The Meaning in the Making - by Sean Tucker (Paperback)

About the Book

" Become inspired, find your voice, and create work that matters. When we experience a great work of art, we are often connecting with a deep and essential truth about life and the way things are. The work resonates with us and with others, and in doing so, it brings us together and comforts us in our shared experience. However, art isn't reserved for the "full time artists." Everyone, in their own way, wants to join in on the act of creation-to become actively involved, become a maker, express one's own truths, and contribute. Sean Tucker has made things since his earliest days. His creative output has taken many shapes over the past 20 years-from musician, to photographer, to filmmaker, to speaker, to writer. Whether professionally or as an amateur, the common thread running through all of his work is a fundamental desire to make, to speak the truth, to contribute, and to connect with others. But what does it mean to make? Why are we driven to do it, and how might you take your first steps on this path to become inspired, find your voice, and create work that matters-first to you, and then, hopefully, to others? In The Meaning in the Making, Sean addresses all of this and more as he shares his own journey of creativity and making, integrating personal stories and examples with discussions about the process of making art, and offering suggestions for how you can go about carving out your own path. In small, accessible chapters and with a friendly and down-to-earth voice, Sean covers topics and ideas such as: The desire to create order from chaos, which is at the heart of why we make . The need for inspiration-feeding your mind and spending time alone, determining what to make, finding your voice and defining your style. The role of ego, and balancing the positive and negative aspects of it. Dealing with the response to your work, and how to handle criticism and feedback. Setting reasonable expectations, packing for the long road, and enjoying the journey The Meaning in the Making will not offer you quick and easy solutions or a list of practice exercises to spark your creativity. What it will do is give you the tools you need to find your own answers and embark upon your own unique journey toward finding your voice and creating work that matters. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Order Chapter 2: Logos Chapter 3: Breath Chapter 4: Voice Chapter 5: Ego Chapter 6: Control Chapter 7: Attention Chapter 8: Envy Chapter 9: Criticism Chapter 10: Shadows Chapter 11: Highlights Chapter 12: Time "--

Book Synopsis

Become inspired, find your voice, and create work that matters.

Why are human beings driven to make?

It's as if we collectively intuited, long before science gave us the language, that the universe bends toward entropy, and every act of creation on our part is an act of defiance in the face of that evolving disorder.

When we pick up a paintbrush, or compose elements through our camera viewfinders, or press fingers into wet clay to wrestle form from a shapeless lump, we are bending things back toward Order and wrestling them from Chaos.

But making things is often not enough.

We also want the things we make to be filled with meaning. We're each trying to describe what we know about life, to create a collective sense of "safety in numbers." When we reach the end of our traditional descriptive powers, it's time to weave collective meaning from poetry, painting, writing, dancing, photographing, filmmaking, storytelling, singing, animating, designing, performing, carving, sculpting, and a million other ways we daily create Order out of the Chaos and share it with each other for comfort.

On this journey we need a creative philosophy which will help us find our voice, discover our message, deal with the responses to our work, maintain inspiration, and stay mentally healthy and motivated creators as we strive to find "the meaning in the making."

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Order
Chapter 2: Logos
Chapter 3: Breath
Chapter 4: Voice
Chapter 5: Ego
Chapter 6: Control
Chapter 7: Attention
Chapter 8: Envy
Chapter 9: Critique
Chapter 10: Feel
Chapter 11: Shadows
Chapter 12: Meaning
Chapter 13: Time
Chapter 14: Benediction

About the Author

Sean Tucker is a professional photographer and filmmaker based in the United Kingdom. Born in the UK, he did most of his growing up in Africa, where he became a pastor working for the church in South Africa in his 20s. Even though that role is behind him, he still carries a fascination with psychology and spirituality, which he brings to his discussions around creativity. He has built a large following online, both on YouTube and Instagram, where he talks about the "why" behind the things we make, seeking to inspire people on their own creative journeys. Find out more at www.seantucker.photography.