Connect!

Follow

Monday, December 10, 2012

Guest Artist Blogger: Taylor Swank



So I am super excited that my cousin Taylor is going to be guest blogging about her recent artwork.
Taylor is a freshman at the Kansas City Art Institute and is seriously one of the oldest souls I have ever met.  She is one of those people in my life that I wish ALL of my friends could meet.  So today, my gift to you is Taylor Swank via this blog and her funky flaired artist self!  
Taylor has her own art blog that you can look at here.

TAYLOR: So I have been thinking about the way that I make art, and I can't really say there is a specific process. Usually my first reason for doing anything at all is to be productive, because being bored is the worst. It's hard to say what stimulates a desire to begin a project. It could be a book, an idea, a piece of music -anything to keep me from sitting on my ass. 



One time in the winter of 2010 I watched this documentary about Damon Albarn, and it was during a time when I was very sad. He is constantly writing and composing and producing. I saw how fulfilled it made him. I realized that even if I wasn't going to be happy, I could still do other things. I decided I should continue spending my time making art rather than sit around and feel sorry for myself. 




I made art when I was a kid because it was easy and it made me feel good. It was something I had a knack for like some of my friends had for math or sports. I made art in high school because it was an escape, and then I wanted to get rid of it. I wanted to be rid of art for good, and I spent a good chunk of time convincing myself I wasn't talented. Now I am a freshman at KCAI, and I've let art become much more of an intellectual exorcise at this point for myself. I make art now because it's constructive for me as a person. It's good for my brain. Art causes me to think about things. It makes me consider why I think the way I think. For me, making art is a process of deconstruction and then I see how everything is put back together. 



Art has always been a part of my life as long as I can recall. I've gone through periods where I can't stand. I swear to let it go and never come back to it; however, these sabbaticals never last. I know it's something that's part of me and I have to recognize that. 



This is my blog I had to keep for my first semester at art school. I believe it is a good look at how I handle the process of creating a piece at this juncture in my career.


No comments: