The first time I ever thought about “outsider” influence on an art was watching that one episode The Simpsons[1]. Homer tries to build a backyard barbecue pit and turns into such a mess that some passing art gallery owner mistakes it for beauty and elevates him into the art scene. It is a parody of the notion of the idea that sometimes creation is accidental… and anyone can do it.
It’s a farce of course. Comedy.
But the notion of the novice outsider is not.
I am definitely an outsider.
I am not a pro. I am largely self-taught (provided you don’t count the occasional class at the community centre.) And I far too often break the rules simply because I don’t actually know them yet.
Gatekeepers everywhere will pronounce, thus, that my efforts are null and void.
And yet others of a more nurturing nature will decide that we are all students and imperfect until the day we die, so all of us are outsiders until then.
Which is it?
Being an outsider hardly puts me in a position to suggest what that answer might be, but I would offer that notions of “revitalizing energy”, “fresh blood” and “new talent” are not cliche by accident. I think many people recognize that outsiders can break barriers and unclog stuck patterns, maybe even helping those entrenched on the inside, offering inspiration or change.
I’m not saying my noodling art will do that by some deliberate design or effort, but I think the possibility of such accidental insight means we shouldn’t simply dismiss outsiders either.
References
- ↑ . (1999). The Simpsons: Mom and Pop Art. 10(19). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0701180/.
Terms FROm this POSt
- gatekeeper
- In my own personal experience, people with knowledge, skills and talent fall into one of two categories: they either become people who open the door for others by teaching, mentoring and contributing to the greater community of their chosen field… or they guard the entrance and dismiss the work and effort of those who haven’t achieved to the same level as they have. In whatever your field, be a mentor and hold the door. Don’t be a gatekeeper.
- inspiration
- A vague concept I mention frequently on this blog but rarely define, I think the notion of being inspired is really at the foundational level, the seeds of creativity. Without inspiration, without muse, without spark creativity is just work or repetition or rote effort. Inspiration does not necessarily need to be monumental or epic or of the highest quality, but rather it is what is at the start of every creative process …until it flowers and drops more seeds of inspiration and the cycle repeats.
- noodling
- In many fields of art or music this is a term to describe loose creativity not intended for sharing or performance. I might noodle on a keyboard typing out character profiles or unpublishable notes. I might noodle on my violin, playing little songs, scales and melodies. I might noodle with an art book, sketching shapes or matching colours.
- outsider
- I think we all probably understand what is means to be part of a group… or conversely to be excluded from it. Outsiders tend to be excluded, and not always deliberately. Outsiders might just be outsiders because they haven’t come inside yet, either because they are new or haven’t acquired the password. In the case of creative expression, that password can be professional or proliferance, but either way, not (yet) inside.
