Ask most artists why they create art and you will find that their answer is often that they do not have the option to not create art. It is as much a part of their livelihood as breathing.
There is often a mutual dialog that is expressed between the art and the artist informing each of the existence of the other. This is a dialog that can be express in many different mediums and forms. The transformation begins as the artist is allowed to explore the process of art and its creation in greater depth. This is rarely done without conflict and struggle because the creation of art often causes the artist to have to explore the dark crevasses of their soul and past to find the kernel of truth in the work they are to create. It is this process that allows the artwork to have soul.
The artist mind does not always proceed in a linear fashion because the focused is more conceptual then that of a tangible concrete object. The artist is forced to rethink and sometimes refuse what seemed correct in the beginning. This presents a way of working towards such alternatives to create the art that has the capacity to inform. When the creative process travels through natural and organic pathways it allows the art and artist to be transformed, as the journey is revealed.
This process allows the artwork to become larger than the artist because when the art is given the opportunity to grow and develop independently from the artist. The art can mature into something more than the artist could have ever imagined. This is why it is easier for an artist to work with concepts because there is more room for interpretation and free expression. Using all the senses to express what is seen, smelled, tasted, and heard as well what is felt.
Creating art is like raising a teenager. You try to teach and educate to the best of your ability and knowledge. But there comes the point that you need to step back and allow the wings to spread and dry preparing for the first flight. You are left with nothing but perhaps the sudden feeling of emptiness or void and the delight of expression of the art form.
Some artists enjoy explaining what their creative process is and what the artwork represents to them. Some prefer to allow that internal dialog to remain a secret and allow the viewer to use their past personal experiences to reveal their own perception of what the artwork means to them.
In that moment the art has become even larger and has the ability to also transform the viewer.
Well observed!