Blog: The Struggle of the Seedling aka Creating Creation

Featured image: New Life

So many birds are singing to me this morning. It is so nice to have them in the woods. It is so nice to enjoy my coffee listening to their natural song. They have no idea there is a virus - they just go about their daily activities.

Whenever my heart is heavy I seem to return to nature. I think of the big pine in my back yard weathering all kinds of storms and still standing, creating along the way. I think of the small seedling attempting to become a big pine on the forest bed. Nature brings me back to the idea of creation and creating. 

Big Pine Tree and Chickadee by Christine Alfery

Researching art history one can see this pattern of creation. Some things were created, like the seedling, but didn’t survive while others did. Artists, ideas, movements, techniques, styles, theories – some survived to create the story of art history and some were simply lost. 

I return to today and think about the seedlings that are being planted. I think about how the larger galleries and auction houses, like the big pine weathering the storm, have commodified art. They have “designed” how art will be understood within our culture, and in doing so, they have taken away from creativity. As we all struggle to create and grow in the current art playground, it seems this moment is over powered by design and not creativity.

I personally don’t see small galleries and emerging artists being able to come back after this current world wide crises. Everything has come to a halt. Everything is shut down. Many small galleries are just shutting their doors forever. Many artists will never be exhibited. When this is over, many will never return – normal will not be the same. My biggest fear is the loss of creativity, of creation within our culture.

Art’s struggle to survive is hampered even further because many do not consider art to be “essential” or “necessary” - and now is not the time to worry about unnecessary things. Many believe art does not supply a basic need – adding to the struggle of the seedling. But I wonder, does art not serve a basic need? Is it not a necessity? 

Does art not serve a basic need? Is it not a necessity?

What is a basic need? Art is something we create. Are they saying, we don’t need creativity within our culture? Art isn’t something designed. Design has rules, calculations. Art is all about creativity.

Without creativity we wouldn’t have entrepreneurs.

Without creativity we wouldn’t have new ideas.

Without creativity nothing would be unique.

Without creativity there would be no imagination.

Without creativity our senses would not be stimulated.

Without creativity we wouldn’t have personal expression.

If everything is just design, if there is no creativity in anything - no exploring, no thinking differently, no discovering - we won’t have new ideas in math, science, literature, music. New ideas are at the heart of the creative spirit – at the heart of who we are as a culture, as a species. It is a basic need. 

oh dear oh dear – perhaps I should go put a fence around that little creative seedling. How can I protect it from this storm? 

I really don’t have an answer for that – except – for me art has always been about creating, creation, creativity so that is what I will do. As I think about the painting I am working on – I think about the work becoming, I think of helping the seedling survive, I think about creation and creativity. The two join and bring to the world something new – and the world needs that, perhaps now more than ever.