Art: Creation vs. Consumption

So, since the lockdown started in mid-March, I've been keeping a running list of new recipes that i\I've tried, just to see how many I make. I wasn't making any effort to do as many as possible or anything, I would just write them down as I made new things. I stopped adding to it last week since I was finally back to a normal work schedule and it feels like while my life is far from normal (cue pouting childishly about coventions being cancelled), I'm not really locked down anymore. That list of recipes is 23 items long.

I started making a new cosplay right before the lockdown. I was fresh off of Katsucon and had the itch in my fingers to make another (as I do). Looking at my Instagram progress pictures, I was able to track it start to finish. I made my entire Pokemon trainer outfit in almost exactly one month. That is by far the fastest I have made a cosplay start to finish. And this is no small undertaking. Look at this baby

Hey, I made the thing from scratch in a month, I'm allowed to shove pictures of it in people's faces. 

In an attempt to use up some leftover fabric, I made some special gifts for my nieces and nephews (and didn't even make a dent in my big tote of leftover fabric). My sister and her husband are raising five little munchkins, so if I make anything for them, I have to make five.I'm not going to say what I made because it's going to be a surprise at Christmas. Talk about getting an early start!

Given all of this extra time and told to do one of my least favorite things (stay still), I have had some time to think about my tendency to do a thousand projects and what draws me to different ones. Allow me to explain.

In general, there are two ways that I participate in art: creation and consumption. Sometimes, when I take in a new form of art, my fingers just start itching and I have to create something in this new art form. For example, when I first learned of cosplay from my dear friend Rachael, I knew that is was something I HAD to try. I was not content merely to consume, I had to create, to participate, to make myself a part of this grand piece of art! I could do a con without cosplaying,  loads of people do, but I just done want to. I want to cosplay!

When I see a costume that would look particularly good on me or that looks really fun to make, My brain starts deconstructing it and thinking about what materials it would take, where I can find said materials, if I have any pieces on hand that I can use. When people ask "How did you know what to do?" about my costumes, that's it. We can all go home now, Kim's revealed the trade secret. It just kind of happens. I see costume, I get creative brain blast, I build it.

The same thing happens when I see a recipe that I find interesting, but with a bit of variation. I know what most ingredients taste like, so instead of seeing how a costume is made, I can do something I call "tasting in my brain" and have a guess at what something should taste like. I can generally tell if a recipe will taste good just by looking at it. Granted, I have made some flops, but no one else has to endure them. That's why people think all of my cooking is delicious. If it's not, I use the "brain taste" to add things until it tastes the way I want it to.

But not all art forms elicit this waterfall of inspiration. I adore movies, and I am always up for a movie that does something new or makes me think. But am I instantly overcome with the desire to make a movie? Not really. I love to read, I devour books like I devour a plate of sushi. But do I have the burning desire to write a novel like the ones I enjoy? Not particularly. And there are some that I enjoy, but not enough to really seek out and get good at. I enjoy painting my nails and seeing what other people do, but I don't have any real drive to learn all of the fancy techniques.

Some forms of art I feel content to consume, but some fuel my passion to create. I feel like there is value in recognizing which art forms fit into which category. Just because I'm a creative person, it doesn't mean I want to partake in every kid of art. There are some that simply aren't my style, or I probably could enjoy them but there are only so many hours in the day and I'm technically supposed to be asleep for some of that. I should probably be at work in there, too. 

I promise I have a point to all of this. The creation of art is often seen as the only way to really participate in art. But honestly, consumption is also an important part of any artistic endeavor. If no one was there to consume the art, then it wouldn't have near as much impact. There is something to be said for making art purely for your own enjoyment, but the sharing of art also has tremendous value. There needs to be people to take in and enjoy the fruits of creative labor. The audience is just a much a participant as the creator, the distributor, and anyone else who is more directly involved.

So if you haven't really felt the inclination to make anything lately, don't make the mistake of thinking you're not still involved in art. If you have consumed the creativity of another person and enjoyed it, then you're still involved here! It's important to enjoy being an audience member and not feel like you have to get involved in everything. There is plenty of good to be gained from simply stepping back and taking in a piece of art. My blog is art (note that I did not say it was good art), and you are consuming it. Congratulations, you are participating.

I hope you've all created or consumed something of value lately. It's just as important, if not more so, to feed the soul as well as the body.