My name is Katarina Wong, and
I'm a visual artist and independent curator.
The impetus behind this blog is to try to understand what happens in the
creative process. It is an opportunity for artists and non-artists alike to
discuss how they experience creativity.
Part of the challenge, as I see it, is learning
how to talk about the creative process itself -- ask artists and most will say
that writing an "artist statement" is one of their biggest
challenges. What I've personally found, however, is that writing about or
discussing my work -- as painful as that may be -- actually helps me understand
the creative decisions I've made and how the piece evolved. (I went back to
graduate school after receiving my MFA from the
University of Maryland at College Park specifically to spend
some time thinking about this very problem. My work at the Harvard Divinity
School focused on Buddhism and the language, art and religious practices
it uses in order to better understand the enlightenment process.)
Usually, though, these discussions or notes
happen after a project or piece is finished. Instead, by blogging about my
experience in the studio throughout the project, I'm interested to see how the
process is affected and to engage others as the work unfolds.
"Inner Workings" itself is also a
creative process. This blog will also feature interviews with people who
creatively approach their work -- whatever that may be, and of course, I'm
hoping you share your comments and your own creative experiences.
I'm
hoping Inner Workings will challenge how we think about creativity and
ultimately to expand our thinking about who gets to be
called "creative."
