“Creativity is the product of boundaries, not freedom. With absolute freedom, there is no need for creative thinking or problem solving.”

Last semester in one of my art classes, a fellow student rambled on about the freedom in art and how things in his work had to be there just because. Honestly, I didn’t enjoy his work (though I respect his right to make it how he feels.) I hate that philosophy of art. I always wondered why I felt this way, and I think this quote sums it up.

Artists need rules, tradition, foundations and boundaries. These fundamentals force us to be creative, to think outside of the box, and explore new media, ideas, and applications. But if we cross boundaries, the art loses something, be it appeal, credibility, doneness, wholeness, or explanation.

Art is a process. An artist does things in a certain order when creating art. A painter does not just sling paint on a canvas first thing, he contemplates the subject, the meaning, the execution, the application, etc. before even dipping a brush in paint.

Art is science. The word ‘science’ is derived from the Latin ‘scientia’, meaning “knowledge”. There is a certain amount of knowledge needed to create art. Beyond talent. You must know about composition, subject, color, variation, media – the list goes on an on. The processes and methods that support the fundamentals of art reinforce the scientific nature of art.

Art is bounded by necessary rules, theories, and traditions. Think about basic color theory. Green looks good with red, they are compliments, however, orange and green clash. These fundamentals can be used in infinite, creative ways. The rule of 3′s is an excellent theory on composition, giving basic instruction on the proper placement of focus. It can also be broken down into more complex ideas as well, paving way for creativity and ingenuity within that rule. The supporting fundamentals of art do not restrict creativity, but encourage and reinforce it.

Art is a process, art is science, art is proper, methodical, and bounded by necessary rules, theories, and traditions. We, as artists, through learning and applying these rules, methods, and theories in art become more creative.

So where do I begin. How about the beginning, it’s always a good place to start a story – the beginning – and that’s what this is, a story of my artistic development. I come from a family of 5 children, raised by mom and dad, each, over our childhood, vying for attention, admiration, and pride from each other and our parents. Each one of us is very talented, in my opinion. But this is about one of my siblings in particular, the one in whose shadow I grew up in. This is about my oldest brother, Aaron.

Ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted to be like Aaron. He was and is my first role model. Maybe it was because he was the oldest, and seemed so cool with his teenage life and mystery. Whatever the case, I emulated him. He liked Legos, I liked Legos. I would steal his Legos. I would steal his candy (whether or not its because I wanted candy or to be like him, I won’t say.) He could draw. So I would draw. I always marveled at his drawings and paintings. When we were all growing up in Michigan, he took art lessons with a very talented artist and illustrator. I wanted that soooo bad. I would sneak into his room and look at his drawings, paintings, palettes, pencils, and brushes. I remember a hyper-realistic portrait of the band DCtalk, a painting of a northern pike breaching water, and a wedding anniversary painting for my parents. So, living in a shadow of my big bro nurtured and development two important things, my artist drive, and the beginnings of my competitiveness. But it did much more too…

Now I am in college, an art major, fairly successful for my age, and talented. Looking back, Aaron did so much more for me than just inspire me. He was so much more than someone I wanted to be respected by or a person I wanted to surpass in skill. He was also someone who nurtured character, beliefs, Godliness, and humility. I had the… privilege to share my room with him for a while in my mid teens. Listening to sermons on tape and long, personal drives to the beach and talks showed how much he cared about me. That was awesome. I also got to see him work in Photoshop and Illustrator, inspiring me to pursue graphic design and illustration at this point in my life.

Even now in the present, Aaron is still a huge role model and inspiration for me. He is a creative genius, coming up with ideas, identities, and designs that constantly blow my mind. A successful entrepreneur of Kairos Creative then SideKick Studios, I still consult him often for help and creative ideas and still for guidance and encouragement. He is a successful husband and father and man of God as well. He is my big brother. I love him. I love what he has done / what he is doing for me, whether knowingly or not, Aaron is a huge influence in my artistic, personal, and spiritual development and success.

So, thank you, Aaron. I couldn’t do it without you.

SO. fast forward to 30 minutes after class. I am walking through West Main Hall. I have just finished discussing class exemption with the Dean of Visual Arts, and sign making with the graphic design professor. My World Art professor spots me and calls me into her office. *dun dun dun*

“Nathan, I like you, you are a good student, and have good input, and you help out a lot outside of class. BUT. I am tired of you talking in class. If you keep talking, I will start counting you absent in my class.” (not a word for word quotation, but you get the idea)

I swallow, and apologize. “You’re right, I understand. I’m sorry, I’ll let the guys know too.”

So. I agree that talking in class is bad. I probably shouldn’t do it. But quite frankly, my two friends and I were not the only ones talking amongst ourselves in the class during the movie. SO. Why am I the only one singled out and chewed out?!

That’s what you get for building relationships with professors outside of class, I guess.

Grumble, grumble, grumble.

Rabble roused.

Check out my About Me section to get a glimpse of yours truly. Visit my Facebook page as well.

Also, stay tuned for the launch of my personal website, NathanSkinner.net – created by Alan Vitek: Freelance Artist Extraordinaire.

Check back in every now again, to learn about me, what I believe, how I feel, what I am passionate about, and the art I make.

It is now 12:55 AM. Time for bed, for I have classes in the morning.

Thank you for reading and have a blessed night.