Today’s territory
Taste, satisfaction, and accomplishment.
Who are you making your art for?
How will you know you are done?
What lets you know you were successful?
If you don’t know the answers, you will never feel
1. Done
2. Successful
3. Proud
In my creative consulting business, I talk with a lot of people who feel they are creatively blocked. And many people who are sure they don’t have their own style; who want to make things that everyone can identify as theirs but feel constantly stymied in this.
First, as a well-known painter friend of mine says ‘It’s all just opinions’.
Your opinion of your art, in whatever context you want to evaluate it, has to come before someone else’s opinion. This may mean that it never sells, we all have peices like that, but it doesn’t matter because you know it is a good piece for what you wanted to create in that moment.
You can choose to emulate another’s taste, because you value their experience or integrity. But acknowledge to yourself this is what you are doing. Be in control when you agree to let others have a little control of their own.
Second, each made thing, each ‘artwork’, is by definition the only one of its kind.
This means there is no need and no justification for comparing it to something else. The only authority figure involved is you. Remember that, then read the paragraph above again.
If after you evaluate it, you use other feedback to continue to work on the piece, make this a conscious choice. Set your intention, go back into the process, adjust and refine as needed. Act on the inuition you hear / feel / see.
We all have times when it is harder to get a clear perspective. Another time-honored solution is to set the piece aside, and go do something totally different: take the dog for a walk, cook dinner, go to sleep, look at it in the morning. Numerous studies on how the mind and brain work, like this one on Jonah Lerner’s blog Designing for Creativity : The Frontal Cortex point out why getting distance from your work helps your creative process.
Incidentally, this is a great reason for thinking about coming to our retreat in France this fall! Retreat.
Third, remember the old adage – if you don’t know where you are going, how can you ever get there?
Many of us were trained to stop trusting our instincts about everything, including what makes us happy. (Especially what makes us happy) But that was then, and this is now. We have an idea by now of what works for us, and what doesn’t. We are the authority figures now, see above, and we get to decide and be right about it too. Do not forget this.
Eh bien, it is very important to all of art and life that we figure this out!
What makes you feel your art is successful?
There is no wrong answer, of course.
But you have to arrive at an answer, and then test it by checking it. You can change your answer later if you decide to, although you don’t have to. But if you never know what makes you feel successful then everything will seem a bit unsuccessful, and you will always feel disappointed and unclear about what you make.
The image above is from a postcard from Tarn, the region of southwestern France where our Perception and Play retreat is held. It is not my image, and yup, it is really cheesy, right, but I like it. Makes me smile everytime I see it. Pure and simple, and good enough for me. (“Bisous” means a friendly kiss on the cheek, probably like the old-fashioned word ‘buss’). This is a successful image to me. And you know what? You may loathe it. And that is perfectly okay by me as well. Although you may agree that for what it is and does, it is wonderful. Either way is fine.
Because:
The more you know about your own esthetic, the better pieces you will make, by your standards, so
The more satisfied and powerful as a creator you will be, so
The more responsible for all your accomplishments.
Then it really will be your art!
You are full of taste and accomplishment. You just may need to find it in there, but I promise you it is in there. Go forth, make something, look at what you make with love and curiosity, then make the next thing.
Let me know what happens next-
Big bisous to you in art and life!
Tory