What is behind an artists creativity? What inspires an artist to create the kind of work they do?
In search for answers to these questions, Liverpool-based filmmaker Ryan Garry set out on the path to make his new documentary The Creative Process. In a series of intimate conversations with 14 Merseyside artists, including photographers, painters, sketchers and sculptors, the film sheds light on the personal experiences of these artists.
In an interview with Liverpool Arts blog Sevenstreets, Ryan Garry explains:
"I didn’t go into the project with any presumptions about what I would find, but as with any documentary – the core message came out of it as I went along. The thing that I take from it is how it humanises creativity and art. When you go into an art gallery, you might see a painting that can be quite abstract and opaque, but these people in the film are speaking to you. You can see their art and can see them as a person, and you get a sense that their work is really just an extension of themselves. You get a clearer understanding of how they’re trying to communicate to you."
The Creative Process features artists from all walks of life, including Liverpool poet Brian Patten, one of the authors of 1967s "The Mersey Sound" poetry anthology. The film explores the artists individual styles and examines how each work is closely linked with powerful moments from their past. Garry discovers how an overwhelming numbers of artists consider creation as their home.
The Creative Process was made in association with the Rathbone Studio, and previewed in July 2015 at BFI Southbank and is currently touring UK cinemas.