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Muse-letter
By Ivan Barnett Ivan age 3, “always observing and staying in the moment.” 1950. Image Isa Barnett. “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” — Pablo Picasso When I read Picasso’s words, I don’t hear a lament; I hear a diagnosis. Children arrive with a […]
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Muse-letter Archives
THE ROMANCE THAT NEVER ENDS By Ivan Barnett
Patina Model re-enacting Madame Butterfly for photo shoot. Image, Peter Ogilvie “Opera is love, hate, death. It is very important. With a little makeup, you can become another person. The opera is something fake, that, little by little, on stage,…
Cut the Noise. Get the Answers.
Lost souls, Finding faith finally, Santa Fe, 2021. Image by Ivan Barnett “The role of the artist is to not look away.”— Akira Kurosawa Why Ivan Barnett Isn’t Just Another “Art Coach” or Creative Consultant The internet is flooded with…
Making Art, Making Meaning: How Creativity Supports Us As We Age
Cracking the code of aging, De Vargas Street, Santa Fe 2024. Image by Ivan Barnett. “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”– Thomas Merton I’m Ivan Barnett, an artist, an Arts coach, a creative…
What Makes a Serious Play Client Serious?
The GRR Martin train with the light of my life, daughter Grace Barnett. Image by Ivan Barnett. “Art is not a thing; it is a way.” — Elbert Hubbard In the world of creative coaching, the word “serious” can sound…
The Steep Climb: Transitioning from an Emerging to Mid-Career Artist—Told Through My Own Story By Ivan Barnett
A Mid-career cut short, Claire Kahn, Santa Fe 2022. Image Ivan Barnett The Journey of a Working Artist This is not theory. It is a lived experience. For over five decades, I’ve walked the tightrope of creativity and commerce, of…
Museum Moments That Stay With You
Marcel Duchamp and Milton Avery. Image by Ivan Barnett. “Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.” — Bertolt Brecht If you work in the arts, you already feel it. The…
What goes into making a gallery a world class destination
All eyes were on 131 West Palace, Santa Fe. Image by Ivan Barnett “Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”— Vincent van Gogh Building a great gallery—a world-class gallery—is not for…
How Groundbreaking Art Making Is As Much Skill And Discipline as It Is About Being Creative, Inventive, and Innovative
Sandros perfect design sense, Santa Fe. image by Ivan Barnett “To create one’s own world takes courage.” — Georgia O’Keeffe In all great works of art, two forces are always at play: practiced discipline and fearless invention or reinvention. Groundbreaking…
First Impressions Still Matter (More Than You Think)
It only takes One, Santa Fe, NM. Image by Ivan Barnett. “The way you do anything is the way you do everything.”— Martha Beck In a world that feels like it’s spinning faster every day—where economies shift, markets contract, and…
Are You Seeking Mentors?
By Ivan Barnett Arthur, Georgia, and Carl who showed me the way, image by Ivan Barnett “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”— Winston Churchill When I was younger, I…
How Do You Know When a Work of Art Is Complete?
This happens in most studio practices more times than not. Every conversation between artist and mentor, gallerist and collector, a question that hovers silently over the table or sometimes echoes in the middle of the night when you stare at…
The Nature of Being a Professional in the Arts: A First Glance
Ivan, the consummate professional in the studio “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” – Confucius We toss around the words professional in the arts as if they have…
Welcome to Serious Play’s Muse-letter
Dear Friend, Welcome, I hope you’re doing well! I have some exciting news that I think you’ll really appreciate. You know how passionate I am about the unique blend of creativity and strategy. These are some things that guided my entire journey as an artist and gallery owner here at Serious Play. Over the years, I’ve had the chance […]
The Art of Playing Seriously
What does the art of PLAYING SERIOUSLY have to do with releasing one’s creativity? The concept of “playing seriously” is integral to releasing one’s creativity. It involves approaching creative work with a sense of playfulness and openness, while also giving…
Ivan Barnett and the World of Opera
Ivan Barnett, a maestro of creative vision, left an indelible mark on the world of opera. He did this through his unparalleled passion for staging and event organization. Over the past decade, in Santa Fe and beyond, Barnett wove his…
