Diving Deep For Meaning

Most artists spend their lifetime developing depth in their work. Arguably, it's what art is - to question, to find new ways of looking at the world, to dive deep. By working deeply, we tap into this unique place where we begin to make sense of the world and find meaning.

Meaning is an abstract concept; Our life experiences, religion, language, culture, environment, and the people around us guide our understanding and interpretation of it. Each of us may have a different definition in mind of what makes something meaningful.

In coaching, one of the many places we begin to understand meaning is by identifying values - i.e. what really matters to you. To explore this in-depth, I may ask you to elucidate your worldview, to understand how this affects your choices and relationships, and hence clarify your values

In the creative process, curiosity plays an important activity in our search for meaning. There are big questions to ask like; What is it? Why is it? How is it? What is the essence? What is me in it?

A client of mine, AW found her niche, painting murals of local sceneries, of wildlife, seaside, and lighthouses on ceramic tiles. After years of building a lucrative business selling her art, she realized she no longer found her work satisfying or fulfilling. It felt shallow and lacked meaning. What was the point of it all?

We set out on a series of exercises focused on her answering one simple question: "What would bring more meaning into my creative work and how do I incorporate it into my daily life?"

Not long after, I received an email from an old friend and fellow artist, David Lewis. With his permission, I am sharing it with you:

"A lighthouse in Maine must be built to withstand gale winds and waves, blizzards and ice, corrosive salt and glaring sun, everything this climate can throw at it in its typically exposed location. The warning lights, bells, horns, and the mariners depending upon them, are all lost should the basic building fail. Most here have stood for a century, and a few for two. They are not only marvels of architecture, but also stirring metaphors of human survival under adversity. That is why my lighthouses don’t look like the picnic-on-the-point backdrop artists often depict.

Not long after moving back to Maine, I began this lighthouse drawing series. The first here is Spring Point Ledge in South Portland, done in my Scarborough studio. Often erected on rocky promontories (this one at the end of a stone-bloke seawall, virtually surrounded by water), lighthouses are all the more exposed to erosion as sea levels rise. The versatile drawing materials here extend to become a storm of corrosive forces, against which the building seems both to stand and to wear away.

Often as a series develops, I move in closer to my subject in the later drawings, as this view of Portland Head Light’s Lantern and Watch Rooms. White panels on the landward side of the Lantern Room keep the light directed seaward rather than disturbing the sleep of its nearby residents.

Most lighthouses are crowned with a lightning rod and ball vent, and the proportions of the cap at Pemaquid Point Lighthouse are especially beautiful. In fact, this close-up has started to lose the Lantern Room in favour of the roof, where the building breathes and feels for lightning.

Losing yet more of the Lantern Room, the lightning rod and ball vent are this time set against an abnormally high horizon. The result can be slightly disorienting, as befits a view from this height.

With the focus clearly on the ball vent, it makes sense to include the ring of breather holes at its base. (Look closely at the bottom of the orb.) The Lantern Room’s wraparound windows and high-intensity light source can generate a lot of heat in a small place.

This more gentle presentation is an ode to the form, up among the breezes where this heat is released."

David Lewis is retired, having taught at Hampden-Sydney College in Virgina for over 30 years. He now lives in a seaside town in Maine where he is happily painting. He has been nationally exhibited and published. David uses a unique process in his drawings that he developed in graduate school and named "wax-resist", since part of it involves using wax to resist ink and charcoal washes.

His whole list of ingredients includes:

• A Pencil,

• Indian Ink (washes),

• Compressed charcoal, and

• Conté on paper

His process has been written up a couple of times in American Artist Drawing Magazine.

David has inspired students and artist for years, just as he has inspired me with his thoughts and process - no less his art.

I believe in synchronicity.

In the work with AW she arrived at a very similar insight to David's about how to bring more life and meaning into her work - to pay attention to the details. The lesson is about paying attention; to truly understand, feel and connect with the work - dive deep.

She spent the next few weeks exploring her landscape scenes, creating sketches and new tiles which focused on the detail of her landscapes. Her work came alive in a way that she had not experienced for a long time. Immediately, she noticed a difference in the energy she brought into her work and found herself falling in love with her art and craft again.

Meaning can be found in the smallest of spaces. Sometimes, you just need to zoom in.

~

As a CCA-Certified Creativity Coach, with over 30 years’ experience in art, design, and mentorship, I work with individuals and groups who value creativity in their daily lives and work.

Hi, I’m Roy Stevens, a Creativity Catalyst Life Coach. I help talented, creative professionals refuel their inspiration and reimagine their true potential using effective, client-focused strategies and proven methods. With over 30 years' experience in art, design, and mentorship, it's my honor and privilege to support my clients success.

Ready to welcome and embrace the next stage of your creative journey? Complete my Coaching Assessment to book your exploratory call.

Roy Stevens

Creativity Catalyst Life Coach