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artistic pretentions
Aug. 7th, 2004 03:19 pmOK, so four weeks ago I had something weird happen - as I was driving to class through the early morning mist and fog in the mountains, four poems and seven paintings just kind of came to me. So relentlessly that I jotted them down. And although I kind of tried to forget the paintings, I haven't been able to.
See, I play with words. I always have. Whether I suck or not, it's what I do. I do not draw. I do not take photographs. I do not paint. I do not work in two dimensions.
Occasionally, I have done figure sculpture, belly danced, made various historical and fanciful costumes, messed about in the kitchen with both food and toxic chemicals (for soap and shampoo and other bath and body products). But I have never made anything flat.
I've woken up dreaming about painting for the last three days in a row. So today I went out and bought an easel, 14 acrylic paints, 5 brushes, a palette, painting and palette knives, some painting-paper, and two canvases. For just under $200.
On one hand, I'm terrified of even beginning. On the other, I'm almost as full of adrenaline as I was when I got my tattoo. I'm excited and scared and kind of nauseous and giddy.
I'm kind of scared that I've been reading too much fanfic; who do I think I am, Viggo? But then again... why not try it? If the paintings suck, if I'm not happy with the results, at least I can stop dreaming about it, yeah?
Does the dorky thing that inspired you to try something new really matter more than the fact that you're actually trying something new?
Isn't that pretty directly related to the whole "it's just fanfiction; it's not really writing" argument? That if you were any good at it, you would be writing "for reals"?
And aren't those all really dumb arguments that just keep people from doing things they enjoy, for no good reason? Fuck that. Life's too short. :D
See, I play with words. I always have. Whether I suck or not, it's what I do. I do not draw. I do not take photographs. I do not paint. I do not work in two dimensions.
Occasionally, I have done figure sculpture, belly danced, made various historical and fanciful costumes, messed about in the kitchen with both food and toxic chemicals (for soap and shampoo and other bath and body products). But I have never made anything flat.
I've woken up dreaming about painting for the last three days in a row. So today I went out and bought an easel, 14 acrylic paints, 5 brushes, a palette, painting and palette knives, some painting-paper, and two canvases. For just under $200.
On one hand, I'm terrified of even beginning. On the other, I'm almost as full of adrenaline as I was when I got my tattoo. I'm excited and scared and kind of nauseous and giddy.
I'm kind of scared that I've been reading too much fanfic; who do I think I am, Viggo? But then again... why not try it? If the paintings suck, if I'm not happy with the results, at least I can stop dreaming about it, yeah?
Does the dorky thing that inspired you to try something new really matter more than the fact that you're actually trying something new?
Isn't that pretty directly related to the whole "it's just fanfiction; it's not really writing" argument? That if you were any good at it, you would be writing "for reals"?
And aren't those all really dumb arguments that just keep people from doing things they enjoy, for no good reason? Fuck that. Life's too short. :D
