[ValarianROOT]

I really dislike the term "Mission Statement," but its one of the terms in vogue to describe what it is that you are really driving at, right? So here's mine. I thought it up as I was out in my garbage filled garage smoking a cigarette thinking about getting some sleep.

"What drives me to do what I do? I've always enjoyed stories; stories in my music, books, movies, listening to people talk about their day and days past. I really enjoyed all that, especially movies, music and comic books. They have all left me wanting, except: movies and comics. There is something missing in all the others, something visual to truelly draw me in. Something to add to the detail of written words. Neal Stephenson, Harlan Ellison, and William Gibson have come the closest with words, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, and J. Cash have done it with music, yet... still, something is left out for me. Artists like Brom, Rick Berry, Phil Hale, and Timothy Bradstreet. These gentlemen in particular have fed me the missing pieces. Its my turn to give something back and fill in those few holes left that even they didn't fill for me. This is why I draw and why I draw what I draw... Justin Matthew Nitz."
Give me some feedback on how you feal about it and maybe share what really drives you to create.

JN

[Nilwort]

yessssssssssss, I think that being motivated to produce art seriosly is a complicated matter. Questions and doubts arise in your mind about why you want to make art, questions like:

-what is art, is it a perverse little byproduct of the human mind that needs to express itself somehow with no real use other than to appease people's aesthetic taste or to amuse others?

-Is wanting to create art just another symptom of your horrible neurosis?

-How the hell will someone see your end product and value what you've done, and then give you money for it? (mostly a self-confidence issue)

-Later on in life, looking back on what you've accomplished, will you be proud of creating art and feel gratified that you've done so?

I think it really boils down to the specific person's motivations and personality. I also think that if every single person on this planet drew a picture, each picture would be a unique representation of a different personality. Sort of hard to explain, but the different pictures would be a product of that person's personality and every single event that had happened to that person in their life would effect how that drawing would be created.

Basically, I guess what I'm trying to say, is that every single human being has something different to express artistically. Like if every human being on this planet suddenly became talented musically and released an album, you would have 6 billion completely different albums...It's just a matter of feeling comfortable and confident that your particular "album" or combination of experiences is worthy of producing art for people.

[travis travis]

wow good taste, my man. I don't feel like getting into my own ridiculously convoluted creative purposes right now, but mine also serve to express the things I want expressed that aren't being fufilled by any other artists

[Duckman2]

I like the way light reacts with the enviroment around me, I like forms, and I like trying to reproduce it on a flat surface. Simple

[ValarianROOT]

WOW!!! Some good food-for-thought here. Nilwort, travis travis, and Duckman, thanks. Why people create and what outlet people find is very intesting to me. Why do some people have more artistic interests and some people seem content just to go to work and watch TV when they get home has, in particular, intriegs me? But, your response Duckman2 has set my mind on a new conundrum. I had assumed that all artist where driven to create by a particular genre or topic. But now I see that pure asthetics can modivate creativity. I'm an illustrator at heart I guess. When I draw I want my picture to tell a story or have a setting at least. I'll make asthetic exceptions just to add details that may hurt a drawings "eye appeal" just to make sure I get the point across that there is some back story behind what i'm doing.

Now i see that there is a greater distinction between artists. There are more substantial parts of a person's personality that allow them to see the world, and interpret what they see, how they feal, and turn that into a piece of artwork. I think that if we can grab onto that part of ourselves more tightly it will allow for more originallity and easier inspiration. People on the board here will often distress that they haven't felt inspired to create or what they are working on just frustrates them. I can see where getting locked into a particular formula can mess with the drawing/creative process. Moods and environment affect how we see the world, distorting or enhancing our appreciation for asthetics. This complication is probably what draws people together to find a form of "pure" art that disconects a person from a natural cycle of inspired and uninspired minddets. The only real solution would be to find what part of your own person is driven to create and feed that part of you that needs it. Also, understanding that there will be times that you have entered a time you have lost the "muse." When this happens one must accept it and understand that as you grow as an artist these times will decrease as you become more cumfortable with and better understand what drives you.

Anyway... Blah blah blah blah blah... Speaking of asthetic and neurosis.

JN