ADV.13.2. ART AND CREATIVITY

I. DESCRIBING VISUAL ART YOU LIKE 

1. TYPES OF VISUAL ART

Visual arts

Visual arts can range from paintings to industrial design. A drawing is usually done with pen, pencil or charcoal. A sculpture is often made of stone or metal. Ceramics can be pottery made of hardened clay. Graphic design communicates an idea using words and images. Design for products to be mass-produced is called industrial design. Crafts include quilts, woodworking and pottery. Every period of history in every culture has a distinct architecture. 2. PASSIVES FOR TALKING ABOUT ART Review: passives   When an action is more important than the person who does the action, use the passive. To describe art that you like, you will usually use either the present passive or the past passive. The present passive is formed with a present form of be + the past participle. My favorite work is called 'Sunflowers.' Van Gogh's paintings are loved by millions of people. The past passive is formed with was or were and the past participle. Notice that if the person who created the art is mentioned, the word by is used before the name. The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, was designed by Frank Gehry. The train station Orsay was finished in 1900 for the Paris World Exposition. 3. DESCRIBING ART Using a strategy for critiquing art   When you critique art, use this strategy: 1) description; 2) analysis; 3) interpretation; 4) judgment: DAIJ.   Description In the description step, state facts, not opinions. Start by giving the title and the person who did it. Then describe what is in the work of art. It's popularly known as 'The Scream' and was painted by Edvard Munch. We see a man on a bridge. His hands are raised up to his face. Analysis   When you analyze art, say how objective elements, such as lines or color, are organized. The bold streaks of yellow stand out against the deep blue background. The lines of the sky are a sharp contrast to the straight lines of the bridge. Interpretation   When you interpret (interpret) art, state what you think the artist was trying to communicate. The major themes are loneliness and isolation. He's conveying chaos and emotional intensity. The painting evokes a sense of panic. Judgment   In the judgment step, you give your opinion about whether the art is a success or a failure. You talk about your response to the piece. It gives me a feeling of this man's terror, but also his loneliness. I think it works because the artist has evoked such an emotional response. 4. PREPARING TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING Preparing to talk about art   When you want to intelligently describe a piece of art, it's a good idea to prepare your thoughts. Here are some steps:   1. Write down your thoughts in your native language first. Follow the steps for description-analysis-interpretation-judgment (DAIJ). 2. Look at your notes, and underline key words in your native language. Look up the English translation for words you don't know. 3. Write your critique in English. 4. Rehearse saying your critique aloud. Make adjustments to your script as needed to improve it.

II. READING FOR ENJOYMENT

1. READING EXPERIENTIALLY

Reading experientially

To read experientially means to experience the story as you read. When you read fiction, authors' words help you visualize the story and feel what is happening. Here are some strategies for reading experientially.

Visualize

When you read, try to picture the scene in your mind. This will help you enjoy and understand the story.

Connect to your personal experience

As you read, think of when you have had a similar experience. Or you might remember a movie you saw and wonder how this story will be different. Think of how the story makes you feel. Verbalize As you read, try repeating the words to yourself, especially the conversations. Also try discussing what you're reading with yourself.   Tolerate ambiguity When you tolerate ambiguity, you accept that you won't understand everything, but you will get the general idea. Part of the story that isn't clear may become clearer later.   Predict While you're reading, try to predict what will happen next. Visualize what you think will happen. 2. INFERRING MEANING Making inferences   When we read fiction, we have to make inferences to understand the story. When you make an inference, you make a conclusion based on the context. We can make inferences about the characters, the setting and the actions. Look at the first paragraph of the story. Are Brad and Ernie in the same canoe? Read the excerpt and make an inference.   A stillness had settled over the lake like a blanket, and nothing stirred –  just the gentle sound of water lapping against their canoes.  Brad was leaning back in his canoe, smoking a cigarette that glowed in the night.  Suddenly, there was the clattering of the bait bucket and the rod from Ernie's canoe.   Here are the clues: their canoes; his canoe; Ernie's canoe. It's clear that they are in separate canoes.   Making inferences from titles   In fiction, a title often gives important clues about the main ideas in the story. What can you infer about the important characters in this story from the title, 'The Stranger on the Lake'? In the first excerpt, we only read about Brad and Ernie, but in the title is a stranger, so we can infer that at least one other character will appear. 3. RESPONDING TO A TEXT Discussing books   Use these expressions to discuss books you've read. What drew me in were the characters' inner thoughts. I was expecting an easy read, but the book was hard. I had thought it would be uplifting, but it was depressing. It reminds me of the novel, 'The Martian.' I can relate to the story because of my grandparents. Use a variety of adjectives to tell how the book impressed you. For example, you can use surprised, intrigued, horrified, bored with, amazed by and fascinated. I was fascinated by how the author used imagery.

