More About Houston Art Tribe

Episode 5 with Earl V. Staley

What I have found thus far in my new and somewhat amateur beginnings in this video series, is that we increasingly discuss and validate what it is to be an artist, what our creative process looks like, how our environment and/or workspace/studio effects us, what inspires or engages us to continue creating and how important it is to have the support of other artists, along with the art and the Houston communities.

Episode 4 with John Slaby

At some point, I intend to give this website a chance to be more than just a simple description of the Houston Art Tribe YouTube channel. I thought about doing some sort of artist forum for open discussion, but believe there are so many other social media sites that handle this idea well enough already. It may also be beneficial to do an artist registry, but this seems less than useful as many sites already offer one, and they have way more traffic, although it still may happen down the road.

Something else I am beginning to see is that when you sit in an artist’s studio and discuss their work, their process, their life, their series and shows, it is very difficult to cut down the 25-35+ minutes of original footage to a 15 minute-or-less, meaningful video without it looking like it is missing something. 

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Episode 3 with Joan Son

Episode 2 with donna e. perkins

Some might say this is my inexperience or simply my limited perspective, and that something meaningful could be done in a few minutes, but this is an interview/discussion, not a short, entertainment clip or small taste of something so complex as an artist's life, their creative projects and their valuable take on what it means to be an artist. So, I am letting go of my original idea that these videos must be 10 minutes or less. The attention span of YouTube viewers may not be long, but if you are like me and want to see and hear what an artist says about their process and their work, you may wish to watch the entire 20+ minute video!

I am sure I have a great deal to learn through this process, and it would not be just my lack of skills as a videographer, or my often, awkward conversational moments, but more about why I am so driven to do this in the first place. As a visual artist, I am inclined to think it has to do with having a wider scope of media to play with, but at the heart of this, I sense it is my own inner artist who seems to need this conversation most, who needs to see and share with others in their creative element, and to somehow confirm the conviction of my own process. Whatever it is, I am wholy there and wanting to continue with complete regard for this media, for the artists, and for my love of creating.

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