Dog catalog 11"X17" Sharpie pen drawing.

"Things hidden in my head" Copyright 2014 © Ronald D. Isom, Sr.

A friend reminded me to today of the lack of original thought and the excessive use of memes on Facebook. I have preached the gospel of creativity for many years but I have fallen prey to meaningless meme postings. This posting could be a meme. It is not original thought; countless articles and research papers are available on the internet. At least my art is original. Hold on a minute! My work contains elements and ideas from other artists. There are entire internet sites dedicated to Sharpie art. I am certainly not the first person to doodle. I use quotes from books to explain my art. It is an age old story we fool ourselves into thinking we came up with an "original" idea. I guess I am just trapped in my minds meme.

"Things hidden in my head" Copyright 2014© Ronald D. Isom, Sr.

“Many myths and religions have some kind of threat of retribution from their god or gods, and their doctrines warn of the dangers of doing various forbidden things. Why? Because memes involving danger are the ones we pay attention to! As oral traditions developed, our brains were set up to amplify the dangers and give them greater significance than the rest.” 
― Richard Brodie, Virus of the Mind: The New Science of the Meme

Hobby Lobby culture...

Long before Hobby Lobby became involve in moral issues many "artsy-fartsy" stores were forcing their cultural views on the public. They always purported to have the answer of how to make art and provided their customers with "easy to follow instructions". Back when I started teaching in 1961, the "craft store" concept was limited to a few hobby stores that specialize in car, plane and train kits. Art teachers generally ordered their supplies from industrial sources and a few art supply houses. Most purchases were limited to bulk paint, paper, clay etc. Craftsmen worked materials by hand and had an intimate knowledge of manipulation of materials. "Crafty creep" soon set in and more and more kits and stencils found their way into the world of fine art. Today, big box art stores are filled with pre-made items that stifle creativity and they have become the arbiters of taste. Perhaps, it is a stretch to compare abortion issues to crafty items but I think the " I have all the answers" philosophy can be a slippery slope. Personal freedom to choose and control our moral beliefs and our artistic expression is a fundamental right.

"Things hidden in my head" Copyright 2014 © Ronald D. Isom, Sr.

"Things hidden in my head" Copyright 2014 © Ronald D. Isom, Sr.

"Things hidden in my head" Copyright 2014 © Ronald D. Isom, Sr.