photo credit: Emma Byrnes
As I said a few posts ago I'm reading a whole of lot of stuff these days, most of it interesting, some of it mindblowing, and a little bit of it taking me off on small but pleasant tangents.
Recently I have been reading and thinking about artists, designers, makers and identity. Yes, that old curly chestnut. Things like where, how and when does identity form for artists and designers, and does it happen in formal situations (like an art degree) or does a lot of it happen informally (or both)? What goes on in the heads of artists and designers as we think about and form our creative identities? Does it happen quickly or evolve over time (a life time)? Does it happen in a torturous, painful manner? Or does it in fact happen with ease and confidence for some? Do key people influence this development? And does it help if there is someone mentoring us through the process of claiming of an identity as artist and/or designer? What does the support needed to claim a creative identity look like? And what are the key issues we battle with in claiming this identity (family expectations & pressures, financial pressures, popular images of artists/designers, cultural and/or gender expectations)?
Believe it or not there is hardly anything written on this topic. Lots out there about corporate identity, branding, marketing and identity, that kind of thing, but not about the stuff I've listed above.
I warned you my head has been rattling on this topic!
Anything to share on this or any answers to these questions to offer?
And in terms of your creative-maker self, how do you identify?
