Dec 10th 1-2-3: Remember Why You Chose Art
1: Remember Why You Chose Art ( 4 minute read )
Being an artist is like being an acrobat of sorts.
I know, sounds a bit absurd doesn’t it ?
I surely think it sounds absurd, but at the same time it’s very accurate in one specific sense. The sense of balance.
You see, I’ve found that delving deep into a piece of work, and focusing on being ‘proactive’ in getting the work done or even just maintaining my fundamentals, it’s easy to lose sight of what made me chose art to begin with.
Losing sight of what inspired us in this artistic direction of life makes the work we are currently doing feel like it’s a fruitless endeavor.
Almost like it’s a huge waste of time, or like we’ve put all our eggs into this one basket that was blatantly the worst basket to put them into.
This could not be further from the truth, which is why I think it’s important to, in these moment, take a step away from our work and simply be an admirer of art again.
Reminisce on what brought you to this path of art and relive that inspiration.
In short, when going hard on yourself is proving to be utterly discouraging, go easier on yourself.
Conversely, if you're going too easy on yourself and you're not getting your work done, go a bit harder on yourself, get to your desk and get to work.
Learn to counterbalance to accurately achieve balance.
The Childlike Lens
As you may have noticed in past entries, I have referred to this ‘childlike lens’ when talking about wonder, imagination, or now in this case, going easier on yourself and learning to counterbalance.
In reference to remembering what made you chose art, do the following:
Remember the person you were when you were first ‘taken’ by a piece of art.
Whether it was a song, a book, a movie, whatever it was just remember where you were.
Reminisce on the emotions and thoughts that provoked that initial spark of inspiration within yourself.
Think about some of the first pieces of work that you consumed that just ‘felt right’ or ‘felt like it was for you’.
The things that seemed like in some ways they were ‘made just for you’.
Think about all of these moments and remember the almost childlike lens you saw them through. Know that these moments are some of the most beautiful and special moments for us as artists and creatives.
They shape us as artists, and that Childlike Lens is largely impactful factor into those moments.
As humans, not just artists, it’s natural for us to grow up and lose that Childlike Lens that we once had.
The lens that made the world seem like a wonderful place full of mystery and discovery. A profoundly evocative place full of new experiences and bereft of any worry or care.
Now I do think it’s important that was we grow up we learn to see the world for what in reality, it really is.
It’s a very beautiful place full of people of many vastly differing creeds and cultures.
All similar in our distinctly innate ability to adapt, survive, and make the most of life.
All seeking to make the most with what cards they have been dealt.
The constant clashing between these people with their vastly differing creeds and cultures can make the world seem full of pain, suffering, loss, violence, and evil.
And in many ways, it is.
This reality is a frequently painful fact and it can easily strip away that Childlike Lens we once had, and looked through with glee.
As I said above, I think it’s an important part of life to grow and learn to see the world for these realities.
Though I also think that, that doesn’t mean you must throw away that childlike sense of wonder and mystery.
The Balancing Act
To simply throw away the lens of childlike wonder, is to chose to live in a world that is not worthy of life.
To hold onto that childlike lens so strongly, is to chose to live in delusional ignorance to the harsh realities of life.
There can, and should, be a balance between these perspectives.
And as artists this can be boiled down to getting so deep into a piece of work that you forget what made you love art.
You forget to see art through that ‘Childlike Lens’.
Thus you’ll begin to feel like the proverbial ‘blood, sweat, and tears,’ that go into your work are pointless and a waste of time.
Become keen to your moment to moment leanings, and learn to counterbalance them.
When you become too enamored by the imaginative wonder that comes through that lens, you end up losing all productivity with your art, and then it dies.
When you forget to look through that lens from time to time, your art will begin to lose all meaning and purpose, and then it will die.
Seek balance in your process, because through that balance will come an artistic fortitude that can go the long road.
Seek to learn yourself and your own process more intimately to know how, and when you require a bit of counterbalancing.
2: Creative Prompts From Us (ex. Write a short story, a poem, a song, or draw a quick illustration of these! Let your imagination run free.)
I. The physical embodiment of sorrow stands before you weeping. what does it look like? What does it sound like ? Why is it sad?
II. An unused table candle comes to life an bears its day to day struggles on you. What are they ? How is the candle carrying all these burdens?
3: Inspirational Quotes From Others
I. “Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.”
-Robert Fulghum, American Author
II. “Step with care and great tact. And remember life’s a great balancing act.”
-Dr. Seuss, American Author and Cartoonist
III. “What is joy without sorrow? what is success without failure? what is a win without a loss? what is health without illness? you have to experience each if you are to appreciate the other. there is always going to be suffering. It’s how you look at your suffering, how you deal with it, that will define you.”
-Mark Twain, American Writer and Humorist
Thank you so much for reading!