5 Non-Artists Who Do Art (and It’s Awesome) | Why Do Art, Part 2

Posted on by Monica

5 Non-Artists Who Do Art (and It’s Awesome) | Why Do Art, Part 2

Last I told you that if you think you can’t do art, you’re wrong.

This time I’ll present you with real-life examples of “non-artists” who do art.

Plenty of people enjoy doing “non-artistic” art for their businesses or for enjoyment. And guess what? A lot of people enjoy viewing this “non-professional” art.

Disclaimer-type note: I do consider all of these people artists since, well, they’re making art. #2 and #3 are probably just straight up artists. Just not in the traditional fine arts sense. So they still count.

non-artists who do art

Here are 5 individuals who aren’t professional artists but are still making art, and making it work!

1. Liz Ryan

Career Coach and Founder of the Human Workplace

Take a look at her site. Click through a few blog posts. Don’t worry about reading for now, just look.

Isn’t it fun to look at?

Liz Ryan’s cute, quirky art is one of the highlights of her website. It differentiates her brand from the pack. Obviously she provides solid career advice too, but look at the atmosphere she’s created, all by adding hand-drawn images.

People love her drawings.

Could a child have drawn these images?

Maybe.

Does it matter?

2. Hyperbole and a Half

Adorable and Amusing Slice of Life Blog by Allie Brosh

With some hesitation jealousy, I now refer you to Hyperbole and a Half.

If you haven’t heard of Hyperbole, maybe you’ve been into living “off the grid” for years, and are just now coming back to society. Welcome back.

THIS BLOG IS GREAT.

It’s beautiful.

Okay maybe not by all artistic standards.

Brosh uses a style of illustration that you might experimented with using the very first Microsoft Paint program. The difference is she kept honing her skill, while you dismissed this entire art form.

Shame on you.

Even Andy Warhol saw its value.

Meanwhile Brosh has swept the nation with classics like The Alot, Spiders Are Scary, and How a Fish Almost Destroyed My Childhood.

She has a book now and seems to be working on a second.

3. tiny snek comics

A Tiny Comic with a Big Following

Not for people of every political slant, tiny snek is all about exposing the evils of capitalism and making puns.

What can I really say about tiny snek? Only that it has a certain silly charm that keeps me scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling through tiny snek comics.

You can support tiny snek comics’ creator Alex Cohen on Patreon.

In my Valentine’s post on Becoming JiHye, I added some Hyperbole/Tiny Snek inspired doodles to my post. Did it add value? I dunno, but it was fun. Besides, that isn’t my art website, so no pressure, right?

4. Drawings for my Grandchildren

A Cool Grandfather on Instagram

This is a viral story. If you’ve heard it, then congrats, you’re successfully in the know.

Ji Lee, this unnamed grandfather’s son, has a video explaining the origins of Drawings for My Grandchildren that tells the story far better than I could. You really should watch it.

But this is the gist of it:

A Korean grandfather creates daily drawings and posts them on Instagram as a way to connect with and leave a something tangible for his grandchildren.

Their family is spread out around the world. The grandfather lives in Brazil, while his grandchildren live in South Korea and America. But his drawings (and Instagram) brings their family together.

Awww.

5. George W. Bush

Yes, Bush.

Even a former president is doing art, now that he has so much time on his hands.

Bush recently published a book of his paintings entitled “Portraits of Courage.” His paintings, and their accompanying stories, honor veterans who have served the US. The stories highlight moments of bravery and journeys to recovery.

You might look at his paintings and say, hey, he’s pretty good! He must have had some latent artistic talent!

Hold on now.

Sure, maybe Bush really did like art as a child. Maybe he got so caught up in becoming the leader of the free world that he abandoned his passion and is finally getting a chance to rediscover it.

But I kind of doubt that.

Let’s do the same reality check we did in the last post.

Remember, the lovely and patriotic paintings that Bush has published in a book are meant for the whole world to see. They are not the whole picture.

