The Messy Studio with Rebecca Crowell

Episode 133: Creative Collections

July 11th, 2020  |  38 mins 8 secs

art, collecting, creativity, rebecca crowell

When artists collect, it’s often--but not always-- related to our art practices. We tend to collect works of art that we’ve bought or traded for, art books, memorabilia like announcements and posters, and of course, art supplies. But what about the more unexpected things we gather in our homes and studios? What do our collections tell us about ourselves and our attraction to certain kinds of objects? Today we’ll report on what some artists had to say when Rebecca posed the topic on Facebook, along with our own musings about the meaning of collections.

Episode 132: The Power Of Beauty

July 4th, 2020  |  29 mins 43 secs

art, beauty, creativity, rebecca crowell

We often say “That’s beautiful” in response to a work of art, but the word beautiful can have many meanings. Most of us recognize it as a heartfelt compliment when it is said about our own work, but we may wonder what specifically prompted the viewer to use the word. And while we may strive for beauty in our work we may have not thought much about what that means. Today we look at what deeper ideas or responses the words “beauty” and “beautiful” can hold.

Episode 131: The Power of Intention

June 27th, 2020  |  28 mins 47 secs

art, creativity, intentions, personal development, rebecca crowell

A key aspect of establishing your personal voice is figuring out what is most important to you in your work. What do you want to communicate to other people? What responses do you hope to evoke? The process of defining intentions can be challenging, involving some basic but important questions, and may take some time to process and refine. But clear intentions are a powerful tool. Today we will look at the process of clarifying your intentions and the advantages for doing so.

Episode 130: Being Authentic

June 20th, 2020  |  38 mins 38 secs

art, authenticity, being authentic, creativity, influences, inspiration, rebecca crowell

This is a topic that we have considered covering for a while. It dovetails nicely with past episodes addressing what inspires and motivates our work. But it seems especially relevant now given the worldwide pandemic and recent social unrest, which have many artists thinking deeply about the meaning and honesty of their work.

Being authentic in your work means being true to yourself, and unafraid in your creative explorations. During this time we are experiencing massive changes all around us. Examining how authentic we are being in our work can lead to new insights and growth. The more challenges we are facing in life, the more important it becomes to bring our whole selves into our work. This results in better work and a better mental state.

Episode 128: Composition: It's Complicated

June 6th, 2020  |  36 mins 30 secs

art, composition, creativity, fundamentals, rebecca crowell

We touched on today’s topic in our last episode when we went briefly over through some important design elements. Basically, we were talking about composition—how to arrange the visual elements on a 2-d surface so that they “work.” This is complex because each aspect of a composition affects others in subtle or not so subtle ways. Intuition plays a role in composition—something just “looks right”—but to make really strong work we need to balance that with understanding. Today we are going to look more closely at composition and its role in your art practice.

Episode 127: Visual Language

May 30th, 2020  |  33 mins 47 secs

art, creativity, elements, fundamentals, principles, rebecca crowell, visual language

Learning to use the visual elements and design principles in your work is often compared to acquiring vocabulary and then being able to use those words to communicate. It also means being able to understand better what other artists have to say in their work. This understanding is basic and contributes to your growth for your whole artistic life. It also grows in tandem with intuitive responses and understanding. Yet many artists do not progress much beyond a limited vocabulary, used in only a few repeated combinations. Today we will give a perspective on the benefits of growing your visual vocabulary.

Episode 126: Handling Critique

May 23rd, 2020  |  39 mins 36 secs

art, creativity, critique, rebecca crowell, teaching

It can be very unsettling to put your work in front of someone else for a critique. We may fear harsh, judgmental comments. Yet the value of critique is exactly that, the chance to gain an outside perspective and insight, and very often criticism can be given and received in a supportive way. Today we’ll talk about the positive aspects of critique as well as handling negative criticism with regards to our work.

Episode 123: A Call For Change

May 2nd, 2020  |  35 mins 2 secs

art, change, creativity, quarantine, rebecca crowell

Many artists are feeling stuck right now--not only in their homes in the midst of the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders but stuck in their work as well. We not only contend with our own worries and struggles but the constant drumbeat of bad news from the media. Our usual ways of working may no longer seem suited to what our lives have become.
Historically, art reflects the times in which it is made. Today, we are considering this aspect of creativity in light of what we are all experiencing. The way in which we handle the current situation creatively can also be applied to other traumas that we experience in life.

Episode 120: The Creative Urge

April 12th, 2020  |  31 mins 4 secs

art, creativity, rebecca crowell

Even under difficult circumstances, humans have always had a strong urge to create, to make things that embody thought, emotion, spiritual and cultural beliefs. Those of us who work in fine art media have a drive to create even when there is no practical purpose for what we make. This urge can range from an occasional desire, to a very strong passion, an almost uncontrollable compulsion. Today we are going to explore the creative urge along with some inspiring quotes from artists of the past.

Episode 102: Studio Struggles

December 14th, 2019  |  30 mins 36 secs

art, creativity, rebecca crowell, struggles, travel

As artists, we accept many day to day challenges as part of the creative process. Even though we all feel frustrated at times, we know that problem solving is how we grow and achieve our goals. Solving creative problems can bring great satisfaction, but some studio struggles are also very difficult and soul-wrenching. Artists at every level experience these times of defeat or despair that go beyond daily frustration.