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Organic Growth vs. Forced Growth

Lesson 6 from: Creating a Fine Art Series

Brooke Shaden

Organic Growth vs. Forced Growth

Lesson 6 from: Creating a Fine Art Series

Brooke Shaden

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Lesson Info

6. Organic Growth vs. Forced Growth

The most successful artists are able to use inspiration strategically to create innovative works that regularly impress their audience.
Next Lesson: Niche Branding

Lessons

Class Trailer
1

Class Introduction

07:25
2

Overview of Brooke’s Journey

20:13
3

Your Timeline is Nonlinear

05:37
4

Using Curiosity and Intention to Build Your Career

03:26
5

What Factors Dictate Growth

08:24
6

Organic Growth vs. Forced Growth

05:18
7

Niche Branding

04:57
8

Brooke’s Artistic Evolution and Timeline

24:27
9

How Can You Get Ahead if You Feel Behind?

10:02
10

Ideation and Conceptualization to Identify Meaning in Your Art

05:54
11

Idea Fluency

10:33
12

How to Represent an Idea

07:01
13

How to Innovate an Idea

07:07
14

Creating a Dialogue With Your Art

05:48
15

Conceptualization For a Series vs. a Single Image

03:43
16

Transforming a Single Image Into a Series

03:12
17

How to Tell a Story in a Series

03:28
18

How to Create Costumes From Fabric

07:20
19

Brooke’s Most Useful Costumes

02:19
20

Using Paint and Clay as Texture in an Image

02:56
21

Create Physical Elements in an Image

10:22
22

Shooting for a Fine Art Series

05:45
23

Conceptualization: Flowery Fish Bowl in the Desert

04:08
24

Wardrobe and Texture

04:54
25

Posing for the Story

05:32
26

Choosing an Image

01:23
27

Conceptualization: Rainy Plexiglass

11:34
28

Posing for the Story

04:17
29

Creating Backlight

02:37
30

Photo Shoot #1 - Creating a Simple Composite

17:51
31

Photo Shoot #2 - Creating a Dynamic Composite

06:31
32

Photo Shoot #3 - Creating a Storytelling Composite

07:40
33

Shooting the Background Images

06:14
34

Editing Samsara Shoot #1 - Working With Backgrounds

24:35
35

Editing Samsara Shoot #1 - Retouching the Subject

04:20
36

Editing Samsara Shoot #1 - Color Grading

02:45
37

Editing Samsara Shoot #1 - Floor Replacement Texture

15:24
38

Editing Samsara Shoot #1 - Final Adjustments

03:21
39

Editing Samsara Shoot #2 - Cropping and Editing Backgrounds

05:25
40

Editing Samsara Shoot #2 - Selective Adjustments

03:55
41

Editing Samsara Shoot #2 - Adding Texture + Fine Tuning

03:21
42

Editing Composite Shoot #1 - Compositing Models

06:58
43

Editing Composite Shoot #1 - Expanding Rooms

02:17
44

Editing Composite Shoot #1 - Selective Color

02:47
45

Editing Composite Shoot #1 - Selective Exposure

04:04
46

Editing Composite Shoot #2- Masking Into Backgrounds

10:45
47

Editing Composite Shoot #2- Creating Rooms in Photoshop

06:11
48

Editing Composite Shoot #2- Compositing Hair

05:07
49

Editing Composite Shoot #2- Global Adjustments

04:49
50

Editing Composite Shoot #3- Blending Composite Elements

05:00
51

Editing Composite Shoot #3- Advanced Compositing

08:46
52

Editing Composite Shoot #3- Cleanup

03:34
53

Materials for Alternative Processes

06:20
54

Oil Painting on Prints

05:41
55

Encaustic Wax on Prints

03:09
56

Failure vs. Sell Out

05:14
57

Create Art You Love and Bring an Audience To You

03:35
58

Branding Yourself Into a Story

05:40
59

The Artistic Narrative

05:26
60

Get People to Care About Your Story

03:36
61

Get People to Buy Your Story

11:36
62

Getting Galleries and Publishers to Take Notice

03:41
63

Pricing For Commissions

06:43
64

Original Prints vs. Limited Edition Prints vs. Open Edition Prints

02:11
65

Class Outro

01:00
66

Live Premiere

16:14
67

Live Premiere: Layers of Depth 1

04:41
68

Live Premiere: Layers of Depth 2

07:12
69

Live Premiere: Q&A

16:10
70

Live Premiere: Photo Critique

47:33

Lesson Info

Organic Growth vs. Forced Growth

So then how do we grow organically versus in a forced way? And what are the pros and cons to that growth? Well, there are a couple of ways that we can think about this. Okay, So organic growth kind of precipitates slow progress potentially and often has a lack of effort associated with it in that if you're waiting for inspiration, it may never come. If you're just doing whatever you want all the time and you're not thinking about that next step, then growth may be very slow and there is nothing wrong with that. So I'm not going to say one is better than the other. You work how you wanna work. I will advocate for a slight blend of these ideas, but you take what you want, and honestly, it's of no consequence to anybody but you. So it's okay. Forced growth can cause burnout. That's the bad part of it, because you're trying to force all this growth on yourself and you're trying new things. But you get tired and you just slow down naturally, because you can't force a pace that isn't natural...

