RE: Creativity and originality : The myth of pulling it out of thin air
Hurray! .. I wish more people could realise what you've talked about here... I actually saw a cartoon on my Facebook feed recently relevant to this... Lemme go find it and screenshot it here:
... So yes, I agree with you 100% .. Genetics might play a role in having a certain predisposition to learning to draw/paint a bit easier than others... I'm sure there are several genetic markers than can help/interfere with artistic ability, but 90% of getting good at what you do is hard work practice, for sure.
With the stuff I do, I feel your second point quite acutely: With fractal art, it can be relatively easy to throw some random numbers into a program and produce something pretty to look at... So I've always tried to create distinctly unique work, especially for my Fine Art gallery.
And coming up with original ideas takes practice too, I believe... A certain training of the brain is necessary to recognise creative opportunities when they come.
I actually saw this webcomic on facebook and shared it on all of my social medias ! I relate to it so much.
Those who see art as a mysterious thing and who understand too often think it's just something you have or you don't have and doesn't depend on the artist's effort and willpower to achieve what he wants to do.
What I find even sadder is when this mentality affects young artists too who get pressured or discouraged thinking they don't have the "talent" to pursue their passion for art and/or expect to be good at it right away because in their mind it's not about all the practice and work but about something mystical artists have. Every carrier and piece of art is a long journey but people only see the end results and say "wow" or "i don't get it" or "i could've done that"...
It's hard for people who don't practice some form of art to understand but I wish artists and aspiring artists took the time to reflect on the way they perceive art. It being theirs as well as others.
I know exactly what you're saying with the young ones. I'm a teacher and see it often, and not only with artistic ability... It's the same with intelligence. The think it is a matter of, you either have it or you don't, and so when they're having difficulty in a subject, they end up never getting better because they think they simply weren't born capable of understanding it.
This is why I always tell parents not to praise their children by saying "Wow, you're such a clever boy!" ... and instead emphasise the work that went into it... "Wow! .. You worked so hard on that! Well done!" in order to foster the truth that you can get good at almost anything if you just dedicate yourself a bit.
What a great minset to teach in. I'm glad there are people like you teaching young minds !