Carley Byers: “A Blank Space. It’s all I felt and all I saw…”

Writes Carley Byers (’21):

“You must have your eyes open. The habit of looking at things with curiosity should carry through in everything you do. Marvel is all around you.” – Enrique Martinez Celaya

I originally made this short film for my Creativity & Difference freshman seminar taught by Professor Preziuso. We were asked to create a project in any medium that reflected a subject we had covered in the class. My story stemmed from the changes, doubts, and questions I was having throughout my first semester. I felt very connected to one of our readings entitled, “Being an Artist” by Enrique Martinez Celaya and wanted to use that as my main source of inspiration.

I created this film to express that making art is so much more than just putting marks on canvas, molding clay, or piecing together clips for a film. An artist needs the courage to create, the strength to accept self-criticism and the criticism of others. Many times creators are stifled due to their own fears. I wanted this film to empathize with artists while also conveying to others the rewards and struggles of creating. There is a constant undiscussed pressure in art making which is so challenging yet beautiful. It’s that story I wanted to tell.