a blog by john-michael korpal
Sometimes… I need to step back and take a deep breath to try to put things in proper prespective. Being overly tired and over extended is never a good place to make decisions. So tonight the blog post is different.
It is my dream that I will allow the “Art” to help me focus on what is important and let the other stuff not affect me.
So tonight I offer you a modified smaller blog post so I can rest and start new again in the morning washing away the dust.
When moving forward into any new territory. There is always the potential for numerous thoughts and emotions to surface. Many that you were previously unaware that they existed… (Something similar to that of digging a hole in the ground to plant a tree and hitting a buried electrical wire.)
This is what I have been surrounded by for the last several weeks. I know that from my past that if I continue to do the same everyday that I have in the past I will not create opportunity for new change. That I will be forever stuck in a holding state, the limbo hell of the creative.
So in order to break this cycle. I must crawl out of the pre-assigned box that protected me and examine all that I have completed over the past year. Confronting a long list of questions to determine if there are different methods that I can utilize to help me move forward in my art career. All the information that I was able to obtain throughout the adventures of the last year is the fodder that will fuel my ideas for the future.
From this point on I must be willing to tear down, deconstructing everything. Selecting the most sustainable building material and combined with consulting a new blueprint, with better design features. I continue to build a newer version of “ME”.
I realize to most, this might not seem like that much of a big of deal, but as I am working through this I am realizing that it is a long process and it is not something that unfolds in a linear fashion.
For me it is very easy to determine what were the less than perfect choices and what were good ones, for me those had very clear set parameters. Where the confusion starts to build is when I have to determine the difference between good and the best choices. This is clearly one of the lessons I need to learn moving into the New Year.
But I know and I am willing to accept that this is one of many things I need to learn as I move forward.
So the journey continues…
Carefully balanced
Bright mystery box of blue
Silenced in my fear
gremlin |ˈgremlin|
noun informal
an imaginary mischievous sprite regarded as responsible for an unexplained problem or fault, esp. a mechanical or electronic one: a gremlin in my computer omitted a line.
• an unexplained problem or fault.
ORIGIN 1940s: perhaps suggested by goblin.
The Gremlin is the inner voice that questions and micro-manages all that you think and do. This is the voice that very quietly and methodically tells you:
This list continues depending on the day and the situation.
Please understand that the voice of the Gremlin is not completely malicious. The job of the Gremlin is to help protect us from doing things that may potential put us in the path of great harm.
This is where the conflict of the ever so present love/ hate relationship comes to full circle, filled with moments of protection and then quickly switching to overbearing, life-sucking suffocation of your creative energy.
The Gremlin is never further than a thought away and always willing to share his favorite self-doubting key phrases with you… but you must remember that the Gremlin gathers his energy by the amount of power you allow him. His strength is empowered by your fear-based doubts that you cling on to.
The Gremlin is your personal version of the voices of the Sirens that plagued Homer in the Odyssey. Listen not to their beautiful voices, as they will lull you to the land of deep sleep of self-doubt.
Unfortunately, we are paired with the Gremlin for life, there is no starving him or killing him off ~ But if you name him and acknowledge that he has no real power here, he will then believe you and recoil back into the dark shadows of your mind. He may possess great power but only if you hand it over to him.
So invite your Gremlin to play and make friends with him but never forget that his message is that of a worn out recording that no longer has power over you. Just thank your Gremlin for visiting and then ask him to leave because you have a ton of exciting things to explore!
So what name have you given your Gremlin?
Wishing you and yours a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving Day!
My wish is that your day is spent encircled by friends, family and loved ones. Filled with yummy food, good hearty laughs and many wonderful memories!
I am very grateful to have you all as my family of choice, friends and my creative companions sharing my journey though life.
Thank you for being you!
Namasté
John-Michael
The colder, dark days have caused me to pull into myself. Reflecting on my travels down my path as an artist. The things I have learned, the struggles the successes and the things that have yet to come full circle. Looking back over the year I am shocked at how quickly one project lead into another and then the next and before I knew it I am here at the end of 2013.
