Close

Arts as Exploration

 

I grew up believing

that art

was about

self-expression.

 

I see art differently now.

 

Art, I have come to believe,

is about

exploration

and

discovering

what is possible.

 

Self-expression

is a bi-product

of exploration.

 

Exploration

is the path

to self-expression.

 

If we as artists

and arts educators,

focus on exploration

we potentially

open up paths

for our students

and ourselves

to create work

that expands

possibility,

that opens up

new ways of seeing,

new ways of doing,

new ways of thinking

and new ways

of knowing.

 

Without exploration

we can never develop

a unique voice

or point-of-view.

 

Without exploration

our work

is going to

show what

has been done,

What is already known.

As nice,

as good,

or as pretty

as it may be,

it will not be

original.

It will be ordinary

and reek

of redundancy.

 

If self-expression

is what you want,

then focus on

exploration.

 

Exploration

is the path to

creating work

that has the

potential

to resonate

and

reverberate.  

 

Trevor (@trevorabryan)

© 2024 4 O'Clock Faculty | WordPress Theme: Annina Free by CrestaProject.