Intensity's Overflow

A good friend of mine asked me to comment on the following quote:

Imagination and artistic passion must stem or at least be easier to retrieve from our subconscious mind. The subconscious mind contains the runoff of emotions that are so passionate that although our brain produces them, they are inappropriate to express within normal social limitations. Perhaps the brains of true creative geniuses produce more emotions than most individuals or they merely suppress more emotions. However these so called geniuses definitely do have the gift of expressing these emotions. --"Creativity, the Subconscious, and Daydreaming" by Melissa Hoba 

I've often thought about why some people are driven to art. And I've thought about why art has permeated the culture like it has since the dawn of humankind. There's something about it that just can't be ignored or expunged. Artists will make art whether they make a living from it or not. Funny that the media can change (digital/ high tech) and the definition of art can change (ranging from traditional, modern, contemporary, to allographic), but the way in which it functions within the human psyche is still the same.

Yes, CREATIVITY: poetry, visual art, music, dance, are definitely a "spilling over" of the emotional experience-- it's the avenue for us to express that for which we have no words.  Our human experience is unique for each individual, yet, there's something similar in the way we function as humans that allows us to use art as a medium to reach any other person(s) as our audience. I think, for some, art may be sought and valued in the same way others might seek a religious or experience. Some would say that that experience (whatever that may be) is our connection to the sublime and allows us to contemplate our existence as something which has more value than just material consequence. Art imparts meaning, an inter-connection with others, and deepens our definition of what it means to live as a human.  It's quite a unique thing.

Additionally, I think every human being possesses the capability to create art and to be creative, so in the above quote, the word "genius" bothers me. Since art is the spilling over of similar emotions that we humans mainly seem to share, it is possible to for everyone to express themselves-- especially in this day and age where leisure time for such pursuits is more common. However, as it is with all things human, because some feel more intensely than others, some will be driven more than others to make art, so not all humans will make art. All can, however, think creatively, or be encouraged to do so, and it can be taught. 

Art also gives us a space to express taboo subjects. It's a perfect way to live vicariously through the characters which "speak" within a story.  This "make believe" place has been-- and remains-- the one place by which people can express that which oppresses them when they have no other psychic outlet. It's a safety release valve for society-- people can see themselves "doing" and "being" that which is currently impossible. It's a way to dream the future into being. It's a way to seek redress for injustice where no justice currently exists.  In other words, if your life experience is full of pain and anger based upon real social or personal injustice, your art is a way to create another virtual reality in which you can escape to live within a facsimile of normalcy. This other function of art that allows us to imagine other realities makes me wonder if the current rash of violence in our world could be channeled and defused if art as a serious subject was again available in all schools. Just a thought. (Of course, not all artists use their art to release negative emotions-- some use it to express joy and love, curiosity and fascination about the world, etc.)

As an educator, teaching students how to think creatively is my main pursuit. The strategies of drawing include far more than just the way paint and color functions, or how line and mark is applied; there's an entire philosophy of Being to take into consideration. We can encourage our students to think about their own unique stories and draw upon them for inspiration. We can encourage them to think beyond the literal image-- to pull from their subconscious-- that mark, that gesture, that symbol, that color, which imparts meaning to the image beyond merely recording. The sharing of our experiences and emotions through Art is the glue that holds society together-- it's a tenuous prospect....