Is art making really just problem solving?
This week I was trying to solve a problem with my iPhone…a pain problem. Yes! I could do a bit less scrolling . But the truth is, Instagram and Facebook are the place I share my art and where people genuinely engage with it. How lucky I am to live in a time when an artist doesn’t need to rely on the tricky approval of galleries and that my art can be viewed by people of all geographic and social backgrounds. Just last month one of my breastplates sold and shipped to a collector in Tasmania. What a thrill that my work is beginning to have adventures in places I only dream of visiting.
But back to my iPhone problem…my hands are often very painful (with the Lyme) and I also have a lot of expectations fornmy phone case: holding money & ID, standing up on a table and most importantly not increasing my hand pain. I kept looking for a case with wallet, finger ring AND multi finger loop, for when I’m doing a lot of video editing for my posts. I just couldn’t find this on the market.
But yesterday I suddenly an idea flash to mind….could I myself add a stretchy loop through the exterior wallet openings? Then I remembered how my mama raised me to reclaim elastic from the waistband of worn out pants. It’s often still in great condition and I have a ziplock bag full of it! Even black pieces that beautifully match my phone case!
Very excited I to share it, I quickly shoved the stained glass shards on my studio table aside so I could record the process. And holy heck did I feel my mom’s presence from the beyond as I giggled my way to a solution. It worked beautifully. Want to make your own phone, finger strap? (See how I did it here)!
And today I’m reflecting on how much I love solving little problems like this. It feels just like when I’m trying to make my art. I have an idea that rises up and from there it’s all about manifesting ways to bring it to life. Maybe all of life’s problems are just prompts for me to dive into the creative realm and allow possible solutions to bubble up. I wonder if I can begin to fear less of life’s problems and use my light hearted connection with the creative realm to solve my most troubling problems. I’ll let you know how it’s going as I give it a try.
Are you creatively energized when facing problems? D’you have ways of working with the fear about the problem. I’d love to learn how creatively respond when facing the big problems we’re seeing in the world these days. I have a sense that the way through these troubling times is by turning towards creativity and intuition instead of intellect and fear.