Shadows Tales, War Queens and the Scent of History
Forest of Distraction #14
It is not always easy to recognize how much time, effort and thought goes into making a work of art. What seems simple or straightforward to the viewer may involve untold complexities in its creation, whether that’s underpainting for a portrait, the elaborate scaffolding needed for a stop-motion animation (see below) or the world building that goes into an epic fantasy novel. Consumers rarely see the hours and hours of labor, let alone understand the endless numbers of decisions that go into each final product.
The myth is that the artist, caught up in the flow of creativity, doesn’t notice that time or effort, either. That when they are driven by the muse, pursuing their passion or otherwise “doing what they love,” time and effort lose meaning, and work is inseparable from joy.
This is probably why so many artists and writers get stalled in their creative work and stop. If you’re truly meant to write or paint or sculpt or make films, surely it wouldn’t be so hard, right?
“If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.” — Michelangelo
It’s better to imagine creativity as a divine force moving through the artist rather than admit it is a failure on our own part to just do the hard work. Especially if, as is true for so many would-be creators, it’s not something you’re getting paid for.
For my own sake, I’d like to find some deeper wisdom or philosophy or trick of mind to get out of this mind trap, but there’s only one answer: You just have to do the hard work.
Shadow Tales
“[Lotte] Reiniger is best known for her pioneering silhouette films, in which paper and cardboard cut-out figures, weighted with lead, and hinged at the joints—the more complex the characters’ narrative role, the larger their range of movements, and therefore, the more hinges for the body—were hand-manipulated from frame to frame and shot via stop motion photography. The figures were placed on an animation table and usually lit from below. In some of her later sound films the figures were lit both from above and below, depending on the desired visual effect. Framed with elaborate backgrounds made from varying layers of translucent paper or colorful acetate foils for color films, Reiniger’s characters were created and animated with exceptional skill and precision.”
Read more: Lotte Reiniger - Women Film Pioneers Project
War Queens
“Horses neighed and fires crackled as Queen Tamar of Georgia walked among her troops on the eve of battle in July 1203. Her enemies outnumbered her soldiers nearly two to one. Still, the queen did not waver as she spoke words of courage to the assembled army. In a show of humility, she stood before them barefoot while wearing lavish garments full of religious symbolism to inspire a righteous bravery in all who saw her. As she finished her rousing speech, hardy, battle-worn soldiers stood, raised their spears, and shouted, ‘To our king!’ The next day, the Georgian army decimated their foe.
“In the late 12th and early 13th centuries, Tamar the Great ushered in Georgia’s golden age. She expanded borders, oversaw massive architectural projects, and helped define the kingdom’s unique identity at the crossroads of East and West. She sat on war councils and, as one chronicler wrote, ‘took counsel with them, not like a helpless person, or a woman, and did not neglect the dictates of reason.’”
Read more: Meet Caterina Sforza and Other Warrior Queens History Forgot
Scent of History
“The art of glass-blowing significantly revolutionized industrial practices during the time of the Roman Empire. Initially, casting and core-forming were used to create glass vessels. But like the wheel was to pottery, glass-blowing allowed craftsmen to produce a larger volume of vessels in a smaller time period. Unlike other traditional techniques of glass-making, glass-blowing also enabled a greater number of shapes and sizes to be made.
“Bird-shaped glass vessels, used as perfume bottles, have been found in different far-flung regions of the Roman Empire. The scented oils were sealed inside the glass vessels, and the owner would break off the tail to access them.”
Read more: Glass Bird Bottle Neck