Far in the back of his studio, lying in a dusty corner, there are probably paintings that tell the whole story. The story that learning to paint is a journey, and getting results requires making mistakes.

I’m certain that George Bush has some really sad-looking still life paintings, some wonky-faced portraits, and several unfinished canvases that have been thrown away over the years.

But he’s human, so why would he show you any of those?

If George Bush can do art, why can’t you?

True, he probably has a well-paid personal art instructor and oodles of time on his hands now. But is your goal to shock the world and publish a surprise book of paintings?

No.

(At least I hope not, for the sake of my argument.)

So what are you waiting for?

Other Posts in This Series:

Part 1: Why People Who “Can’t Draw” Are Wrong

Part 3: Why People Who “Can’t Draw” Should Do Art

Bonus: 7 Easy Art Tutorials to help Anyone Get Into Art

Why People Who “Can’t Draw” Are Wrong | Why Do Art, Part 1

Posted on by Monica

Why People Who “Can’t Draw” Are Wrong | Why Do Art, Part 1

I’ve heard it a million times.

I can’t draw.

I’m not artistic.

I could never do that.

And to that I say…

LIES.

What people don’t realize is that the world isn’t divided into artistic people and non-artistic people. It’s divided into people who do art and people who don’t.

But it’s not your fault. The world is constructed in a way that makes it look like there’s a huge gap between the creatives and the not-creatives.

Even I contribute to this myth.

One, the art that I let you see is only the good stuff, or the good-enough-to-show-someone art. I have artistic failures all the time, but it’s unlikely that you’ll ever get to see them (and honestly, I doubt you’d want to).

Two, the art that you see isn’t a standalone piece. I didn’t just one day just will it into being. My art actually takes  a lot of planning. And it’s the result of over twenty years of practice. I don’t remember at what age I started drawing, but trust me when I say it was pretty early on.

Kids draw.

Kids like to draw.

The difference is that some kids receive validation of their so-called artistic talents, while others don’t. Unfortunately, these others might even be laughed at, mocked, or relentlessly compared to their more “artistic” peers.

When someone else is really amazing at something, and you’re not, you probably get a little bit discouraged. And when someone who is an ultimate authority in your life (say, a parent or teacher), reinforces this belief, well you might decide to just abandon that thing you’re not very good at anyway.

Who needs art, right?

why peoplewho can't draw are wrong not artistic

 

Smushed Interests

By the time we become adults (I’m not sure exactly when that is, to be honest), most people’s artistic dreams have been smushed. Or their artistic interests have been smushed before they’ve had a chance to turn into dreams.

But guess what?

People actually like doing art.

Not just looking at it, or pretending to be cultured

And I’ll prove it.

 

Proof #1

To best illustrate this point, I need you to get up. Get out of bed. Go to any hipstery part of town. The people who frequent this area should be mostly white, in the middle to upper-class income bracket.

Take a walk.

And time how long it takes you to come across one of those “canvas and cocktails” places. You know, the ones where you take a painting class and drink wine.

Painting with a Twist.

Paint and Sip.

Cork and Canvas.

Pinot’s Palette.

Sipping and Painting.

 

I could go on and on.

Why are these painting classes are so popular?

Well, people like wine, you’re probably thinking. Okay sure. I won’t argue with that. But people must also like to paint. Otherwise, why wouldn’t they just drink their wine at home or with a nice steak?

wine painting abstractPhoto by Prawny licensed under CC0.

 

Proof #2

Before you go home, I need you to make a detour.

Go to a bookstore. Maybe not a used one, but any other bookstore.

Check out the arts or crafts or miscellaneous items section. Tell me how many adult coloring books you see.

coloring book for adultsPhoto by the3cats licensed under CC0.

A lot.

These books have blown up. They’re everywhere.

But I actually hate them.

-Tangent time-

Aren’t these coloring books supposed to help you relax and de-stress? And yet, just because they’re for adults, the creators make them so intricately detailed that it takes an eternity to finish one page.

