What do you think about when you think about art? A painting on a museum wall or an abandoned sketchbook? When you think about poetry, do you picture a printed book or a trashcan full of crumpled pages? When we talk about art, music, or literature, we’re usually talking about a finished product. But this course invites you to consider the process of creation—not just the result. Together, we’ll look at rough drafts by well-known artists, musicians, and authors, and we’ll explore big questions meant to expand our collective understanding of the never-ending processes of creation and revision. Some of those questions might include:
- Is a rough draft of a work of art still art—or is it something else entirely?
- How do different artists approach the revision process?
- What kinds of choices do artists have to make when they revise their work? Why?
- What would it mean to approach our own works-in-progress in new ways?
- How do you know when a draft is finally finished?
Instructor