The Value Of Creativity

In the age of machines, robots and computers taking over almost every aspect of human life, we are finding that creativity is the real human value that has no substitute.

I am deeply grateful that I have been given the freedom and support in cultivating creativity in my life; not only in sculpture but other diverse modalities.

I believe holistic expression creates excellence in all endeavors. Whether science, medicine, art or socialization, having a broad and diverse mental library of experience enables us to see novel connections formerly unnoticed. It allows us to relate seemingly disparate subjects. I try to express myself in a multitude of ways … visual art, music, dance, cooking, poetry, videography, etc. Often creative ideas for sculpture will come to me while doing poetry; or perhaps I think of a musical concept while dancing.

Creativity can be an elusive and ephemeral creature. It is not something that can be forced and tends to come in waves. I try to capture these glimpses of creative insight when they happen, otherwise they evaporate from my memory like a dream. I have found the twilight zone between waking consciousness and sleep is a powerful state of mind that can yield tremendous creativity. This transitional state is called “Hypnagogia”. Our brain actually has both alpha and theta waves during this state. Furthermore, the normal waking constraints / rules / boundaries that our pre-frontal cortex governs lessens allowing our mind to break the usual paradigms … a reason why our dreams can be so wild at times. Consequently I keep pen and paper near my bed to record these fleeting “downloads” of creativity.

Art, in it’s many forms, is our spiritual progeny. Art is an expression of our being and extension of who we are. Our creative manifestations will outlive us and have a tangible effect in the future. Everything I create is my progeny. The will to create comes from the same energy as the will to procreate. The difference is I transmute that elemental energy into other outlets such as visual art and music.

You ask what it is like to having two artists as parents and how we all interact in the creation of our artwork. Let me first say that art by committee is fraught with difficulties. However, when the right minds come together, the synergy can create outstanding results. I strongly believe in the philosophy behind the phrase “Two Brains Are Better Than One” and this is evident in my creative interaction with my parents. My parents have been critical mentors in my creative career. Giving design and composition advice that take the art to the next level. Providing ideas that just click and take off. We are powerful brainstormers. Once again, this is part of the holistic approach I mentioned earlier. By having three people look at the same thing there will invariably be different perspectives — sometimes vastly contrasting — but by combining the best elements of these different perspectives you end up with an end result that is often superior than the original singular perspective. I must say that while we deeply consider one another’s opinion we must nonetheless stay authentic to what feels right in our individual art projects. In hearing critiques, some elements are helpful and constructive whereas others don’t feel right to what I had envisioned. Regardless, my creative manifestations are better as a result of the synergy that I have with my parents and creative muses.

Over the course of doing many art festivals and art shows, I have heard many comments from people. The most consistent thing people say about my art is that they have never seen anything like. That it is completely new and novel. This makes me extraordinary happy because I seek to be different. While there is no doubt I derive inspiration from many sources, I want my creative manifestations to be different than what anyone has ever experienced. That is part of the appeal of creating art … to alter people’s normal experience of reality; to give people a reason a detour from the linear path of normalcy and routine.

My art is diverse. When factoring all of my visual art, it ranges from flat paintings to large public sculptures; from colorful whimsical to patinaed contemporary; from perfectly finished to rough industrial. Exploration is essential for holistic inspiration. My current body of work rejects the concepts of perfection in favor of wabi sabi aesthetics. In other words, finding beauty in the imperfection and the incomplete. I try to leave fabrication marks, partially ground welds, oil-stick marks and natural entropy. By leaving these elements, the viewer can see the actual process of creation in the finished piece.