This is my latest drawing, actually completed today, and I want to use it to explore a fascinating part of my experience of art-making. (I took this picture with my I-Phone so the quality is not all that great.) There are many ways to continue the discussion about creativity, but today I want to observe that where the individual making art starts is not where the viewer begins. Stated simplistically, where I end is where you–the viewer–begins. You see a finished picture; I start with an empty piece of paper. Let me walk you through what I mean.
I started with a blank piece of black paper. I recall having only one thought: What would it look like to explore the use of a squares as a starting point rather than, with mandalas, a circle. So I did the border first. Then I connected the four corners with the gold wavy lines. This left a center to play with and it soon became the silver diamond with various objects in it. After that I traced the small circles using a pint paint can. These were then connected by the purple lines. Then, and only then, did I draw the big circle that contains the four small circles and the silver diamond. I then filled in the empty spaces with various colors and added the two small red flowers like objects. Finally, the silver lines connected the top and bottom small circles.
None of this was planned before hand. In fact, where I thought I was going only got me going. It didn’t seem to sustain the exploration of color and line. All of the “marks” followed naturally and organically from the previous one. I discovered what the final image looked like after it was finished.
What fascinates me is the process of art-making is so different for each person. Mine seems to be particularly intuitive, experimental, and exploratory. Others have are more planned, even energized by outcome. These differences will indeed be part of the ongoing discussion as our friendly Red Knibbles nibble away at creativity!
red knibbles 
Fascinating – start with squares and guess what – end with circles. Wonder what all that means?? rm
Thanks, Ron. It is indeed fascinating to start in one direction and end up at a totally different place. But having that experience may be seen in other ways. Maybe it is more like what one of the musician in Asheville sings, “Anyway you go you’re going to get there.” Maybe there is not a beginning or ending. I don’t really have an answer this but it sure is fun to think about and to express in my drawings.
Love you brother,
Jared