Charlene Potter is an Environmental Artist. She believes art is a powerful tool we can use in our daily lives. Through the creative processes of art Charlene believes we can problem solve, channel emotions, aid in personal healing and cure apathy. Through the creative thinking process of art, new solutions for past problems often reveal themselves. Inventions are created, and new uses for existing safe products and gadgets are found. How can this be?
You may have heard the phrase "an ounce of prevention." Replace the word "prevention" with "creativity". In just one day of our lives we use creative thinking several times, and don't realize we are in the creative thinking process. Is this just problem solving or is it creative thinking? If we begin to work in art on a regular basis our creative thinking process becomes fluid-on going and natural. Problem solving can be defined as: the area of cognitive psychology that studies the processes involved in solving problems. Problem solving and creative thinking can be taught without using art. However, from an artist's point of view, using art is a natural way to teach creative thinking. With creative thinking of art we can begin to use creativity, and thinking outside the box, in order to solve problems.
Technology and the Use of Creativity
Charlene is not a technological expert. Today's technology is wonderful for what it does for our daily lives and all that it does for different fields of study and practice-- especially so in the practice of medicine. But without human creativity, how much would technology be able to accomplish? If we do not teach the creative processes of art how will creativity continue to grow?
Creative psyches need to be nurtured so the learner will be able to tap into their own creativity very quickly and naturally. We cannot expect technology to think for us. This type of technology is not far off, if not here already. For this moment in time, we are still in control. Most jobs in the current market place do not include the direct use of human hands to accomplish a final product. How can individuals experience feelings of accomplishment if they do not have a balance in their lives of work in technology and the work of using their hands to accomplish a task? If youth are not taught to use their hands to create, to sew, to cook from scratch, to invent-- they begin life without basic daily living tools. There needs to be an increase in awareness and acceptance regarding the inherent worth of all different types of work. Without this acceptance and awareness, how can an individual believe they are a success?
Apathy and Creativity
In today's society we see more and more people experiencing apathy. Apathy can be defined as: an absence of emotion or enthusiasm. If we are experiencing apathy as a society, then we begin to ask the reason why. Here in the United States most people live with so much more than their parents and grandparents. Charlene remembers how much less she had growing up on the farm and how much more her mother and grandmothers used their hands in creating quilts, a garment sewn, crocheted table cloths, and handkerchief edgings. Everyone contributed to the effort of living. Everyone contributed in creating beauty around us. Everyone recycled, because her parents had gone through the depression. Charlene's parents repaired almost everything themselves. If they could not repair something, a neighbor was brought in that could do the repair and a barter of labor was created. In this way, all family members experienced work with their own hands and understood its value.
Charlene's family created useful art for daily use. Charlene remembers family art created as a garment that was cut and sewn, a table made, a box built, or a garden grown. There is a feeling of accomplishment after one of these creative tasks is completed. A pattern may have been used to sew and create a garment, but with the use of the creative thinking process the pattern is usually embellished.
When a person is in the creative process they have no emotions, because they are focused on creating. Charlene believes if a person uses the creative process several times per day, even if they have stress and problems in their lives, the use of working in the creative process channels the negative emotions until the emotions are lessened.
Increasing World Population and the Creative Thinking of Art
With the increasing world population, there are increasing problems that need solutions. There are some old problems, some new problems, and some unknown problems yet to be realized. Through the creative thinking of art, we can help solve these problems by inventing, creating, and educating. People will learn to better use the creative thinking of art just to maintain their lives.
Art uplifts a person from the very depths of depression to heights of a hope, a usable process, and a realization that all things are not negative. Humans need art in their lives more now than at any other time period in history. If we as a society uphold art and make it the norm rather than the exception, Charlene believes there will be a reduction of apathy in our lives. More creativity means the possibility of hope for the future, hope of new inventions, alternative fuels, and past problems solved. Through the creative thinking of art, there will be more ideas on how to build sustainable community.
Indeed, art is a tool in our daily lives, and the discussion continues...
No comments:
Post a Comment