(no subject)

[inahandbasket]

badlittlemonkey just asked "Why do you make art?"
This got me thinking, here's the response I posted.

I do it for many reasons, and get involved in different 'artistic' pursuits for different reasons.

Digital photography I do because it's quick and easy, serves documentary purposes as well as some personal artistic fulfillment, and because it's really easy to share with other people.

Drawing I do occasionally because it's personally fulfilling. I have no pretenses that I draw well, or that other people would like to see the results, so mostly I'm sketching just to make myself happy. Sometimes it's to work out a shape or dimension on a project in a different medium such as...

The thing I find most fulfilling is woodworking, mostly because you have a tangible and functional piece of 'art' when you're done that will serve a functional purpose in the short-term, and hopefully outlive you. I'm sketching up a hallway bench right now that will be my first real fine-woodworking-quality piece of furniture, and with any luck someone will be treasuring it 200 years down the road. That thought gives me a sense of accomplishment far beyond anything else I can do.

Incidentally, this icon is a cupcake stand I made out of Birch plywood for our wedding. It was very well received, some friends borrowed it for their wedding at the DeCordova sculpture and art museum, and the event coordinators who work there were telling me I should be making those and selling them. Took me all of 2 hours with a jigsaw. Quite the satisfying sense of accomplishment for that art piece. :-D

So for those of you who make art and aren't on his flist...

Why do you do it? What itch inside you does it scratch, if it does? Why do you those particular things you do or use the specific tools or techniques or media you use? What do you get out of it? Are you more concerned with product or process?