I have one of these books.

I’ve never completed a single page. There are just too many tiny leaves and flowers for me.

I hope publishers rectify this situation soon.

-End tangent-

 

Even though I don’t like these coloring books, other people do. So apparently, there’s something about coloring that people like.

 

Coloring and painting. Can I make the leap and say that adults, even non-artistic adults, seem to like doing art?

Not just going to museums and galleries to feel fancy, but actually doing art themselves?

So what’s that you say?

You can’t do art because you’re “not artistic”?

 

So What?

If we’ve been taught that we’re “not good” at something, it’s frightening to go and do that thing. We’re not good at it, right? So we’ll probably just fail. Why even bother?

The thing is now that you’re an adult, you’re free!

It doesn’t actually matter what anyone thinks of your art. It doesn’t matter if you fail.

Technical skill is irrelevant.

No one needs to judge your art or even see it.

 

But if you’re still not convinced, you can hold off for two more weeks, using the excuse that you’re waiting for my upcoming posts to procrastinate.

 

Other Posts in this Series:

Part 2: 5 Non-Artists Who Do Art (And It’s awesome)

Part 3: Why People Who “Can’t Draw” Should Do art

Bonus: 7 Easy Art Tutorials to Help Anyone Get Into Art

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Character Trait Ruining My Creativity

Posted on by Monica

The Character Trait Ruining My Creativity

Illustration of Robot Trying to Fly

I haven’t been very creative lately. This tune is so familiar that I worry I’m starting to sound like a broken record.

But this time the cause of my creative block was pretty clear.

I’m indecisive.

In my generation and among my friends, not being good at making decisions is an acceptable flaw. From the major to the mundane, it seems like almost everyone is “bad at decisions.” Myself included.

If I’m meeting a friend who is especially known for being indecisive, I’ll put in extra thought beforehand or even do a little research (aka Google “best restaurants in…”) before we meet.

I’ve realized that the ability to make a clear decision is a strength. It’s a valuable trait that you and your friends will appreciate.

 

What’s With the Indecision?

I could speculate on why I and so many millennials like me are indecisive – we’re worried about making the wrong choice, we hold others’ preferences above our own, we’re simply trying to be polite – but this post is about art and the creative process.

And even though I realized indecision is crippling, I hadn’t realized it was also crippling my creativity.

One way indecision has very clearly manifested itself in my art block is in media choice.

 

Media-Hopping

Without classes, deadlines, teachers, or even any obligation to create art, I’ve tried to figure out what helps me continue creating. Being inspired or being around other artists help. So does trying out new media.

I get excited over new materials and new art supplies. It’s fun to try a new or relatively unexplored way to create. I did it with digital painting. And then again with watercolor pencils.

But media-hopping hasn’t done me any favors. I end up wanting to try them all and wanting to be good at all of them, but of course, I’m not. And since I’m hopping around so much, it’s only a matter time before I abandon that medium in favor of a newer, shinier one.

Why the serial media-hopping? Is my Do I just have a short artistic attention span?

When I realized I was blindly jumping around from media to media, a funny thing happened. The clear solution was to choose one medium and hone my skills of expression through it. But my inner self rebelled. I didn’t want to choose one – how restrictive! How limiting!

It’s taken more time bumming around and being artistically unproductive for me to come around.

 

Related Tangent on Decisions

Recently I’ve been hearing a lot of talk on minimizing decisions. One article (or rather one idea in several articles) has been circulating on social media. The catchy, attention grabber is this:

“Why Successful People Dress the Same Way Every Day”

If you haven’t seen it, the idea sounds interesting, right? The point of these articles is that we face thousands of decisions every day, and the less time we can spend on minor decisions, the better.

Eliminating or simplifying your decisions helps you avoid “decision fatigue.”

The articles go on to explain that many successful people wear a predetermined set of very similar clothing every day so that choosing what to wear becomes a non-decision. Obama and Steve Jobs are a just a couple examples.

