. While I didn't have any particular mystical experiences while creating the piece, I did feel a sense of release and catharsis when I finally finished it. It was as if I had externalized some of the internal pressure I had been feeling, and in doing so, I felt a sense of lightness and freedom. Overall, the artwork was significant to me because it allowed me to express something that had been brewing inside me for a long time. It helped me to understand myself better and to feel more connected to the world around me.
430. When I was in high school, I took Art as an elective. This was my Senior year, and I believe I was mostly looking for an easy A and to not have to think too much. We would be given assignments in various mediums, such as watercolor, oils, charcoal, etc. I really enjoyed all of the processes. When we got to paint on a canvas, I am not sure why I chose what I did to paint. It sort of just came to me. One thing I loved to do in English class was to doodle illustrations that were in my head of whatever book we were assigned to read. One of my favorite books was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. This was not an assigned book, but one I discovered when I received it as a present from my older sister. We had a lamp post at the end of our street, and it snowed all the time where I lived, so I had visions of Lucy and Mr. Tumnus meeting under that lamp post. This is what I chose to paint. The scene just came to me, with Mr. Tumnus carrying a loaded sack and a snow topped umbrella, and Lucy looking very innocent and cold as she did not have a coat from the wardrobe on yet. I painted in one afternoon at home. When I brought it to school, I was hoping for a good grade, but I did not expect how much people would like it. I still have that painting. My daughter had it for awhile, as she liked it. When she moved, it was given back to me. To this day, there is something about that painting that makes me feel content. I would like to be inspired like that again.
431. When I was in high school. I was in a summer music camp with talented teen performers. One of the huge capstone projects was producing an Opera and musical production. I was chosen to be a part of the opera group and we performed the Marriage of Figaro. I was Barbarina and I had one solo piece and several group pieces to sing. At the time, I had no vocal training as I was at the summer camp to play piano. I was really nervous to be a part of this group as I only had experience with the piano and I was not trained to sin or act. We had a lot of practice sessions with a local director and it was tough for me. I wasn't singing or acting well and I had to go through several conditioning sessions to catch up with the other participants. The other participants studied voice and acting for most of their lives and with me coming in, I felt so out of my element. I felt so discouraged because I didn't know what I was doing and why I was placed with the opera group. I was on the verge of being kicked out and replaced by a more seasoned singer. During those times, I took it upon my self to study and practice more outside the camp and just tried to do my best. There were times during group practice where I was on the verge of tears because it was difficult. Two weeks before our performance, we had a practice session and in my mind, I had a mindset that I just didn't care anymore. I felt so slighted that there was this huge expectation for me to perform on the same level as the other participants. At that practice I don't know what happened but I just got into character and sang so well. Everyone was shocked. I was shocked. The director that was with us exclaimed... that's it! I felt shock but a sense of pride that I didn't quit but I was also still a bit torn because the process was hard. When I think about that time, I feel proud of myself on the outcome. During that time, it was awful. I felt so isolated and inadequate. I truly felt like I was the underdog and everyone was just there to watch me continue to struggle. I think my perseverance to try my best and put in extra effort really showed me that the process is just as important as the end result. The end result was great but I don't look back at the result as much. I often think about the process and what I went through and how I landed on the other side.. slightly changed. I don't think I had an epiphany at that time but the emotions that I went through were intense and I think I was trying really hard to connect with myself in terms of believing that I could do it against the odds.
432. When I was in kindergarten my art teacher had us work with pastel pencils to draw. I was not good at drawing at all at the time which is fine because I was a kid. However my art teacher saw my drawling I really tried on and yelled at me it was not good at all and I was not trying. I was very hurt by this and decided to get way better at art to not have it happen again. i learned I wanted to please people and that I wanted to be good at things.
433. When I was in the 9th grade I went to Princeton high School in Princeton North Carolina. I did a piece. It was out of clay. It was the bust ofJesus Christ.
434. When I was postpartum with my first child, I needed an outlet for the anxiety I was feeling constantly. I learned that if my hands were busy, my brain could not focus as much on my anxiety. I learned that a busy mind is good to relax me. Through this process of learning to crochet, I was able to learn that I like to learn new things and stay busy. It taught me that when I am creating I am leaving memories and treasures for my family to love, I felt a connection to a long line of ancestors who have also felt the same way through creating.
