Author Archives: Stephanie Schlatter Art

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About Stephanie Schlatter Art

Stephanie Schlatter is an Artist who draws from the world for inspiration. While she calls Grand Rapids, Michigan, home she’s often off on new adventures. For more than a decade, her journeys have taken her across the globe. She has studied art both locally and abroad, including time in Mexico, where she decided to shift her focus from photography to painting. Stephanie's travels led her to found Absolutely Art: A Project for Change in 2006. Through this non-profit organization, she brings art instruction to the children of Ethiopia while supporting their education. Stephanie's work reflects an expression influenced by other cultures which resonates a variety of influences that have given her work direction.
Jan15

The Most-Watched TED Talk, Creativity, 30 Days Facebook Free and You

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(Or the blog that every creative person or person who loves a right brainer needs to read.)

I recently accepted the 30-day Facebook Free Challenge. I was motivated by several things, and one was I have an insatiable thirst for learning. Books piled up that I wanted to read, and there were tons of TED Talks I was dying to watch. I also am so acutely aware that creativity needs vast amounts of brain space. And as much as I love connecting with people, checking Facebook while I ate breakfast and lunch and for 2, 5, 10 minutes arre and there throughout the day wasn’t contributing to that brain space that I needed. It wasn’t getting those books read, and it wasn’t getting those TED Talks watched.

I heart TED Talks, and I want to shine a light on one such talk I discovered while not on Facebook. It’s by Ken Robinson, and it’s the most-watched TED Talk of all time.

I hope you will take the time to watch it. I can only say I was not alone in being profoundly affected. It hit my heart, and I full-on ugly cried. I cried because this man who had never met me got me, because I believe his philosophy is so important to others like me: Kids who are right brain dominant, who don’t learn in the rigid left brain formula we as a culture have adopted and accepted as the way to teach. If that’s not how you learn, you get left out — pun intended. We’ve completely immersed ourselves in this school of thought. We have, as they say, “drank the Kool Aid,” swallowing this formula without questioning.

creditmarc6-smallAs I watched Ken blow wide open the ideas we have about learning and who is and is not “smart,” I thought that no one in our culture is ever shamed for not being able to draw, paint, dance, play music or create.

Please know I am not suggesting we begin shaming, but what I am suggesting is that we STOP shaming. It has become perfectly culturally acceptable to shame those who don’t spell well, or whose grammar isn’t perfect. We label the ones whose math skills aren’t up to par as “slow learners” or “not smart.” I am here to tell you to STOP. STOP all shaming when someone’s left brain is not like yours; we will never shame you for your right brain not working like ours. Next time you think it’s helpful to make a “Grammer Nazi” post on Facebook or even label yourself a “Grammer Nazi” or any other term that ultimately is meant to shame people not like you, STOP. As Ken so beautifully says in this TED Talk, the world may not benefit from more left brainers, but we may suffer greatly if we don’t start to honor the right brain.

I am understandably passionate about making a way in the world for creatives everywhere, for honoring their gifts and realizing ART MATTERS. So this is only Part One … Stay tuned, dear ones, for more. I will do my best to advocate, to encourage people to think outside the box and share amazing words like those of Ken Robinson in this the most watched TED Talk of all time.

Click here to watch Ken Robinson’s TED Talk.

Jan10

Inside the Studio: How a Painting is Born

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… And then the magic art fairy sweeps in and sprinkles fairy dust all over the studio and my painting is finished — or maybe not quite like that.

I do believe Creativity comes from outside of us, but it’s most of all about showing up every day to commit to your craft. Creativity must find you at work, or she won’t bother with you; she’ll think you unworthy of her time if you cannot meet her halfway and hold up your end of the deal. (I will refer to Creativity henceforth as a “her,” because my Creative is a she and I will capitalize her name, giving her the respect she deserves. I’m trying to butter her up for future works.)

In bringing you inside the making of a painting, the above first had to be said and a nod of gratitude given to Creativity, so you all realize that. Not even I know what a painting will look like until it’s done. But the part that interests us mere mortals most is the “our end of the deal” part of the work.

I start my day in the studio with my coffee and a journal. I try to leave everything distracting inside that journal, let it all out on the page, then focus on the art. I also write about the work, what my goal in the studio is and what my focus is.

In this work, titled “All Roads Lead You Right Back to Yourself,” I was painting for a show I have coming up titled “From Farm to Frame,” an exploration in agriculture-themed landscapes. On a personal level, I have been obsessed with skies. Not only because why wouldn’t you be? but because I feel I can learn much from painting them over and over. So this piece needed a rockin’ sky and a landscape that was related to agriculture; that was the starting point.

In the attached video, you can watch how I began and brought it almost to completion. I did not film the “finishing” of the work, which does take some time, because frankly it’s boring. It’s a lot of staring at the canvas, making little adjustments, then a few more, then readjusting, continuing to shape it until my eye was happy. And that, dear ones, in short, is how a painting goes from blank canvas to voilà! Finished.

The most important detail here was that I showed up for my end of the deal, or I showed up! As Woody Allen famously said, 80% of success is just showing up.

How do you “show up” in your everyday life? A question to ponder, or feel free to write your reply in the comments or on my Facebook page.