Finding My Voice in Kinetic Art
I’ve always remembered a wonderful quote I saw once, scribbled on the door of a preschool classroom:
“Attitude is the paintbrush of the mind, it colors everything.”
Looking back, it started as a lovely sentiment, but over the years, it’s turned into a personal mantra for me. It serves as a wonderful reminder that the way we choose to view the world and ourselves is just as important to our creative journey as any medium or technique.
As an artist, I’ve often found myself reflecting on my journey ahead. At times, the path felt clear and inviting, but more frequently, it seemed like I was navigating through the dark, reaching out for ideas, experimenting with different materials, honing my skills, and experiencing the emotional highs and lows that accompany both creativity and life. Depression, anxiety, success, and failure have all had their moments in the driver’s seat. Yet here I am, continuing to move forward, creating, and exploring with joy and determination.
Reflecting on my journey, it feels less like a plan and more like a pilgrimage. Instead of pursuing a specific goal, I was guided by my curiosity. I was building a foundation with every step. Even when I wasn’t fully aware of it, I was gradually moving toward something that truly felt genuine.
For me, the artist’s perspective is less about mastery and more about voice. It’s shaped by everything we carry in our life experiences, our emotions, our obsessions, and our frustrations. It’s how we see the world, how we process it, and how we choose to reflect it.
In my journey, that reflection has beautifully taken shape in kinetic art, a wonderful blend of motion, design, and technology that truly reflects the changes and growth I’ve felt inside. What once felt a bit scattered, my passion for machines, my fascination with movement, my eagerness to create, and my curiosity about how things feel when they move, has blossomed into a clear and meaningful expression.
Kinetic art holds a special place in my heart; it’s not just a medium—it’s a beautiful metaphor for becoming.
Each piece I create now represents a small act of convergence, merging decades of exploration and uncertainty into something that not only moves in the physical world but also evokes emotions and ideas. It’s art that doesn’t simply sit still and demand to be observed; it invites participation, reaction, and even play. It’s alive. And in a way, so am I, creatively speaking.
I once thought I was on a quest to find my passion. Now, I see that I’ve been embracing it all along!
Discovering your artistic voice often isn’t marked by grand celebrations. Instead, it tends to arrive gently, after countless hours of quiet dedication, like a soft whisper threading through a needle’s eye. And when it finally dawns on you, it’s a beautiful revelation: everything truly mattered. Every twist, every misstep, every breakthrough has its place in your journey.
All this has beautifully brought me here, transforming from a small, dark cygnet into a lovely, graceful swan, always moving forward with hope and positivity.
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Explore more of this journey through kinetic art and motion-based design at Gilliland Design Works.