435. When I was still in college, I was participating in a group project with several of my classmates that required us to create an art installation inside a show room. We were tasked with many things, but there was one piece that really stood out to me because I worked extremely hard on it and lost a lot of sleep. The installation was a wall with different words of the meaning of art in everyone's different perspectives. I collected all the different types of words by interviewing people and sending out surveys with a simple question, "In 10 words, what does art mean to you?" After compiling all of these words, I printed out each of them in black and white, measured properly, and attached them to foam cores, where I eventually cut and trimmed each word. Printing, gluing, and trimming took me about 2 days to accomplish because there were just so many words to go through and we had a deadline coming up. After trimming each word, I started attaching small foam sticks to the back of the words in different lengths, because the idea was to have the wall pop out at you with different meanings. I was awake for about 48+ hours at this point but the job had to get done. Once I finished attaching all the sticks to the words, I went back to the show room and mapped out where each of the words will go. I spent the next day measuring, sketching, and gluing everything to their assigned spots. Once I finished gluing in the last piece, my body gave out and I collapsed in front of the art piece and was lying on the floor with pure exhaustion. At that moment, I had a very strange experience because I couldn't do anything but stare at the wall I just finished creating and appreciate the amount of work that went into it. All of the words on the walls started coming to life and surrounding me. I started to absorb the wall into myself and I started to realize what the real meaning of art was, expression. One thing I learned through this experience was how far I was willing to go to express myself and get something done. I didn't fully grasp why I was pursuing an art career until I finished that art piece and realized how fun the whole process was in order to express myself and the people around me.
436. When I was very young, I used to create levels for video games with my sister. We would alternate taking turns; first I would create a level, and she would play it. Then she would create a level, and I would play it. We would give each other feedback on each other's levels, and we would in turn take that feedback and incorporate the ideas and concepts learned there into future levels. We would also watch and observe each other playing through the levels, and we would learn things about their experience naturally playing through that might not have otherwise been verbalized. I think from this process I learned from a very young age the importance of a tight social feedback loop during the design process, and an iterative design process where that feedback is constantly re-incorporated into future iterations. This quick feedback loop and rapid iteration can result in higher quality designs overall.
437. When I was younger my grandmother used to make crafts out of pinecones, typically as Christmas decorations that she would give to family members and friends to remember her by. She taught me how to work with the pinecones, the frames and wire work necessary to make the foundation of these crafts. When she passed away when I was older, I decided to also make some pinecone crafts to help remember her by. I made some pine cone wreaths using the same foundation techniques but also added my own touches to it. I painted each pinecone rather than leaving them their base color like she had. I added some additional touches to connect the wreaths to nature, like including craft models of birds within the pine cones. Working on these projects helped me feel more connected to my family and helped me realize how important family was to me. It helped me feel like I was still connected to her even though she had passed on.
438. When we were inside during the pandemic I decided I would take up film and photography. I didn't want to be a Youtube for privacy concerns, but it seemed like an excellent way to document everything that was happening. Learning the editing software was probably the most challenging part. Understanding shading, adding filters, and how to add text and captions to the video. There was an entire section on audio correcting that took me quite some time to figure out. Though frustrating I was able to figure it out and started filming. Seeing myself on film was jarring at first. I was not comfortable seeing my body. my home, even watching myself cook which is one of my favorite things to do through a lens. Putting it up on the big screen I just asked myself do I really look like this? Then I thought to myself, do the Youtuber look the way they do naturally? There's no way. What filters are they using? How are they editing their film strip? It has to be the music they added in the back. Because looking at myself does not naturally look the way they do. Now I'm curious. However, as time went on. the more videos I edited, I started to get a little tingly about pulling the camera out. I was excited to get my good side. I found different angles to film from that did me justice. I also found myself more comfortable just seeing my face. I started to like how I looked without all the extra filters. And for a brief moment thought I could post a live video. This also translated to how I saw myself in real life. I always felt I looked better in the mirror than I did in photos. But once I gained that confidence by seeing myself on the big screen I felt less anxious about being outside and wondering how I looked in real life. Now I take pictures and videos all the time. Wondering how I will look from day to day and if I view myself differently from the camera. It'smind bending sometimes. But I love it.
439. When writing a poem that was recently published (despite the fact I'm typically a literal fiction writer and haven't really devoted much time to poetry), I felt exactly like myself -- as if in that moment, I was reaching my full potential as a human. I love writing poetry as it's the closest I can get to creating something like music -- I'm not a musician, though I enjoy singing and casually playing the piano, I'm not trained and have never created anything musical. However, poetry fulfills this aspect of my creativity. So the most rewarding thing I can do is to write a successful poem. When writing the poem, I was able to get in touch with my past and put it in perspective. I brought forth elements of my youth that I missed because I had loved them so deeply. I was also able to connect to the landscape and the experience of living in a region that has always stimulated my imagination and my heart. Such feelings are transcendent. Writing poetry, for me, is allowing my subconscious and my spirit to take over my conscious mind, which is sort of like a trance. I don't feel any other "presence" or hear any sort of outside voice - only my inner voice coming from somewhere I can access when I'm being creative.
