Sublimity in print.
Form Given Meaning
- Features
- April 23, 2024
- Visuals by Mel Francis Amadora
As the official paper of DCLL of the University of San Carlos, HALANGDON reflects what the word “art” means in all of its programs as the department has plenty of artists in many creative expressions.
Communications, Linguistics, Literature—DCLL offers programs for betterment of self-expression. True to our motto, we chose our programs in how we wished for our voices to be heard, and to most of us, art is an outlet to further express our thoughts, no matter how inane, or insane it may be.
DEFINITION
“Art is like a form of translation. We, the artists, take what’s inside our minds that we can never hold, see, hear or feel, and we endeavor to make it real.”
-Mel Amadora [Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Cultural Studies]
Mel’s words resonated with my own view of art, as art for me is peering through a window to the billions of threads weaving in my head, and attempting to untangle some. He is the Creative Director of Halangdon, while I am a Literary Writer, and a contributor in the Creative Department (ironically, I have written less than I have drawn for the paper, even though I am officially a writer).
To our editor-in-chief, Arcturus Jerome Gonzales, art begins when he expresses an idea, in the form of cookery.
Meagan Bullecer, our website manager and feature writer, believes that art is an opening in an enclosed sphere that is the world. As she puts it, “art begins when you are moved by something internally. Art is ‘artful’ because it celebrates our humanness and gives it justice through its artful display.”
For Isha Banag, our video editor, art has a story, meaning, purpose, whether for the creator or the audience, regardless of what emotions it incites.
Our resident Literary Writer and Illustrator Sam Mendez, insists that art is meaningless. Rather, “anyone who sets parameters on art is anti-art”, considering that deeming something as not art is a slippery slope. I’m not one to put words in his mouth, but I understood his words as “anything and everything can be artful,” and that it’s not someone’s interpretation of it that defines the guidelines of art
INTEREST
Our art can be rooted in something we unearthed after years of digging, or simply a weird box we found lying around in our space.
For Kuya Mel, it was music videos. He was inspired by the hundreds of storytelling that a music video can employ. He started in 2016, but this hobby of his took off from fan edits he made on Instagram in 2019. This extended to his skills in graphic designing as he was tasked to make lots of PowerPoint presentations and infographics in his Senior High.
Kuya Arc’s cooking started when he was young. He found joy in the elaborate performance art that is its long, intricate process. From the selection of produce, the mise en place, and the process of cooking, he found it to be a blast of experience.
For Meg, it was books that sparked her interest in words. When she found an unused typewriter in her father’s office, though, is when she cemented her love for writing. She wrote a poem about a hot air balloon, which her grade school teacher read one day, and later on published in their school paper.
Isha’s, on the other hand, awakened her interest in cartoons and animations, as well as mythos from a myriad of cultures, and from her favorite book “Journey to the West”. In her sixth grade, she started drawing all day, every day, honing this skill of hers. She also wrote stories, comics, and video editing. As if she embodies the warnings that our parents often impart to us about surfing too much, she was nurtured by the internet.
Picasso famously said “Every child is an artist, the problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” But Sam did not struggle with that at all, as his art stems from his childhood. He simply never stopped.
As for me, I was moved by my own opinions—I had too much to say, literally, so I wrote them. One time, my teacher had us write an essay, and I thought it was simply an activity, so I blabbered on and on. But turns out, it was for a school-wide contest! I won 2nd place among the school body of 1st graders to 10th graders, as a 4th grader. I recall the win in that essay-writing contest being the first medal I ever earned.
TALENT VS SKILL
Writing is not the only artistic endeavor I practice. I also contribute graphics to Halangdon as a traditional, and digital artist. But truth be told, I don’t think I was born an artist. I recall snide remarks I made to the artists I know, saying that I was jealous of their inherent talent, for I seem not to catch it. They shut me down, saying “It’s not a talent”. Only now, as I am developing the skill, do I understand the “talent vs skill” conversation. Arrogant as I may sound, I believe myself to be a talented writer. Writing clicked with me. But with art, I had to fight tooth and nail to gain the skill. I went through wonky faces, stick fingers, and muddy paints, to achieve semi-recognizable drawings. I have concluded that abilities are like knives: being talented is being inherently sharp while being skillful is constantly sharpening oneself.
