interviews with a

creative genius

 

a hand writing on a blank notepad

 

 
 
 

 
 

the assignment

 

For our psy 344 course, creativity, the class had to find a creative person who would be willing to interview explaining their imaginative side in life.

first interview_________________________

 

a picture of jocker wearing a gray t-shirt with his name tagged on it. his upper body is popping through a frame which describes who he is: from paris, FRANCE; graduated in webdesign

axel aka jocker

the webdesigner

WEBSITE: www.letstakepictures.com

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i found jocker through a wonderful website of let's take pictures! where people have the opportunity to send their own photography from around the globe. his work inspires many who are afraid to take a beautiful photograph and share it with the world. i found the concept to be most motivating and decided to interview him.

when was the first time that you remember realizing that you are a creative person?

 Pretty young actually-- as far as i can remember, i always drew and have funny stuff in my head. when i was a child, i often mix my dreams and reality. i was a really calm child because if you leave me for more than 5 minutes, i was able to imagine story with all the objects around me. When i was 11, my parents started to get divorced, so i spent most of my time alone in my room (i do not have brothers/sisters). At this time i wanted to try everything, drawing people, writing story, designing object and clothes...

when did you know that this was what you wanted to do with your life? how did you get started?

.i remember when i was young, drinking chocolate. and i liked the bottle very much, i asked my mother who do the pictures which are on all the product, all the pictures that surround your life... she told me to do "marketing" studies... actually, later i figured out that the right job was art director...

what traits, if any, do you think that creative people have as compared to people who are not creative?

we see life from a different view, always trying to reach unexplored vision for the same thing. it's like when we do street Art with my crew... we want to put dream, make people think, instead of just see the same gray and dirty street...
Actually, most of the creative people i know are complex person too, asking a lot of question to themselves. Most of the time, the thing that can give u the more pleasure, if the one that can put your mind in a dark way : creation. it's really scary to not have new ideas, like if u broke a leg and u don't know if it would work again...

have other people supported or inspired you? please explain.

 yep... creation is linked with your  feeling, each person u see, each friend, girlfriend you meet, gives u inspiration in a way...

do you ever feel that you have to censor your creativity because you don't want to offend anyone?

 nope, never... i create to offer people piece of my mind, of my dream. i hope it will give them feelings... good one :D  but if i have to do something that offend someone, it would be someone with who i don't share ideas... so sorry to offend him, but the world is full of point of view, and i'll never censor mine to no offend someone (and actually i'm always open to discuss every point of view)

do you do anything special to get your "creative juices" flowing? please explain.

just think, most of the time i trying to imagine, like always training my mind, so that ideas came easier (i'm not sure of that word...). it's like fighting day after day to keep the gate as wide open as possible (but if i won't try to think, i don't think i can stop me from putting dream in my life.. but i'd loose some)

does your work convey a specific emotion or message?

not only one, but most of the time it's to reach people, i want them to travel into my images, take the time to watch something i stick on a wall in the street... if they want/are able to

if you could be any object, what would you be? why?

an island... to create a world with and my all my friends and they're friends, and build a new one every month !

what are your words of wisdom for someone starting out in your field?

never stop dreaming, always try any idea, and always work on your creativity

 

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some snapshots:

a scene in a lake in thailand. many boats around calm waters and cloudy skies

home page varies in location every time you login

a scene from brasil overlooking a waterfall with a rainbow in the background. meanwhile, the menu is open for you to select other photographs from other countries

 

 

Second interview_________________________

a painting of a latin girl wearing a green delicate cover over her head while she stares towards the viewer

otto sturke

the artist

 

website:   www.sturckestudio.com

 

_______________________________________________

 

i found out about otto sturke through a friend of mine who is an art major. i found his work fascinating for his realistic paintings. his view in women portraits are beautiful and honest.

when was the first time that you remember realizing that you are a creative person?

I knew very young that I really enjoyed having the
ability to create.  I was very perceptive since the
age of 4 and copied what I could.  I remember drawing
on walls before I had even entered first grade,...of
course my dad wasn't very happy about that!

when did you know that this was what you wanted to do with your life? how did you get started?

. I won my first award in 2nd grade and knew then I
wanted to be an artist for the rest of my life.  My
7th grade teacher Mrs. Ferris encouraged me to draw
and paint and that helped forge my attitude about
being an artist in the future.

what traits, if any, do you think that creative people have as compared to people who are not creative?

. I think one trait that creative people carry is
that they see the world around them a little more
perceptively.  We see colors and shapes and rhythms in
the life around us that some people don't look at as
closely.

do you believe that your training has influenced what you create?

.Absolutely,  I seek great mentors with great
talent, especially because  I was self-taught.  After
years of frustration with trial and error, I sought
out the best teachers I could and worked hard to pay
for the money to pay for the classes.  Their influence
was great and yet I was very specific about not
becoming a clone.

Have you ever felt that your personal expectations have limited your creativity? if so, how many have you dealt with this?

 I am my own worst critic and has limited me in
many ways.  But with time you learn to forgive
yourself a little more and realize one can only do
with what one has that very day.  I've learned to
release some of that anxiety about creating something
more or less masterful.  I have come to realize that
the masterpiece lies within the artist and not within
the canvas.

have other people supported or inspired you? please explain.

I've had great supporters and unfortunately I've
had my own family who for fear of not understanding
how one can make a living as an artist, recommend I
find something more reliable to do with my life.  Now
after over 10 years of being self-sufficient, i think they can breat a sigh of relief and understand that artist can be quite successful.

do you ever feel that you have to censor your creativity because you don't want to offend anyone?

Sometimes.  My paintings speak for me, about me.
Sometimes I care less what one might think and then
there are times I feel I need to be a little more
diplomatic.  But I find my most enjoyable pieces are
the ones where I educate about who I really am.

just think, most of the time i trying to imagine, like always training my mind, so that ideas came easier (i'm not sure of that word...). it's like fighting day after day to keep the gate as wide open as possible (but if i won't try to think, i don't think i can stop me from putting dream in my life.. but i'd loose some)

does your work convey a specific emotion or message?

My work speaks of the culture  I grew up in, of
things most memorable and valuable lessons I've been
taught.  I paint great icons, my heroes and heroines
in hopes that they in turn might becomes noe of my
viewers heroes.

if you could be any object, what would you be? why?

If I could be an object, I'd probably want to be
an asteroid or commet traveling through space, where
there is no sense of time or up or down, east or west.
 I would travel great distances and see the universe
for what it is.  Utterly amazing.

what are your words of wisdom for someone starting out in your field?

Be diligent, be business wise, and be personable.

 

 

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you are listening to:

An image of the artist Feist laying on her side with her hair covering half of her face with the sky as her background

feist--honey honey

honey honey up in the trees, fields of flowers deep in his dreams lead them out to sea by the east.

honey honey food for the bees

honey honey out on the sea in the dokdrums thinking of me--me on dry land thinking of he-honey honey not next to me

even if he wanted to X3--do you think he'd come back? would he come back?

oh no

honey honey out in the sea in the dokdrums thinking of me--me on dry land thinking of the--honey honey not next to me