What a great week! Heading back to work is always difficult but always a blessing just the same. I spent much of the break researching how to help kids get excited about learning in general. It has been a frustration that most students just are not interested in school and do the minimum just to get by. I am talking about as a whole, there are certainly the outliers who go full bore and put everything into it. I was on a search for how to inspire the average student. Not sure we got there but it is certainly an improvement.
For the home studio, lots of projects going on. The 100 Days of Art Challenge is rough. As I mentioned before I am in the studio everyday, or at least working on something creative everyday but posting about it is where the bottle neck is.
Here is one video from last week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_hFwjY6DPI
In this weeks Rogue Artist Bulletin:
1-Quantity versus quality
2-The Kaizen Philosophy
3-Cy Teh: Instagram
4- How to design realist room interiors with Midjourney to feature your art In Situ.
5- 4 Simple ChatGPT prompts that I use to enhance learning.
One of the changes I am embracing in my creative life this year is the whole quantity versus quality thing. The majority of my time in the studio I am working on making the best piece possible. While there is merit there for sure, I think that I can improve just as much and likely more by focusing on the amount of work I get done and staying committed to that. Even more time in play and process and less time "working" on trying to make a piece amazing. One of my favorite parables about creative work comes from David Bayles and Ted Orland’s book, Art & Fear:
"A ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced, all those on the right solely on its quality. His procedure was simple: on the final day of class he would bring in his bathroom scales and weigh the work of the "quantity" group: fifty pound of pots rated an "A", forty pounds a "B", and so on. Those being graded on "quality", however, needed to produce only one pot — albeit a perfect one — to get an "A". Well, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the "quantity" group was busily churning out piles of work – and learning from their mistakes — the "quality" group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay."
As a photographer for over four decades, I have seen the parable before. I have been a big fan of Jerry Uelsmann forever. I used to try and emulate his layering techniques in the darkroom before Photoshop emerged on the scene. Jerry taught at the University of Florida and was the originator of this experiment as told by James Clear in Atomic Habits.
"ON THE FIRST day of class, Jerry Uelsmann, a professor at the University of Florida, divided his film photography students into two groups.
Everyone on the left side of the classroom, he explained, would be in the "quantity" group. They would be graded solely on the amount of work they produced. On the final day of class, he would tally the number of photos submitted by each student. One hundred photos would rate an A, ninety photos a B, eighty photos a C, and so on.
Meanwhile, everyone on the right side of the room would be in the "quality" group. They would be graded only on the excellence of their work. They would only need to produce one photo during the semester, but to get an A, it had to be a nearly perfect image.
At the end of the term, he was surprised to find that all the best photos were produced by the quantity group. During the semester, these students were busy taking photos, experimenting with composition and lighting, testing out various methods in the darkroom, and learning from their mistakes. In the process of creating hundreds of photos, they honed their skills. Meanwhile, the quality group sat around speculating about perfection. In the end, they had little to show for their efforts other than unverified theories and one mediocre photo."
While I always seem to get quite a bit of worked produced when I look at my fine art pieces it is not near as much in a year as it seems. So, this year....more, much more.
With focusing on quantity, I am a tad worried that the quality of my work will go down. I am moving forward with quantity but am embracing the philosophy of Kaizen. If you are not familiar with Kaizen take a peek below.
Image source: Midjourney
Embracing Kaizen: A Journey of Continuous Improvement for Mixed Media Artists
In our ever-evolving world of mixed media art, we are constantly seeking ways to refine our craft and enhance our personal creative expression. One concept that can offer some great insights into this journey is 'Kaizen,' a Japanese philosophy that emphasizes continuous improvement in all aspects of life. How can it be a guiding principle for mixed media artists? Check it out.
Kaizen, a term that combines two Japanese words, 'Kai' (change) and 'Zen' (good), was developed in Japan post-World War II. Initially a business philosophy, it was widely adopted in manufacturing and business processes, notably by companies like Toyota. The core principle of Kaizen is the belief that everything can be improved and that small, incremental changes routinely applied and sustained over a long period can lead to significant improvements. As a life-long learner, this is perfect.
