During our first day in the workshop, I split my time between the collaborative illustration with my group and the illuminated letter. I spent the majority of my time on the former, and during our second class decided to focus more on my illuminated letter. I forced myself to think more acutely about the process and the design which I wanted to bring to life. At first, I found myself frustrated with my lack of creativity and general artistic ability, but once I got into a rhythm I began to really enjoy the exercise. While the finished product was certainly nothing to brag about, I found pleasure in knowing that I had sat down with a blank page and created something of my own. I gained an even deeper appreciation for the artists and miniaturists who worked on the illuminated images that we view weekly in class. I can say with the utmost certainty that I don’t posses the patience required to create illuminations as intricate and elaborate as the ones we view in class. I sit in awe of both the creative faculties and their patience. They are qualities that I wished I possessed.
I’d be curious to know if other people had similar reactions to the exercise, or if those of you who are more artistic found the time to be less stressful.