Not worrying about what to wear in the morning means less energy spent on insignificant decisions and more available energy for the more important decisions you’ll face later in the day.

 

Tying it Back to Art

Deciding on which media to use became such a hindering decision for me that I didn’t go through the trouble of creating any art in the first place. And even after I’d chosen a medium, there was the content matter to consider.

Which of my ideas was the best? Which could I execute well now? Which is the most important? Has the most important socio-political message? Would be most beneficial to my art practice? Would look good on my website?

And maybe you can see how my indecision led to a paralysis that stemmed up the creativity altogether.

 

The Practical Part

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, so if you purchase a product through my site, I’ll receive a small commission.

Peter Bregman explains the concept of decision fatigue in his book Four Seconds. He goes into more tips in the book, and another in this article.

These are his three tips for making decisions:

1. Make minor decisions routine.

This is where wearing the same clothes comes in. We have to choose what to wear every day. By having a preset wardrobe, you can eliminate that morning decision.

2. Set rules for unpredictable decisions.

The unexpected decisions are harder to make. However, you can set rules or guidelines for yourself to make this process easier. If Wednesday night is your time to relax, don’t accept any invitations or extra work that would impose upon your evening.

3. Set a time limit for difficult decisions.

Some decisions are major, life-changing, super serious, or whatever you want to call them. They don’t fit your “rules” and they require major deliberation. That’s where a time limit can help.

Do the necessary research, but if you’re stuck, give yourself or your team a time limit. You’ll make a decision simply because you have to.

 

The Importance of Choice and Commitment

I just need to make a choice and do it. Creativity will follow.

 

So in the spirit of choosing, here are my decisions:

  • I’m going to focus on scratchboard and color drawing materials.
  • I’m going to do mindless art at least once a week
  • I’m going to leave myself time to warm-up, whether that’s figure drawing or simple phone paintings.

 

On the Hunt for Artistic Inspiration: Winter Trails

Posted on by Monica

On the Hunt for Artistic Inspiration: Winter Trails

Last weekend, I decided to take a break from my writing and head into the mountains. I needed some artistic inspiration.

This blog has been a little dry lately because I’ve been working on getting serious about freelance writing – at the expense of art.

Even this mini trip to the mountains was about work. I wanted to get some high-quality photos of my own to use for my blog posts, reference photos, and design purposes. But maybe work was just an excuse to get out there.

Even in the winter, nature is pretty swell.

 

Going out and “gathering” material was a good way for me to get out of my computer-screen-and-keyboard bubble and give myself permission to stop and enjoy the scenery. (I would have smelled the roses too, but well, it’s still winter.)

Here are a few textures I thought might look good in backgrounds or Photoshop projects:

Since I was looking for textures, the three colors on this rock immediately caught my eye.

Wood and bark textures are always interesting. There were a lot of fallen and worn down trees, after a recent storm.

I’ll have to make these trips a more regular thing.

 

 

“Come to Mama” [Political Cartoon]

Posted on by Monica

“Come to Mama” [Political Cartoon]

Some events beg to be illustrated. They stick in my mind and I have to get them out onto the page.

The latest education debacle in the US was one example.

The events leading up to Betsy DeVos’s election to Secretary of Education were maddening, and actually a little incredible.

I’m sure I don’t need to go into how she failed miserably during her Senate confirmation hearing.

Yet here she is, newly appointed and asking where to find the pencils.

But this cartoon is about someone closer to home: Colorado Senator Cory Gardner.

come-to-mama
On Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner’s acceptance of a $49,800 donation from DeVos

I was among the Colorado citizens who protested, asked, and pleaded with Gardner to consider the views of his constituents, but to avail. Then to find out it was all about the money.

I shouldn’t be surprised. But I won’t be complacent either.

 

March: A Graphic Novel Memoir

Posted on by Monica

March: A Graphic Novel Memoir

In the interest of sharing good, socially-relevant art, today I’m highlighting the March graphic novel trilogy.

