i am an early-stage investor in my creative work. i pay for my own materials, from laptop to pencils. i rent my studio, i set aside time. recently, i have had the opportunity to spend much more time tinkering and bringing projects to fruition. steadily moving forward without knowing exactly what the goal is.
i watched Amy Whitaker’s TED talk on how blockchain can support artists by tracking the value of their labor and output over time. she spoke in a well-paced, direct, clear manner–i suppose it’s part of the TED format–and i was struck by one question she posed in particular: what am i creating of value, and how can i share this with others?
as i look at my creative output, proud of how it’s increasing, i have to remind myself not to judge it as small or insignificant. small things are also valuable. sketches have their role. how can we say where an artwork begins and ends? the idea that came into your mind in the middle of the night, the scribbled notes, the sketches and prototypes, reviews and write-ups. these are all in relation with the artwork (which is not necessarily at the center of this activity).
but i’m avoiding the question: what am i creating of value, and how can i share this with others? i am interested in how our experience of creative work (both author and audience) is shaped by the tools and processes of technology. interfaces fascinate me, as they often represent a surface where the tangible and intangible meet: software and human operator, data and procedure. i want to create beautiful things, the aesthetic response is essential to my core values.