ASSUMPTIONS AND NATURE OF ARTS: CREATIVITY, IMAGINATION

I. Definition of Art
 Etymology – art comes:
 from the Latin word, “ars” which means ability or skill.
 from the Aryan root word “AR” which means to put together. Two Greek verbs are derived
from “ar”. “Artizein” which means to prepare, and “arkiskein” which means everything that
is artificially made or composed by man.
 We can then say that art is the ability or skill of putting things, idead, concepts, etc.
together manually or through artificial means.

 Oxford Dictionary – expression or application of human creative skills and imagination, typically in
a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their
beauty or emotional power.

 Art is defined by history and historical process. What is considered as art for one group of people
may not be considered as art for another group simply because they differ in taste, preferences,
influences, and tradition (Bascara and Avillanoza).

 Art also covers those areas of artistic creativity that seek to communicate beauty primarily through
senses. It applies to such activities that express aesthetic ideas using skill and imagination in the
creation of objects, environment, and experiences which can be shared with others. We are
involved in art when we compose a melody, paint a poster, write poems, dance gracefully, sing
songs, plan, design, and construct our house artistically (Estolas et al).

 Essential requirements of arts are:

1. Must be man-made.
2. Must benefit and satisfy man.
3. It must be expressed through a certain medium or material, techniques, elements, the
image, as well as by symbols and allusions.

II. Assumptions of Art

A. Art is Universal
In an article published by Chey in the Arts and International Affairs journal of the University of Edinburgh
entitled, “Art is Universal, Society is Local”, art is assumed to be “a reflection of people and their social
context”.
(Social Context – also known as milieu, refers to how a person reacts to something depending on his or her
immediate social or physical environments. It can influence how someone perceives something. For
example, a person who is trying new food in an unwelcoming or harsh environment might perceive the food
as tasting bad and not like it in the future. But if that person had been in a fun and relaxing environment
when he tried it, he may have perceived the food as tasting good and end up enjoying it.)
Further, Chey says that “arts unify differences and brings awareness”. When a work of art can unite people
from all throughout the world, cutting across different cultures, races, socio-economic, political, and
religious background, and bring awareness to them, it is considered universal.
In conclusion, Chey says that “art is one of the main means of communication that can connect the world
and reflect on cultural, political, and social dynamics”.

B. Art is Cultural
Art is a source of beauty, communication, reflection, pride, and immortality for a culture. The arts created in
a culture communicates important ideas about religion or politics or just contemporary life.
For example, the hieroglyphics found in the pyramids of ancient Egypt. The early Egyptians used shape
and color to depict the things that were important to them.
Art also reflects the culture and its concerns, with its particular focus, with choices of subject, with the
materials used to create the art. We have learned a great deal about cultures past and present through its
arts since it is a reflection of their entire culture.
A culture’s art is a great source of pride for it too, and many of us take great pride in them. Also, a culture’s
art tends to be preserved and handed down, which makes a sort of immortality for the culture. The ancient
Egyptians are no longer with us, but the works of art they created are still with us.

C. Art is not Nature

Art is made by man. A work of art is man-made, and although it may resemble nature, it can never duplicate
nature. Nature has been a constant source of models for art, but they have never been able to make an
exact copy of a natural thing. Artists may draw from actual life situations, they do some altering of details so
that the work becomes a modified representation of real life, not an exact copy.
Art’s greatest achievement is that it creates a permanent impression of the passing scene, unlike a plant
when uprooted will not always stay fresh for it will die (Bascara and Avillanoza).

D. Art involves experience

According to Dewey, in his book, “Art as Experience”, art denotes a process of doing or making. Art
involves modling of clay, chipping of marble, casting a bronze, laying on pigments, construction of
buildings, singing of songs, playing of instruments, enacting roles on the stage, going though rhythmic
movements in the dance.
Ortiz et al, enumerates three major kinds of experience involved in the artistic activity:
1. Art usually starts as an experience which the artist wants to communicate.
2. The act of creating the art object or form is itself another kind of experience.
3. When the work is done, the artist feels a gratifying experience of having accomplished something
significant.
However, there is still another kind of experience associated with art. This refers to what an onlooker or
listener undergoes when he perceives the work of art. The perception may kindle an experience which is
similar or related to what the artist tried to express.

III. Creativity in Art Making

A. What is creativity?
 Oxford Dictionary defines creativity as the use of imagination or original ideas to create
something. It also refers to the quality of being inventive. It is the act of turning new and
imaginative ideas into reality.
 Creativity involves 2 processes: thinking, then producing. Thus, creativity require an output or
product of one’s imagination and thinking.
 Rollo May, in his book, The Courage to Create, says that creativity is the process of bringing
something ‘new’ into being.
B. Why is creativity necessary in art making?
 Leo Rosa Borges an award-winning designer, points out that creativity is the force that will take
the artist’s work away from the ordinary. Without creativity, there will be no art masterpieces
and art geniuses in the world In fact, without creativity, there will be no art at all.
 Here are 5 common steps/phases involved in the making art:
1. Inspiration – inspiration comes from different sources such as a film or piece of fine art,
from nature or a particular event.
2. Percolation – this means the time that elapses after an artist have had his idea, but before
he starts making art. Sometimes, this involves refining an idea by making sketches,
playing around with ideas visually. Sometimes the artist lets the idea grow over time and
may even take years before he creates the artwork.
3. Preparation – It is a more active and focused time than the percolation. Once the artist
has settled on his inspiration and how he’d like to proceed, now, it’s a matter of figuring out
how to make it happen. Preparation includes the time spent obtaining and organizing one’s
supplies, plus creating a blueprint for what the art piece will be.
 4. Creation – This is the time during which the artist starts his art work The process of
creation varies depending on the artist’s personal temperament, style, and medium.
5. Reflection – This period is different for everyone. Some artists experience a sort of low-
grade post-creative depression that occurs, making them feel a little empty and spent. For
others, there are regrets.
C. When can you say that a person is creative?
 Professor Oyvind Martinsen identifies seven paramount personality traits that characterize
creative people:
1. Associative orientation: Imaginative, playful, have a wealth of ideas, ability to be
committed, sliding transitions between fact and fiction
2. Need for originality: Resists rules and conventions. Have a rebellious attitude due to a
need to do things no one else does.
3. Motivation: Have a need to perform, goal-oriented, innovative attitude, stamina to tackle
difficult issues.
4. Ambition: Have a need to be influential, attract attention and recognition
5. Flexibility: Have the ability to see different aspects of issues and come up with optional
solutions.
6. Low emotional stability: Tend to experience negative emotions, greater fluctuations in
moods and emotional state, failing self-confidence.