Day 21 – Resources for Diversitarians

Multi-Resourceful, by Mary Gow
“Multi-Resourceful,” illustration by Mary Gow
Have you noticed I don’t paint just “one” way? I like to create work that captures a sense of energy and aliveness whether it’s with watercolors, acrylics, a camera, a scanner, monotypes, or cameraless photography.

Do you thrive on variety and diverse systems?

In other words, are you a “diversitarian?”

I heard the term used by Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon, when Charlie Rose interviewed him recently when he asked Bezos how he would identify himself.

Bezos also said brainstorming is his favorite activity! And that he loves being at the white board working out ideas!

I resonated with those two things Bezos revealed about himself and his delight for ideas.

New York Times bestselling author Barbara Sher calls multi-resourceful folk “scanners,” in her highly useful book “Refuse to Choose! A Revolutionary Program for Doing Everything That You Love,” Rodale Books, 2006.

Along those same lines, I found Emilie Wapnick’s site that deals with modern-day Renaissance-types at Puttylike. Wapnick wrote Renaissance Business. She provides lifestyle design for what she terms “multipotentialities” and specializes in “how to smoosh your interests together and set yourself apart.”

Wapnick helps point the way for multipotentialites in a recent post: “Help! I Want to Combine My Interests Into One Business, Where Should I Start?.”

Happy smooshing!

Day 20 – Keep the Channel Open

Vitality, by Mary Gow
“Vitality,” watercolor by Mary Gow
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. … No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others” – Martha Graham

My art is a visual expression of energy and this Martha Graham quote reminds me we’re all artists expressing our own unique style.

There’s no one to keep up with but yourself.

Day 19 – Inspired by Hyunmee Lee

Derived from Hyunmee Lee's Work
Untitled, Derived from Hyunmee Lee’s Work
I was in Santa Fe a few years ago and saw a show of Hyunmee Lee’s work at the Nuart Gallery.

Loved her use of yellow ochre with black and white, with gestural lines.

Her work reminds me of three other abstract expressionist artists: Clyfford Still, Robert Motherwell, and Franz Kline.

Here I am already on day 19 of my experiment of blogging for 30 days straight, sharing my everyday paintings.

Are you enjoying this?

I am inspired by Hyunmee Lee’s work and today’s piece is derived from one of hers.

Lee was born in Korea and in 1991 got a Master of Arts in Visual Arts from the Sydney College of Arts, University of Sydney. From 1997 to 2008 she taught at various universities. She retired from teaching art in 2008 (in Utah) to concentrate full-time on exhibiting her work in galleries in the USA.

You can find our more about Lee at her website. Have you seen her work before?