Blog Response #2

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep."

I do agree with the statement this quote is making. Creativity doesn't come out of control, or from having rigid guidelines of "perfection". Sometimes a mistake can be a way to learn. Other times a "mistake" can expose you to new things; sometimes you realize that you like something new by initially making a mistake. Creativity, in itself, means to stray outside the lines. To be creative means to do something that isn't routine, or traditional. Creativity means taking a different approach; this new approach may be something that no one has seen or heard before. Having said that, it can be deduced that an individual would be able to gain a new perspective through someone else's creative expression, or even their own. Also, to make a mistake, one must stray from what is customary to them, or it wouldn't be considered a mistake. So in that sense, it is concievable that in some instances creativity and making a mistake are directly related.
Another way to interpret this quote, in regards to art, would be to consider a viewer's perspective. The work of Pablo Picasso, for example, was highly criticized by those in his time. Even though his style was completely deliberate, some disregarded it as art just because it didn't fit traditional guidelines, or didn't look anything like the type of art they were used to viweing. Some of his critics during that time could have said that he made a mistake choosing to display that specific style of art. In this context, mistake takes on a different meaning. His mistake, according to his critics, could be that because of his unique style of art he wouldn't be appreciated as an artist. So, in this situation is mistake isn't related to the art really, but rather a mistake in regards to the social aspect. As history shows, he was able to prove these people wrong. Also, his art or "mistake" influenced other artists to work with other styles and variations of art, which paved the way for modern art.
Along with simply agreeing with this staement, I can apply this quote to my own life. I am a writer, or at least try to be. Some times I'm more of a writer than others, and vice versa. The way this quote applies to my writing is slightly different from the ways I mentioned above. How I use my mistakes in my writing is to actually write about them. As writer, for no particular reason, I gain my inspiration from the troubled times in my life. You will never seen any writing from me about good times, because when I'm in a happy period I'm out enjoying it rather than writing about it. I didn't choose to write this way, but it just seems that my inspiration is rooted from some sort of conflict. So, have confessed that, if you were to read any of my poetry or short stories you would see heavy descriptions of "mistakes" I've made, or how my reactions to the "mistakes" of others. Now, to give myself a little credit, that is not all my writing is about. However, it can be detected in my writing. So, in response to the second part of the quote, I write about the mistakes I chose to keep, or the mistakes that have meaning. Some mistakes may be considered trivial, but there are some mistakes that can be learned from. Sometimes a msitake can shape your personality or your outlook. While, it is possible for mistakes to have a negative impact on one's life, it is equally possible for some mistakes to have a positive influence. Personally, that is what my writing is about. My poetry reflects and soemtimes describes very clearly what type of person I am. Also, in addition to that, it outlines my experiences, my personal growth, and the things I've learned throughout my years. Also, on that train of thought, the second part of the quote can be translated as "knowing which ones to own up to". I don't believe that everyone has to admit to every little fault they have, or every little mistake. However, if a certain mistake has shaped someone's life in a positive way, he or she may not mind telling about it in order to illustrate the change that has come because of it. This is also seen in my personal writing. That is why this quote is meaningful to me, and also how it is applicable to my life.
So, this quote, for being relatively short, actually has a lot to say. It takes a little unpacking, but once it is internalized, the meaning behind can be somewhat profound (or at least I find it to be). For me, this quote is reassurring in the sense that others see that msitakes aren't all necessarily bad. It's just nice to know that others don't regard mistakes so harshly. In a way, the ability to make mistakes is one of the most human qualities a person can have.