for you. But it can also create more realistic expectations off success because if you are thinking about the next goal, the next step, the next you know, curious path that you're going to follow, then you can start to set yourself up for the next success that you're going to have a swell. So whatever you dio take ownership over your growth and your inspiration. Because inspiration, we often think of as this muse that just like visits us sometimes. And we don't have control over that. I don't believe that at all. I think that inspiration should be a practice. It is a process. And when you're thinking about growth, take that forward momentum that you get and run with it. Run with that momentum because if I know anything, it's that confidence and success all stem from momentum. It stems from I did something good. Now I want to do more of that good thing. That's where confidence comes from, and it's important that we recognize whatever your growth style that it has toe have momentum to it. Strategy versus inspiration. Do you have to choose one over the other? Does it have to be? I'm inspired and I'm just waiting for it. Whenever I feel that muse I will act on it. Or does it have to be on Lee strategy? Do I have this idea of a thing that I want to do? And I drill it in and I do it? Do it, Do it. I think that it comes from a blend. I think that the the best growth in your artistic journey comes from a blend of strategy and inspiration because they work together to create a more sustainable business models, mawr, innovative art and I want to encourage you to start to think about inspiration and creativity is a practice that could include strategy. The problem that was strategy is that people often think of it is calculated and cold and like you're not a real artist if you have a strategy to your art. But I think that the most successful artists are the ones that have strategy. Despite being labeled as calculated or inauthentic or lacking artistry. They have a goal. They have a plan. They know how they should make you feel, how they want you to respond to their art, where they're going to put it, to be seen by the most people. And there should be no shame in wanting your art to be seen because you're creating something valuable and important. And if you don't believe that, then that's where the work starts. Is believing that you are doing something valuable and important and that it could change the course of ah person's life or even the world You just don't know. Inspiration is often seen as this divine force, right? Like you know, the muse that comes or goes or whatever. But I really think that inspiration comes from a much deeper source, and it's the understanding of oneself. It's the cosmic onion. It came back. So this idea of digging deeper is really just finding your inspiration. Where does it come from? And often I have found it's the thing that people don't get about you. So, like when I started photography, even when I started filmmaking, I remember one of the first things that I made was like this girl. Bad things happen to her, and she was crazy. And like all this stuff, it was really dark. Lots of death in the video, and I remember my family being like, No, why are you doing this? No, please don't make this stuff this is terrible, and I felt so compelled to do it. It's the thing that I did that people said, Why? Why would you do that? That's so weird. That's so crazy. I don't think so. So your deepest inspiration is probably the thing that you feel you need to do and other people don't understand at all. Inspiration is a commodity. I know that you might not like me saying that, because often people don't. But I think that inspiration is a commodity we have toe learn to turn inspiration into something reliable into something that is concrete, something that is delivery herbal, that you can really, really process internally. And when inspiration becomes a commodity, well, then you can pick it up any time you can consume it. It's something that is not just this like magical spirit thing in you, but something that you can call whenever you need it.

Class Materials

Bonus Materials with Purchase

Worksheets.pdf
Student Practice Images (large 1.9gb zip file)

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

Brooke never fails to deliver. I found this course superb from start to finish. From exercising your creative 'muscle', demystifying taking self portraits, and showing that they don't have to be perfect before you begin editing, to walking you through her editing process and how to price your work. Brooke's enthusiastic personality and excitement about the work shines through it all. Definitely recommended!

Søren Nielsen
 

Thank for fantastic motivating an very inspiring. The story telling and selling module was very helpful - thanks from Denmark

Rebecca Potter
 

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Brooke for this amazing class. Inspired and so full of practical knowledge, this is the best class I've ever watched. You have given me the confidence to pursue what I've always been afraid to do. Watch this space!

Student Work

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