Thursday, October 05, 2006
Weight Gain and Art
Sorry, I meant to write about this yesterday, but it kind of slipped away.
Comparing the art of Fat Char vs Thin Char is just about impossible. The only changes in my life are not limited to my weight... thin Char was single, Fat Char lives with Ian. Thin Char was in school, Fat Char is a grown up and is beginning to act that way. Thin Char's only creative outlet was painting, Fat Char loves to cook, spends time with her child, her husband, and even writing a blog from time to time. Thin Char was troubled by many inner demons, Fat Char's inner demons are well fed.
I painted a lot more when I was skinny. Depending on what else was going on, I could crank out paintings like a printing press. As I said yesterday, my painting is therapeutic, and I needed more therapy then that I did now. Also, as I said above, I have so many more outlets for my creative energies, the NEED to paint just isn't there any more. An artist without a need to create is no artist at all, just a craftsman. (Don't get me wrong, a craftsman is capable of creating some incredible 'art', probably better than most 'artists', but I'm not a craftsman.)
So, while I've practised and refined my technique, and my painting may be technically better now, without the drive, it's probably not as good. I don't take up the brush as often, so maybe even though I know more, my hands are capable of less.
I don't miss it.
Fat Char may not be living the dreams of Thin Char, but Fat Char is happier than Thin Char ever imagined. If I had to give up painting tomorrow to keep this life, I would. (Luckily, I can have my cake, and my painting too.)
Comparing the art of Fat Char vs Thin Char is just about impossible. The only changes in my life are not limited to my weight... thin Char was single, Fat Char lives with Ian. Thin Char was in school, Fat Char is a grown up and is beginning to act that way. Thin Char's only creative outlet was painting, Fat Char loves to cook, spends time with her child, her husband, and even writing a blog from time to time. Thin Char was troubled by many inner demons, Fat Char's inner demons are well fed.
I painted a lot more when I was skinny. Depending on what else was going on, I could crank out paintings like a printing press. As I said yesterday, my painting is therapeutic, and I needed more therapy then that I did now. Also, as I said above, I have so many more outlets for my creative energies, the NEED to paint just isn't there any more. An artist without a need to create is no artist at all, just a craftsman. (Don't get me wrong, a craftsman is capable of creating some incredible 'art', probably better than most 'artists', but I'm not a craftsman.)
So, while I've practised and refined my technique, and my painting may be technically better now, without the drive, it's probably not as good. I don't take up the brush as often, so maybe even though I know more, my hands are capable of less.
I don't miss it.
Fat Char may not be living the dreams of Thin Char, but Fat Char is happier than Thin Char ever imagined. If I had to give up painting tomorrow to keep this life, I would. (Luckily, I can have my cake, and my painting too.)
// posted by Charlotte @ 9:53:00 AM 
