OPINIONS
YOU CA NT RUSH ART written by KATIE MILLER illustrated by WHITNEY CHILDERS
SCAN MAGAZINE // FALL 2016
Being students of art, we understand that the creative
creative mental vault and leave us grasping for a good
process is moody, messy and unpredictable. It is an
idea to run with because well, we can’t show up to class
organic and free flowing experience that often has a mind
empty handed. Our only option at this point is to make
of its own. Creative plans can fall apart without warning
the most of the idea we have and put everything we’ve
and great ideas don’t always come when summoned.
got into it.
Sometimes, in the case of the art student working under strict time limits, inspiration comes too late. It’s the classic case of
CREATING ART FOLLOWS THE SAME ORGANIC PROCESS AS NATURE. NATURE TAKES ITS TIME AND ISN’T ON ANYONE’S SCHEDULE.
turning in what we see as a
We are always in such a time crunch. Creativity suddenly turns into the business of meeting deadlines and getting good grades. We gain skills to produce high-quality portfolios but we
less-than-stellar project because we thought of something
don’t have the luxury to mull over our ideas or change
far more interesting long after it’s been graded. It can
our minds because we have “x” amount of days to
feel like all the creative ideas we’ve wanted to explore
execute them. So instead we may settle for small ideas
finally have their chance, but somehow they all manage
or the first one that pops in our head because they are
to escape us when they’re needed. Or rather we realize
the most practical given a certain time frame we have
they’re much bigger than we anticipated, requiring much
to actually create something. Talk about pressure. This
more time to execute that would surpass the due date.
pressure is unnatural and completely goes against the
The pressure to produce something can freeze our
artist’s process as it should be.