440. While stationed alone overseas as an active duty U.S. Air Force airman, I relished any communication with family and loved ones back in the U.S. Email was a relatively newer mode of communication where I worked, but my loved ones and I frequently stayed in touch by this means. I looked forward to going to work every day just to check my email for any new correspondence from family and/or friends. But there came a stretch of a couple weeks where I had not heard anything from anyone, despite sending out a few updates to everyone on my personal contact list. I felt somewhat lonely because of this, but decided to make light if it by writing a cute email to my parents... M parents were fans of both Star Trek and the original Blake Edwards' Pink Panther films, so this email to them began with something to the effect of...: "I've been concerned with the silence on your end, but—let me guess—something DRASTIC occurred! There was a rip in the space-time continuum, you were both sucked into this breach and strangely found yourselves, dazed, in Paris, France, circa the mid-1960's. You have " bimps" on your head from the violent journey through the space-time hole, you're being stalked by some oriental fellow named Kato, and—merde!—you've been dive-bombed by a swine pigeon...!" The email went in in this fashion for quite some time. I didn't quite intend for it to wind up the equivalent of two pages long, but work was slow that morning, and I found inspiration in the amusement of crafting a little something to make my parents smile. I sent the email and, sure enough, received a response the next day. And, boy, what a response! Of course, I received profuse apologies from my parents for the two-week span gap in any communication. As I'd suspected, they had been incredibly busy (three of my younger siblings were still in school and living at home, after all, and my parents also worked). But upon receiving my email, they printed it and passed it around to the family and forwarded it to everyone they knew. They then told me the narrative I wrote was so hilarious they suited it to a poetry/creative writing publication! That I did not expect! A couple months later, I received in the mail a package from my parents. It contained a $50 check from the poetry/creative writing publication that accepted my parents submission of my silly email, and a copy of the publication with what I'd written to my parents in it! I've got the greatest family in the world. And my parents made sure to write to me almost daily after my little creative email!
441. While still in school and struggling socially, I would illustrate what I felt were my own representations of what isolation was. I would only use soft graphite pencils since I preferred how much more darker they could draw. I drew a corpse in the foreground of a long train tunnel. It was huddled against the wall and was in its final stages of decay. The only area free of any sketching was at the far end of this tunnel, a bright light that only just barely silhouetted the skeletal remains. It was meant to represent my own crippling loneliness at the time, how trying to reach a better place was seemingly already out of reach and impossible in my condition at that point. I learnt that despite feeling I was at my worst, I still tried- even when my inner voice says it's all a wasted effort and I'd be better off to everyone dead and forgotten. The ultimate meaning I feel, looking back on it now, is that life is a track that has moments where you're forced to pass through these darker moments, but that given enough time, you'll find respites in better and brighter places.
442. Writing is a primarily solitary art, so I was the only one involved. After buying my first pair of boxers as a transmasculine individual, I wrote the first draft of what would become my first published poem in my notes app on the bus back to my dorm room. It was a moment of independence from my overbearing parents and self-validation in my gender and gender presentation--something just for myself, as really I'm the only person that knows what I'm wearing between my skin and pants. I sent the final draft of this poem to the college's magazine, only for a different poem I submitted alongside it to be accepted. But I wanted to find a real home for it, because it was such a personal piece and really true to my identity and experiences. Later on in the year, I submitted it to two different magazines while waiting for the plane that would take me away from the state I'd lived in my whole life to the one that would become my new permanent residence. It got accepted, and the public reaction when it was published overwhelmed me with joy. People were overjoyed for me, and some told me they personally related, which I found the most heartwarming. I really didn't think something I'd written on a whim in my notes app just to get the feelings out would go so far, but it gave me a lot of confidence in my abilities going forward.
443. Years ago, I was asked to create some simple somber piece for a wine bar. At the time I was very interested in working with tools and materials that I created myself (e.g. my own paints, surfaces, creating my own charcoal, etc.) I also like to find ways to hide highly detailed visual information within my artwork in subtle ways. I took several pictures of the bar and created a charcoal drawing of just two wine glasses and a wine bottle (obvious theme, right?) however, the full story was only told in the reflections cast by the light on the glasses and bottle. It hinted at several different stories between the couple seated at the table. The piece was placed in a location that could be seen from different parts of the bar and people sometimes noticed that it depicted the bar itself from those reflections. I truly enjoyed creating it and it represents ways in which I build up ideas within my artwork and think that has something to do with how I think as well.
444. Yes I learned a lot about my true nature during the art process, I have insight about my own authentic creations. I learned about ultimate meaning when sculpting and creating cups and bowls to put in the fire and gloss up, it was an amazing process . Yes I have had an experience with a spritual awakening and change that also influenced some of the art work I have created in the past.
445. yes i learned how to do landscapes. i feel that i learned authentic art.i learned how to pace myself and paint slowly and not rush the job . i just enjoy art as it is relaxing