Meg shared an example for this: talent is sort of being inherently able to “draw” a specific art form. That’s where development starts, that spark. “And talent is useless without cultivating it and growing it into a skill which requires you a lot of practice, and trial and error.”
Isha adds that one does not really need talent. Though it may give some a head start, “talent doesn’t really get you far. If someone believes that they don’t need to keep doing what they’re good at they’ll eventually lose the talent. No one is born an expert.” She insists that complimenting someone with “you’re so skillful!” instead of “you’re so talented!” is so much better, as it recognizes the work that the skill required in the first place.
Sam said, “Art is a skill. It’s always been a skill. Especially with drawing. Any artist who says otherwise is lying because we’ve all drawn a hand over and over again and gotten slightly better.”
But I agree with Kuya Arc’s sentiment that “art will always benefit with both, but not everyone will have talent or skill together.” It is all a matter of hard work and from there, talent will show but even if it won’t, he believes in working hard enough that the skills that are built from it surpass even talent.
WHERE THEY ARE NOW
Kuya Mel, Sam, and I trust that we are skillful enough. Kuya Mel was good in semi “world-building”, able to add the illusion of depth and distance using layers, and he’s now learning about film-making, while Sam’s confidence comes from his consistency in drawing Duterte’s caricature reliably. Looking back at the skill I used to have, with the improvements I have made, and the fight I won against my own stubbornness, I believe I am progressing.
But Kuya Mel lost the spark with motion graphic editing when his phone died and his handmade presets got lost. And much like him, Isha has also lost her spark time and time before, although she trusts that all it takes is faithful practice.
On the other hand, Meg believes that sometimes, your work can “hit” or “miss”. But there is only one thing that can better you, excruciating as it is—keeping on writing no matter what. Similarly, Kuya Arc insists that he will never be good enough as the ceiling of the standard will always rise.
AN ADVICE
Kuya Arc will tell his budding artist self to welcome criticism, constructive and destructive. “I will tell him that it’s not that you shouldn’t shy away from the hurt, it is supposed to hurt, and that is a good thing because you get stronger in every single mistake you make, and if you care enough, you will stay long enough for the mistakes to build you into a better person.”
Meanwhile, Kuya Mel will tell himself as a young artist to not worry about minute details. “Every new thing you create gives you another lesson, and it piles up secretly until you’re used to proficiencies in your craft that you would never have understood months or years before. So yeah, just create.”
On a similar note, Isha will tell their younger self to stop comparing themselves to others, and not to get discouraged when they can’t create things in their head.
Meg and Sam will tell their younger selves to keep on going. Meg says, “Your tastes will develop far quicker than your own skill, but just keep writing. There’s something there that’s useful and the rush of finishing a piece is a feeling you’ll want to feel more often.” And Sam advises, “learn watercolors and gouache because you’ll hate yourself in 10 years for waiting till you’re 20 to learn. Give yourself carpal tunnel and blisters using colored pencils and pastels.”
And me, if I were to talk to Abigail, who was so arrogant that she insisted on writing complex sentences where it wasn’t needed, I would tell her to write for an audience. “Do not delude yourself into thinking the praises for your write-ups no one can understand, not even yourself, are worth anything. The thoughts you insist on writing are good enough to share. Share them.”
BUT WHAT IS ART?
Art allows Kuya Mel’s intangibles to become tangible. It brings his imagination into reality.
Art eases Kuya Arc’s burden of living, his rest from the struggle and hustle of it all.
Art gave Sam sanity.
Art motivated Isha, helped her express herself, released stress and tension, and made her really happy, even if it’s not from her because others’ passion is just as infectious.
Art is an attempt to make my unintelligible brain somewhat comprehensible.
And when asked if practicing art helps her life, Meg answered a confident “Of course”.
For many of us, art goes unnoticed. We can create but insist we are not creative. We can express but insist we weren’t artful. But art is not a pedestal. Some people are talented artists, but all of us can be as skillful. Art is humanity, and for as long as you are human, you will be able to express yourself artfully. This is what April 15 celebrates.
“There are artists who will work their entire lives with all the talent they have and go nowhere, and there are [those] who will make so much despite having little to no talent. The only person an artist should validate is themselves.”
– Arcturus Gonzales HALANGDON EIC
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
But a passerby who wishes her daydreams be told to the world.