PART 2Now you may think I forgot to finish my point yesterday but in reality I thought that was enough boring you with my problems.
Today I’m going to quickly share with you what in my opinion is the most horrifying part of judging your own work.
"Bias: a partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation.”
We are biased when it comes to our own work. Now this can be a good or bad thing, just as one can be overly positive or overly negative in life. For me well, I enjoy my work when I’m creating it and for a short time thereafter. My portfolio is currently made up in my opinion of 2 or 3 great pieces and the rest are okay or garbage. The longer it has been since I worked on a piece the more I find wrong with it when I look at it again.
Take my design work or even this website as an example. I’ve redesigned this site 3 times in a year. It’s impossible for me to be finished with anything it always needs something more or less. I can’t seem to look at my work and see an artist’s work all I see is my work. Is this a normal problem for other artists out there or am I the only one who thinks this way. Tell me what you do to get around this, if it’s indeed a problem. I’d love to hear your suggestions.
Cris
What an interesting day this is turning out to be. As the days, weeks, and months pass the happy day of my new baby’s arrival grows closer and certain things I’ve been trying to ignore are rearing their ugly little heads. First of all I’m trying to get into graduate school and pursue a Masters of Fine Arts to finally get back to making art not that you need a degree to create art but that’s another issue for another day. What does this have to do with my wife being pregnant you ask? They are both due around the same date and lets not even get into the financial implications of a newborn and grad school. Just applying for grad school is a bit scary enough. I have to prepare a letter of intent basically detailing why I want to pursue this degree and of course why they should care. Three letters of reference and let me tell you rounding up past professors who like still like you and remember you isn’t always a piece of cake. These two are actually the easy part (not really). The part that is really driving me to no sleep is the portfolio. I’ve been out of school for 3 years now and in all honesty out of the art scene for that time. I’ve continued to work but not really putting all of my time into it. I haven’t shown my work in 3 years. My work is in my opinion strong enough to get me into grad school but there’s still that knot in the pit of my stomach that worries me. Is my work good enough or was my work good enough.
Am I stuck in a rut or do I still know how to be creative with my work? Do I worry too much? Am I whining too much? That’s probably a YES! Well I think I can do it. The feeling of fear isn’t much different than my first attempt at art school, or my second year performance review.
It’s time to look at my portfolio and pick the best work, what will it be?
Any suggestions?
Cris
Now this is far from my usual topics on this blog but I have been very interested on the outcome of this vote. I’m a native born Puerto Rican and even though I left the island when I was 13 years old I still have family there and it’s my home and very dear to my heart. I speak, write and understand Spanish and English very well and wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m a little disappointed on the decision to make English the “National Language”, it would seem they’ve forgotten Puerto Rico once again.
I received this email today from family in Puerto Rico I thought I’d share it with you and I’ll leave it at that.
NOTE: The below email and link are not meant to represent facts on the subject of a National Language but an interesting observation.
Subject: Senate Votes to Set English as National Language
WASHINGTON, May 18 — The Senate voted on Thursday to designate English as the national language. In a charged debate, Republican backers of the proposal, which was added to the Senate’s immigration measure on a 63-to-34 vote, said that it was equivalent to establishing a formal national anthem or motto and that it would simply affirm the pre-eminence of English.
“We’re free to say what we want, speak what we want, but it is our national language,” said Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee. The amendment was proposed by Senator James M. Inhofe, Republican of Oklahoma.
ATTENTION: ADVERTENCIA: ALERTA: ALARMA:
Residents of Puerto Rico……effective on January 1, 2007, the
language of Spanish will be eliminated. All violators will be dealt
with according to each individual circumstance but all will be
processed for deportation procedures either to Mexico, Dominican or Republic or Spain…W-2 Income Statement will be taken into consideration for the processing procedure…
Television shows such as La Comay, Sabado Gigante, No Te Duermas will be translated to the English Language before viewing…La Primera Hora and El Nuevo Dia will be appropriately changed to The First Hour and A New Day…
December 31, 2006 will be your last opportunity to talk and converse with your loved ones, your family, and your boy and girl friends in your own language before the change over.
Have a great future Puerto Rico……This message has been approved by the PNP Party of Puerto Rico, the Don’t Push It.Com Website of Pedro Rossello and Luis Fortuno’s Web Site….What Me Worry.Com…
You Forgot Puerto Rico!
Cris