I’ll start with a caveat: Be cautious regarding advice on how to cope during a global pandemic. Unless the individual lived through the 1918 Spanish flu, he or she has as much experience with the current situation as you or I. That said, some advice out there is not only misleading but possibly dangerous. I’m …
Tag: Art
Why I am Obsessed with Artists
"Patrick, why are you so obsessed with artists and their creativity?" I've been asked that question a fair amount during my years as an artist's advocate and a creativity and writing instructor. There is no simple answer to that question, but if the top five answers were on the board, one of them likely would …
When Did You First Embrace Your Creativity?
There were many commonalities I found among the creatives I interviewed during my 2010 cross-country U.S. trip. One was that my interview subjects all discovered their own creative side at a very early age. Fortunately for them--and for us--they held on to that creativity, and didn't let the "I can't" and "I don't" forces of …
Continue reading When Did You First Embrace Your Creativity?
Our Art-Committed Ancestors
A serious artist always ensures her paint and tools are properly cared for. It seems an artist 100,000 years ago took enough care to allow us to study those tools today. This morning I learned of a new report in the journal Science of preserved art supplies found in a South African cave. They date …
Putting Creatives in a Box
Left-brain, right-brain. Introvert, extrovert. Soloist, collaborator. The literature on creativity is rife with categories. Call me allergic to categorization, after spending the last quarter-century resisting that fate here in Washington, D.C., where it's assumed everyone has some sort of label that defines you. (Sorry, I don't.)I interviewed several dozen creatives on a cross-country U.S. road …
Creativity Tweets of the Week – 9/9/11
Is there an air freshener on the market powerful enough to change the fact that my neighborhood smells like a wet dog? In the last four days we here in the D.C. area have received rainfall that would cause Noah to wet his pants. I'm not sure I experienced that much rain cumulatively in my …
Embracing an Art-Committed Life
While away at my MFA residency I'm highlighting posts from early in this blog's life, posts not seen by most current readers of the Artist's Road blog. What does it mean to be creative? How does that relate to living an art-committed life? "Living an Art-Committed Life," November 1, 2010
Creativity and Originality
While away at my MFA residency I'm highlighting posts from early in this blog's life, posts not seen by most current readers of the Artist's Road blog. What does it mean to be original with your art? Can you truly be original when you follow the wisdom of those who preceded you? "Are You Original?" …
Traveling the Artist’s Road
What a delight! Liz Massey of Creative Liberty has interviewed me in a podcast, where she asks me about my return to an art-committed life, inspired by my cross-country U.S. road trip. Liz has a great web site, full of valuable resources on creativity, and it was great fun being interviewed by her. I wish …
Creativity Tweets of the Week — 5/20/11
I can't get a clear answer on what is going to happen after May 21st, Judgment Day. Assuming I am not one of the Saved, do I go down below? Do I cease to exist? Do I wander a post-apocalyptic Earth like Mad Max? All I know is, whether you're going up, down, or staying …
The Artist's Road 