strug.gle [struhg-uhl]
struggle: (v) to contend resolutely with a task, problem, etc.
I struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
struggle: (v) to be coping with inability to perform well or to win; contend with difficulty.
I struggle to consistently make choices that develop Christ-like character.
struggle: (n) a task or goal requiring much effort to accomplish or achieve.
I struggle with creative/artistic intent.
Of the three definitions, two are verbs. They are actions. They are every day, ongoing. But, the third. The third is a noun. A thing. A thing I purposefully place within my creative parameters to overcome. Like all struggles, they are necessary for growth.
Over the years, students nearing graduation have bent my ear in a panic. How do you make art without the support of academia? In reality, it’s not the support they will miss in so much as the challenge. The struggle. The thing they griped and moaned about. They just don’t know that yet.
Professors set up problems to be solved – generally referred to by students as, ‘this stupid assignment’. Those problems create the boundaries from which the student is challenged. So then, apart from school, the student must take on the role of “creating a task or goal requiring much effort to achieve”.
For years I have desired that my functional work relate more to my drawn tiles. The processes are different and I’ve had difficulty resolving the visual disparity between the two. Of course, I question why they would ever need to relate. That is my swift exit from the contradiction I’ve created.
In the end, I just want to draw on my dinnerware. That is my goal. Then, there would need to be boundaries set up for the task.
- Functional pieces needed to be food safe. So my glaze process would be different.
- Surface (drawings) should relate to the form.
- I want to create visual impact with color and contrast. I enjoy playing with shadows to create hightened values on my tiles.
- The drawings on the functional work wouldn’t be as detailed as on the tiles. Size and my desired output wouldn’t allow for much detail.
- I want to create layers of information without getting overly complicated. One of the qualities I enjoy most about the tile drawings is the ability to develop layers of visual information on the ceramic surface.
I’ve struggled within those parameters. I’ve seen some success. But, as I approach the goal, I reset the standard so as to continue the struggle, so as to grow.