I must admit the one very humbling thing that I did learn is that even though I have considered myself an artist for many years… To the “art world” out there, I am just a beginner. Although, I acknowledge this and I have made peace with it. I also acknowledge that I have been able to gain massive strides this year with my work. Spending the last several weeks starting to plan out the year to facilitate moving forward in my art career. I have become painfully aware that I have a very busy and challenging year ahead of me.
So with that daunting goal set before me… I am asking my readers if they could help me reach one of my goals for 2014. I would greatly appreciate if there is something that you enjoyed, a blog post, painting or even a quote, if you would please share the link with your friends and family. One of the biggest goals I have for the next year is the increase the amounts of hits on my website and to increase the subscription rate of my blog. The Internet is a huge world and I am only a small speck within that. So with this in mind, I am trying to become the best nugget of glitter shiny speck so that I can share it with the world. The more you share my work …the more I am able to increase my online presence and the more I am able to grow as an artist.
I really enjoy it when I see that people have commented on a blog post or all the e-mails I receive, because it reminds me that my artwork and writings help make a connection between the world and my work in the studio. I like that it provides a door to open that allows an individual to look in and explore all there is to see.
So, please keep sharing the love!
You can also follow me here:
Part of the process of painting or actually any form of art is that it allows the artist the opportunity to step back and question what stands before them. (If he/she so choses to…)
Those questions for me are:
Why did I create this?
What does it mean to me?
In what ways have I grown as an artist in this creative process?
Where do I go from here… moving forward?
Why did I create this?
The first and last question are the same, it is not a typo. This is why my process tends to be more of a cycle. Because my first response in why I created a piece is rarely the same after answering all the other questions.
The one question that I have the most fun with is what have I learn during the process, I am often surprised at the list of things that I can come up with. I also find it interesting that as time passes those answers will change. Each piece has an entirely different list.
So in looking back at the 9 pieces that I created this year… I have learned many things.
Someday, I will sit down and make a list all the things that I have learned… Maybe that will be the manner that I end my blog year.
In the past three days I have been asked questions such as
What did you do last night?
What did you do over the weekend?
What have you been up to lately?
… my response has been the same each and every time.
“ I worked”
This is all good and such, but it seems the only answer I have anymore. I work a full time “day” job and when I get home I start the second or third part of my day with the art. I am forever trying to finish the last thing on my list before I fall into bed, only to wake up to return to the list of the never ending. I set goals… I reached the goals, but instead of stopping and being content. My thinking is that is I was able to reach that goal what if I pushed it and increased that goal to something higher. I am beginning to think I am the only personality “Type A” artist. It is exhausting for me…and for most who have to deal with me.
So today in the studio I had to do something different to break this cycle because I was losing touch with the fun element. So this morning I focused on some plans for the new years with potential shows and things that I would like to be able to achieve.
Then I stopped… and did the “Study in Moo” It was random and fun and something I could finish in an hour. I worked in acrylic so it would dry fast and I could just be in the moment and not have to wait for anything. It quickly reminded me why I like to work in oil, because blending and shading on this was very difficult for me. But I had fun. I created something that was not “work” I was not trying to learn something or have this be anything other than fun. This was done in total play and had no real direction.
I needed to be reminded of this today. To step back and breath and that it is good to have goals and deadlines. But I also need to schedule time to just have fun.
So the only thing I have to show for today is that I painted a cow and I had fun… and I am ok with that!
Study of Moo
Acrylic on Canvas
12in x 12in
I found this a couple days ago on Facebook and wanted to share…
The first three words that I spotted were:
1.) Amazing
2.) Cool
3.) Creative
I think I am ok with those…
So now it is your turn.
What are the first three words you see in the image below? Post them in the comment section below.
I am looking forward to seeing how this unfolds!
Leaves transform: red, yellow and orange.
Winds become crisp with the echoes of
crunching leaves underfoot.
Looking back over my shoulder as
I glance back to days gone by.
Observing my past hopes and dreams…
some fulfilled others lay scattered among the fallen leaves.
The gentle sunlight warming my skin
as the season comes to a silent closure.
Days become fleeting as the darkness
quietly plunders and steals from the day.
I pull in to shelter and protect
feeling the cold air scorching my exposed skin.
Pulling in to become tiny and small as to hide.
