Inspired by Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi s concept of Flow

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Deborah Banks
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1 Inspired by Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi s concept of Flow

2 Push & Flow September 13 October 10, 2013 Manhattan Beach Creative Arts Center Manhattan Beach, California Lecture October 5, 2013, 2:00 PM Optimal Experience: How Flow Facilitates Creativity & Well-being by Vanessa Kettering 2

3 Push & Flow By Megumi Sando Moisen and Heather Anacker This exhibition is an investigation of the concept of flow developed by Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in the field of Positive Psychology. Flow is a state of optimal experiences in an activity when a person feels things are almost automatic, effortless, yet highly focused. Flow is generally reported when a person is doing his or her favorite things, not with passive leisure such as watching TV or relaxing. Art creation is one such activity that is frequently reported as being associated with flow. Research shows that when the process of art making takes on the characteristics of flow, it provides a kind of Optimal Experience that produces feelings of psychological growth and makes life in general more satisfying. At the same time, the capacity for flow, along with other human strengths, acts as a buffer when a person is faced with challenges, which can help the individual to prevent and cope with psychological difficulties and physical ailments. In order to explore how the concept of flow was operating within the lives of professional artists, we have selected six artists from the Los Angeles area working in various media painting, drawing, weaving, ceramics, and installation art. The featured artists in this exhibition, Elizabeth Casuga, Nancy Voegeli-Curran, Dawn Ertl, Esmeralda Montes, Ian Pines, and Peggy Zask, were interviewed to reveal their internal processes that resulted in the artworks on display. All of these artists experienced the phenomenon of flow in varying degrees during their creation process, and also recognized the psychological benefit from engaging in flow activities, which are filled with challenges, growth, and at their completion, a sense of achievement. 3

Elizabeth Casuga Elizabeth Casuga Infiltration Elizabeth Casuga came to painting from the field of psycho-biology, and her science background is her first and foremost place of imagery.

4 Elizabeth Casuga Elizabeth Casuga Infiltration Elizabeth Casuga came to painting from the field of psycho-biology, and her science background is her first and foremost place of imagery. Reading about psychology, biology, physics, and astronomy also influences her artwork in Scientific Abstraction. She starts her paintings by laying down gesso on a wooden board without a predetermined idea of what the painting will be, and waits for what patterns it reveals to her. There is a lot of sitting and careful observation after the initial spontaneous mark making. After seeing shapes or patterns emerge in the gesso, Casuga starts drawing images on top of them that are related to what she used to look at through the leans of a microscope at a research laboratory. With their dynamic colors and gestures, Casuga s striking visuals call to mind microscopic imagery, as well as geological, and cosmological formations. 4

5 Nancy Voegeli-Curran Nancy Voegeli-Curran s works resemble natural forms, and processes of decay, they juxtapose internal order with chaos. Her working methods are very fluid and involve elements of chance in the careful pouring and dripping of paint. Observation is a key element to her process; Voegeli- Curran looks closely at the results of each pour to see if there is something there to work with. From there she continues with more pours and drips of paint, creating layers upon layers that build complexity in her work and give her aesthetic questions to answer with form. Her process also involves the careful tracing of shapes that come up from each layer; these tracings may become artworks in their own right, or be kept as records to be revisited in later work. Voegeli- Curran s sculptures also evolve out of her paintings; she constructs these works using pellen fabric, paint, and wire. These ethereal wire and fabric forms bend and undulate under their own volume and gravity. The layering and over layering of forms in Voegeli- Curran s work metaphorically reflects the complexities of personal relationships, memory and family history, and how all of these things build up over time. Nancy Voegeli-Curran Cosmic Roots 5

Dawn Ertl Dawn Ertl s large scale woven installation pieces combine warm and soft wool material with plastic elements of single use shopping bags and other manmade debris.

6 Dawn Ertl Dawn Ertl s large scale woven installation pieces combine warm and soft wool material with plastic elements of single use shopping bags and other manmade debris. Inspired by trash interacting with the landscape, these elements interact with the wool threads. The unique qualities of these two materials cause them to shrink, tangle, and mingle with each other within the finished woven structure. The crux of Ertl s work is the investigation of how different systems work with and against each other in an environmental context. For inspiration, Ertl researches issues that disturb or upset her. From there she picks out information that she relates to her materials and processes; each piece focuses on smaller questions that are part of a bigger picture. Ertl selects songs that relate to the issues she is investigating, and uses the sheet music to base her woven patterns off of, and then she layers the music, and starts the actual weavings process. She makes decisions based on emotional responses to the music and concept. Once the weavings are finished, she felts them. Ertl installs her pieces while listening to the layered music, and composes the woven structures in response to space and mood. Dawn Ertl The Rate of Exchange 6

Esmeralda Montes Esmeralda Montes Earthly Landscape Characters in paintings by Esmeralda Montes present dynamics of forces and emotions that sustain a psychological equilibrium, which is accentuated