March graphic novel, By John Lewis, with writer Andrew Aydin and artist Nate Powell

I first came across March while browsing at Hooked on Books, a cozy local bookstore that I was visiting for the first time. They had March volume 3 on display, and I picked it up, fascinated.

I didn’t buy it that day, but after I got home, I immediately looked it up.

Reviews were great and it had even won Eisner Award for its second volume and the National Book Award for its third.

I hemmed and hawed for a few days and finally ended up purchasing the entire box set.

march-boxed-set

That New Book Excitement

I began the series with high anticipation, saving that new book feel and smell as I opened the first volume. And as I read, I became…

…a little bored.

This graphic novel tells the story of Representative John Lewis’s life. It began with his early life in rural Alabama and was pretty text heavy, not at all like superhero comics or manga.

But I warmed up to the scenes of his early life, smiling at the boy preaching to his chickens.

And then things got real serious, real fast.

Partway through Book 1, the story took a dramatic turn. I glanced back at the author bio on John Lewis more than once, thinking, this guy really lived through all this? There’s still someone alive today who lived through the civil rights movement?

I felt a little silly. My own parents were born in the 60s, and there are plenty of people older than them still around.

I didn’t realize how far away I thought that time had been. The great figures of the Civil Rights movements we still study in school – Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X – are long gone. So to me, the events of this time felt long past too.

 

March Graphic Novel Today

March is a wake-up call. A reminder of our dark, not-so-distant past.

I’ve only read volumes 1 and 2 so far, but I have only the utmost awe and amazement for Representative Lewis.

The March graphic novel juxtaposes its events with the inauguration of President Obama.

Today, with Obama out of the office, and a renewed air of social activism in America, this series feels especially fitting.

After the Women’s March and continued protests against unjust policies and practices, the events of the Civil Rights Movement serve as a guide and a warning.

 

DO exercise your right to peacefully protest.

DON’T forget that these rights were not always guaranteed.

DO remember that you can make a change.

DON’T forget that America has done this before, and justice won.

 

The Aftermath [Political Cartoon]

Posted on by Monica

The Aftermath

fractured-america

Maybe “aftermath” isn’t entirely accurate. The forces that resulted in this nightmare – beliefs, values, inherently-flawed institutions – were in place long before this past election season.

But it’s the aftermath that has brought our most harmful differences to light and leaves me with the sinking feeling that our country is truly broken.

white-house-lowered

 

Sketches by Phone: Colorado Springs

Posted on by Monica

Sketches by Phone: Colorado Springs

Originally the title of this post was going to be Sketches of Home, but I liked the rhyming alternative better.

Home life is pretty dull compared to travel, but art can help you see a place through new eyes. This is a glimpse into the surroundings of my current, strangely-domestic stage of life.

Sketches of dogs asleep on my bed; my neighborhood street

pikes-peak-mountains

Pikes Peak from the Grand Overlook in Palmer Park.

starsmore-trees_001

Trees at a trail behind the Starsmore Discovery Center

Backyard view; Colorado Springs in the distance

There’s no ocean, but I guess it is pretty beautiful out here.

How I Discovered Korean Artist Mokwon Hur Whie (and Wish I Knew of Him Sooner)

Posted on by Monica

How I Discovered Korean Artist Mokwon Hur Whie (and Wish I Knew of Him Sooner)

I knew nothing about Korean art before going to Korea. At one point, I was well-versed in some areas of Japanese art, familiar with masters like Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige, and even contemporary artists like Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara, and Chiho Aoshima.

But I don’t think I knew even a single Korean artist.

Japanese Art in Korea

Yoshitomo Nara in the Gwangbok Lotte Department store

Seeking Out Art in South Korea

Once I got to Korea, I didn’t start seeking out art until one semester had passed. I visited the Busan Museum of Art (BMA) with high hopes and was disappointed.

None of the art stood out to me, although I saved the museum brochures in the hopes that I might get inspired by them later. Fortunately, the next set of exhibits at the BMA renewed my hope with some really beautiful artwork.