III. WRITING DESCRIPTIVELY 

1. IDENTIFYING DESCRIPTIVE ASPECTS

Reading descriptive texts

Writers have a variety of ways to pull readers into a story. Here are a few.

Character and mood

The writer develops a character (character) by using dialogue or descriptive language. The old man was thin and wiry. He spoke wearily: 'So what's up?' The mood (mood) is created by describing the setting, the surroundings and the light.

The street was dark and foggy, and the streetlights had only a dim glow.

Descriptive language

The writer uses descriptive language such as adjectives and adverbs to enrich a story. He methodically folded the wrinkled newspaper. Similes and metaphors   In a simile (simile), the writer says that one thing is like another. He moved like an ancient tortoise. In a metaphor (metaphor), the writer says that one thing is another. He is a tortoise on the sidewalk. 2. ADJECTIVE AND ADVERB VERBS   Adjectives and adverbs in writing   When you write descriptively, use adjectives and adverbs to make your writing more interesting.   Adjectives As you probably already know, adjectives are often formed by adding a suffix to a noun. The suffix -ous changes a noun into an adjective. danger – dangerous caution – cautious The suffixes -able and -ible convey that something has a certain quality or that something is possible. For example, the adjective affordable means that a product's price is low enough to be able to buy it. afford – affordable flex – flexible The suffix -ful conveys a particular quality or quantity of something.  For example, the adjective fearful means 'full of' fear.

fear – fearful

Adverbs of manner

Adverbs of manner describe how something happens. Most are formed by adding -ly to the adjective. apprehensive – apprehensively Some adjectives and adverbs have the same form. Examples: early, fast, hard, high, late, low, right, wrong. The exam was very hard. (adjective) I had studied hard for the exam. (adverb) 3. PRONOUN REFERENCE Problems with pronoun reference   A pronoun takes the place of a noun. When writing, it's important that the pronoun clearly refers to one noun. In the sentence below, it isn't clear if the bookshelf or the ceramic piece was dusted. It could refer to either one.

She took the ceramic piece from the bookshelf and dusted it.

The next sentence is also unclear. Who made the mess – Tom or his friend?

Tom asked his friend to clean up the mess he had made.

Sometimes a pronoun comes before the noun. This means you have to look forward in the text to know what the pronoun refers to.

He walked quickly down the sidewalk. Jack was always in a hurry.



IV. SOLVING PROBLEMS CREATIVELY 

2. MIND MAPPING

Making a mind map

A mind map is a way of brainstorming to get creative ideas about a topic. A mind map is essentially a diagram used to visually organize ideas.

Here are the steps:

1. Write a single concept (your subject) in the center of your paper or whiteboard.

2. Add new ideas related to the central concept.

3. Connect the ideas with branches, which can be lines or arrows.

4. Write quickly, and don't limit your ideas. Don't edit what you have written.

5. Leave lots of space so you can come back and add more ideas later.

6. Brainstorm for a set amount of time. Then stop and discuss what ideas you want to explore in more depth. 3. SUGGESTING SOLUTIONS Suggestions can be made using very direct language. How about a stand-up meeting? If you ask me, I think we ought to postpone it. The obvious solution is to cancel the order. In a meeting, it's often a good idea to use less direct language. What I would suggest would be to run a trial. Another option would be to test different styles. What do you think of using the cafeteria? Here are some ways to respond to a suggestion. I tend to agree with his suggestion.That's a good idea, but what about budget?Another option would be to meet earlier.I'm not sure that would work. Perhaps we could change the day. 4. CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING Reading with questions in mind   When you read with a goal or purpose, you will understand more. One way to frame your goal is to read with questions in mind. Think of three questions before you start to read.   For example, if you are reading about how a company solved a problem, keep these questions in mind:   What was the problem? What was the solution? What was the outcome?