For me as a mixed media artist, embracing Kaizen means adopting a mindset of continual growth and development in my artistic journey. Here’s how Kaizen looks for me within the context and goal of living my most creative life:
- Small Steps Lead to Big Changes: Kaizen teaches that small, consistent improvements are more effective than large, sporadic changes. For me, it means dedicating time each day to practice, experimenting with new techniques, or exploring different materials. Over time, these small steps can lead to a significant evolution in style and skill. Check.
- Embracing Mistakes as Opportunities: In Kaizen, mistakes are viewed not as failures but as valuable opportunities for learning and growth. For artists, this perspective is liberating. Each misstep in a project becomes a chance to learn something new about your medium, technique, or personal style. Check.
- Process Over Product: While the end product is important, Kaizen emphasizes the value of the process. For us as fusion artists, this means focusing on the experience of creating art – the experimentation with textures, colors, and materials – and not just on the finished piece. This approach can lead to more innovative and authentic art. Check.
- Collaboration and Learning: Kaizen encourages learning from others and working collaboratively. We can apply this by participating in community workshops, sharing techniques with fellow artists, and being open to feedback. This collaborative spirit fosters a supportive art community and personal growth. Partial check. I spend a small fortune in education each year. The collaboration side is where I can certainly improve. As an introvert, this is more of a challenge than almost everything else in my life.
- Continuous Learning: My personal journey of an artist is one of lifelong learning. Kaizen inspires artists to continually seek new knowledge, whether through formal education, self-study, or exploration of other art forms. This continuous learning keeps our work fresh and relevant. Check.
Image source: Cy Teh
Cy Teh: Instagram
If you have not seen the work of Cy you should definitely check it out. He combines his pencil work, marks and scribbles with images made from AI. I have been trying to get in touch with Cy for an interview with no success yet. I will keep trying. I am interested in talking with him, in the mean-time, stalk his instagram channel for a great dose of fused art.
Image source: Cy Teh
How to design realistic room interiors with Midjourney to feature your art In Situ.
Image source: Midjourney
Midjourney has become incredibly adept at generating realistic interior spaces thanks to its extensive real estate image training. I have found this to be a great time savings. Start with a simple prompt, you can visualize custom room designs in seconds. Obviously, you can customize your output to your target market. In what type of home does your art hang? Here is a simple place to start.
- Open Midjourney and type /imagine.
- Simple prompts work great — include any specific details of the room you’d like to create.
- Prompt example above...not simple but worked ok: "Visualize an elegant and cozy mountain home living room, designed with a harmonious blend of rustic charm and contemporary style. The room features a grand fireplace made of natural stone, serving as the centerpiece. Above the fireplace, include a large, prominent placeholder for a piece of contemporary abstract wildlife art. This placeholder should be well-lit, drawing attention and complementing the room's luxurious yet nature-inspired ambiance. The decor around the room reflects a love for the outdoors, with natural materials and earthy tones, catering to clients who appreciate wildlife and own serene mountain properties or ranches --s 50 --v 6.0"
- Tweak, remix, and vary the output as needed. This is a great way to market your work, especially if you market online.
Image source: Midjourney
4 Simple ChatGPT prompts that I use to enhance learning:
1-Accelerate your learning with summaries Prompt: "Condense this text into a maximum of 600 words. Craft a bullet point list highlighting key learnings, with a brief summary that captures the essence of each point." [Insert text]
2- Skill mastery Prompt: "Craft a 30-day beginner’s plan for mastering [insert skill] from scratch. Provide a structured roadmap, including resources, exercises and milestones to guide me.
3- Harness the 80/20 (Pareto principle) learning technique Prompt: "I want to learn about [insert topic]. Identify and provide the key 20% insights that will help me understand 80% of this subject matter."
4-Learn at lightning speed with a personalized tutor. Prompt: "Test my knowledge on [insert topic] with probing questions. Identify gaps in my answers and provide improved responses to enhance my understanding."
That brings us to an end of this weeks bulletin. If you would like me to curate something in particular, send me a note. I am a research fanatic and love ferreting out information that pertains to the creative.
If you are not subscribed to my YouTube channel you can see it here. Join us on The Rogue artist Brigade on FB. Have a great week!
Cheerio!
TimO
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2024 EVERYONE!