Madame Curie, a video installation by Jennifer Steinkamp stood out as the clear favorite on my second visit, but I also marveled over the precision of Lee Jean Ey/이진이 (Age-7624, oil on canvas, 2013) and the severity of Hwa Jai-Hyoung/황재형 (below).

(The romanization of these names might feel awkward to those who can read Korean. It feels awkward to me. But I stuck with the spellings given by the museum, hoping that these are the spellings the artists prefer.)

hwa-jai-hyoung-sleep
Hwa Jai-Hyoung 길고 긴 잠 / A Long- lasting Sleep, 80.3x116cm, Oil on Canvas, 1999~2007

I learned peripherally about Korean art movements, through whatever information was available through the museum’s English brochures.

 

Art in Surprising Places

It turns out Korea has art in a lot of places. Murals on restaurants and small businesses seem to be popular. Whenever there is major construction going on, the temporary walls built around the site are often decorated with public art.

I ran into the art of Mokwon Hur Whie when trying out a new cafe.

 

Exploring Korea, One Cafe at a Time

Living in a foreign country, I was always exploring new places. That month, I had been working on Nanowrimo – National Novel Writing Month – during which people take on the challenge of writing 50,000 words in one month. So I wasn’t doing as much sightseeing last November, but I was discovering cafes like nobody’s business.

That weekend’s new cafe was called Cafe Claire, a large well-lit space in Seomyeon, one of Busan’s popular hubs that has downtown-like feel.

Cafe Claire not only had your standard cafe fare but also made their own baked goods. And better yet, I was surprised to find that they had a third floor called the Somin Art Center. After finishing up my 1,667 words for the day, I made my way upstairs with carefully concealed excitement.

 

An Accidental Encounter with Mokwon Hur Whie

There was a cute patio outside and steep steps leading up to a barren looking space. A locked door to my right was supposed to be a theater space, and to the left, a gallery! I was there on the last day of this exhibit:

mokwon-art-100-anniversary-exhibit

I stepped inside cautiously, where there was an older man and middle aged woman who welcomed me. One serious visitor stood observing a painting.

mokwon-guddegol-culture-market

The walls were surprisingly colorful, some of them with multiple pieces of art stacked above and beside each other – a massive grid of lines and color. Upon examining a few pieces I quickly realized that all of the art here featured scenes of Busan, many of them places I visited regularly.

 

Bosu Book Alley;  Gukje (International) Market

 

 

Jagalchi Fish Market; Songdo Beach

 

To be honest, this was exactly the type of art that I’d been wanting to do while I was there: artwork capturing and memorializing scenes from my everyday life in Busan, Korea, scenes that to me, as a foreigner who has familial ties to this country, were made all the more exciting.

If I’m completely honest, I did have a moment of creative jealousy. Darn! My idea’s already been done!

But they were done so beautifully. I passed through the space, recalling memories of visiting my grandparents near Gamcheon culture village, delighting in the scenes of Yeongdo, where I commuted to work every day, and smiled at recollections of gathering with friends at Haeundae and Gwangalli beach.

mokwon-gamcheon-in-gallery
Gamcheon Cultural Village

 

Surprise!

It turned out the old man manning the gallery was Mokwon Hur Whie himself! We chatted in my limited Korean and his limited English about his work. I only got that it was “Korean painting,” and being woefully ignorant about Korean art, didn’t really know what that entailed.

I received his business card, learning that he had a gallery in Gukje Market. He was selling books of his work, and I bought two, thinking that the scenes here would be as meaningful to my Korean mom as they were to me.

mokwon art book

It was quite the creatively satisfying day. I never did track down his gallery, located somewhere around Gukje Market, but I’m glad I brought of memento of his work home with me.

All of the images of Mokwon’s artwork were taken from his book, with the exception of one I took directly during this exhibit.

You can see more of his work on his Naver or Daum blogs, or even on his Facebook.