7 Esmeralda Montes Esmeralda Montes Earthly Landscape Characters in paintings by Esmeralda Montes present dynamics of forces and emotions that sustain a psychological equilibrium, which is accentuated by bright colors and bold brushstrokes. Developing characters and pictorial narratives is essential for her art, and she constantly goes back to two main sources where she draws inspiration from. Greek mythology fascinates her especially the dramas of the beginning of the universe, which are filled with extremes, vigorous energy, and cruelty; while French New Wave films influence her with their saturated of colors and non-linear storytelling. Starting from small paintings, collages, or clay figures, Montes creates characters representing various roles or personality traits existing within an individual. Subsequent narratives emerge around those characters, who sometimes take the shape of combination human and animal figures, which personify opposing human qualities; for example, so-called anima and animus in Jungian psychology. During the creation process, she continuously has dialogues with her painting, her process can be liberating as well as restrictive. Realizing that she can t have complete control on the artwork, Montes leaves it as is for a while until something clicks into place for her. It is at this moment when the painting and ideas flow out effortlessly. 7

Ian Pines Ian Pines Relics and Ores Ian Pines Material based work investigates the possibilities and phenomenological aspects of paint through different textures, primal shapes, symbols, and colors

8 Ian Pines Ian Pines Relics and Ores Ian Pines Material based work investigates the possibilities and phenomenological aspects of paint through different textures, primal shapes, symbols, and colors that come out of working improvisationally. For Pines the act of painting is enthralling; he is constantly challenging himself and evolving his process by working intensely on one painting at a time. There is an accumulation of second guessing, and criticality on the dark, richly muddied surfaces of his canvas, which have been cathartically scraped down in large segments, and built up again. Seeing the destroyed result and reapplying that paint, allows Pines to begin working on another level, guided by his subconscious mind. He repeats this process multiple times until it results in a fascinating point he can lock onto and finish a painting with. A vague narrative develops in the resulting landscape or figurative formations; one gets a visual sense of emotional buildup in the thick, visceral layers of paint. For Pines being a painter is an all-enveloping way of life that influences him and gives back a greater appreciation for the world - in nuances of color, shape, and emotion. 8

9 Peggy Zask Peggy Zask Native Air The gestural style of Peggy Zask s painting and sculpture conveys a sense of spontaneity and freedom. In her art making process, the sketchbook is her essential companion, where automatic drawing, sometimes associated with writing, enables her to be in touch with her subconscious mind. The images in Zask s sketchbook naturally progress into and serve as visual references for her future artwork. The horse is a compulsive grounding image that she has gone to throughout the years, and it still brings her fresh excitement. Zask thinks of the horse is a symbol of peace and strength, but its deeper meaning still remains a mystery. Zask s recent work focuses on the human condition, especially women s rights, derived from her compassion for those who have less. Exploring the subsequent impact that suppressed conditions can have on female body image, she created paintings of sensual female figures. For Zask, the Optimal Experience in art is a steady state of mind similar to the mental condition achieved by meditation, where the thinking mind becomes quiet and emotions and feelings disappear. It s just her and her art. During the recent years, her painting has increasingly become non-conscious, by expressing what comes through her from the heart of soul. 9

Speaker Biography: Vanessa Kettering Optimal Experience: How Flow Facilitates Creativity and Well-Being Vanessa Kettering has a passion for connecting with others and continually working to research

10 Speaker Biography: Vanessa Kettering Optimal Experience: How Flow Facilitates Creativity and Well-Being Vanessa Kettering has a passion for connecting with others and continually working to research and implement new and better ways to empower individuals to improve their quality of life. She is a health and wellness consultant who utilizes technologies and behavioral interventions to promote optimal health and human development. She is also a Cultivating Emotional Balance (CEB) certified instructor, a program that bridges emotional skills with secular training in meditation practices. Investigating the sources and outcomes of flow, or that sense of being in the zone during creative or athletic endeavors, is another avenue of her research that she will share with the audience at the lecture in conjunction with this exhibition on Oct. 5th. She studies with the creator of flow theory, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi at Claremont Graduate University. Her favorite flow activities are: yoga, writing poetry and playing music. Special thanks to: Ping Ho MA, MPH, Founding Director, UCLArts and Healing / Arts and Healing Initiative, for the consultation on program development. 10

11 Further Reading on Flow: Csilkszentmiyhalyi, Mihaley. (1997) Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention, NY: Harper Perennial. Csilkszentmiyhalyi, Mihaley. (1997) Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life, NY: Basic Books. Csilkszentmiyhalyi, Mihaley. (1990) Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, NY: Harper & Row. 11

12 The City of Manhattan Beach Parks & Recreation Department Cultural Arts Division

A series of ceramic and bronze sculptures exploring the subject of social anxiety through a personal perspective

A series of ceramic and bronze sculptures exploring the subject of social anxiety through a personal perspective Concept The concept of my work explores the subject of social anxiety through a personal