Studio Tour November 2019
Hello Friends!
As 2019 comes to a close, I want to share a video of what’s been happening in my studio recently. I like to do this from time to time because I think it’s helpful to see what other artists are up to in their practice.
I also think it’s helpful to take a moment to pause and take stock of everything that has happened in a year. You may be surprised about how all of those little moments of art making even in 15 minutes increments of studio time here and there can really add up!
As we begin to turn into a new year, I encourage you to take some time to reflect on your studio journey this year. What went well? What did you struggle with? What new things did you learn? And what does taking stock of the past bring up for you? Does it inspire something for the coming year?
I invite you to share your reflections with everyone in the comments section below. Community is one of the most important things we build as artists and is what helps us through the tough or slow times. I love hearing from you on how this forum adds to your practice and how I can continue to support you.
And if you are looking for more studio tips and guidance over the winter break, head on over to my Youtube channel. We have quite the community growing there, too!
All my best,
Michele
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Feeling unsure or insecure about your work?
I was recently an artist-in-residence in Northern California where I had the chance to learn letterpress along with other printmaking techniques. All the processes I learned were brand new to me and I enjoyed the challenge of incorporating them into my oeuvre. After twelve intense days of printmaking, the residency culminated in a public exhibition. Because it was such a quick turnaround, I hadn’t really had time to fully resolve one of my pieces and get it to a place where I felt complete. I decided to show it anyway.
Because I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, I started to worry about what other people would think about it and how well it would be received. These were uncomfortable feelings that I hadn’t experienced in a while.
But after taking some time to reflect, I realized that it is important to me that my studio practice continues to grow and change. Staying stagnant or doing the same thing over and over again doesn’t feel energizing to me. There will be times when I make things that I don’t like.
As artists, it’s important for us all to remember that we need to be ok with being uncomfortable. This is what leads to new discoveries or solutions. Sometimes the hardest part of being in the studio is setting our ego aside. You can’t predict how someone will feel about your work and at the end of the day, that isn’t your job. Your job is simply to create.
I invite you to join the conversation. How do you handle feelings of insecurity when they crop up? Share with me and the mindful artist community in the comments below.
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The Importance of Creating Community
Making art is by nature an isolating activity. The majority of artists work alone and need quiet time in the studio to focus and concentrate, to allow ideas to bubble up, to experiment freely without prying or inquiring eyes. When I go to my studio, I like to close the door, turn off the phone, shut out the world and enter a deep, almost meditative state of concentration.
Although the creative work itself may necessitate alone time and privacy, the life of an artist needn’t be lived in isolation. In fact, our success depends on the connections we cultivate. I’m not simply referring to “meeting the right people” – the influential ones who can give us something, or move our work forward. My daily life is made full by my rich community of artist friends.Which means I spend many hours of my day completely alone.
Wherever you go or decide to live, cultivating a community of like-minded individuals will nourish your work. Unlike others, your artist friends will not be insulted when you choose to go to your studio on a Friday night instead of joining them at the movies.
When you are going through of periods of scant or no recognition, having no shows on the horizon, no grants to sustain you, no gallery to promote you, who will remind you how much it matters to keep doing the work?
I am fortunate to be married to a musician with a very down-to–earth philosophy on being an artist. If ever I begin to feel down-and-out, sorry for myself, or under-appreciated, he looks me in they eye and says “You are doing it for yourself, right?” and then I feel more on track. While I am not exactly doing it for myself (I sincerely want other people to benefit from my work), he reminds me that I am not in it for fame or acclaim.
Who will understand why you are devoting a large portion of your income to studio rent? Or to some ambitious five-year project? Lots of people will not relate to your lifestyle, nor will they understand it.
When the outside world seems indifferent to your creative output, your artist friends will remind you to keep at it. They won’t necessarily do this by saying so, but you will observe them making their own work, devoting their time and energy to it, and this will buoy you onward.
I invite you to share your thoughts with me in the comments below. How do you build your community as an artist? Who are the people that support your practice?
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Keeping an Open Heart in the Face of Disappointments
Part of being an artist is riding the natural ups and the down cycles. There will be high times (we are getting published, in shows, having sales, or accolades) and inevitable lower times (we didn’t accepted into a show or get the grant, or residency or what have you).
A while back, I watched a documentary called “How To Cook Your Life”, a film about Edward Espe Brown, a zen priest who was the head tenzo, or cook, at the Zen Buddhist retreat, Tassahara.
There were many pearls in this film, but one that struck me was when he spoke of life’s disappointments. I will paraphrase, but basically he said, that we hold in our hearts our dearest, most precious wishes for ourselves – for our happiness.
And then in life, we encounter inevitable heartbreaks and pain. When things don’t turn out the way we want we try to control or defend ourselves from the disappointment we feel.
So we begin to separate ourselves from our heart’s desires. And in doing so, we actually separate ourselves from our heart.
And while we may succeed in insulating ourselves from future disappointments, we create a much deeper chasm. We begin to feel an ache inside; a longing. And no matter how many material trophies we acquire it doesn’t go away. Because we have separated from our heart.
We all guard our hearts so zealously. We are so careful about whom we open them to. We are so afraid of breaking them.
This is an exercise in futility. In this life, the heart will break.
It will break open and grow bigger.
It will break like the sunrise. It will break like a wave. It will not be destroyed.
What destroys us is keeping our hearts locked up in armor of fear. This fear of being open and vulnerable doesn’t allow our hearts to grow.
The irony is this. We are not meant to protect out hearts. Our hearts are meant to protect us. When the heart is open and loving it is free of fear.
There is no stronger “protection” than a fearless heart.
Yearn (detail) © 2004 watercolor, acrylic, gouache on panel
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The Pernicious Inner Critic
The inner critic is something we are all familiar with. That little voice in our head that sows seeds of doubt that begin to question our creativity.
I’ve been working on a series of watercolors that I recently started to have doubts about. My inner critic started saying things like, “These colors are too basic” or “The colors aren’t sophisticated enough.” It wasn’t enough to make me stop working, but those seeds of doubt were there.
However, after seeing the Hilma af Klint’s show at the Guggenheim, I had an “a-ha” moment – we were using a very similar palette! I realized that the little voice had gained traction in my head and it was time to turn away from it and embrace the decisions I was making in my work.
It’s so easy for that inner critic to creep into the studio. Sometimes it’s helpful – it pushes us to ask questions, but it can also slowly take over and drown out our positive sense of self.
Do you struggle with an inner critic? It’s something we all experience from time to time. I invite you to share your experience in the comments below and how you have managed to turned it around.
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Artist to Artist: Podcasts and Resources for Inspiration
This guest post is written by my friend and fellow artist, Sarah Frazier. Sarah runs Make/Time, a business providing studio and administrative support for artists and I invited her to share some of the resources she uses to connect with other artists and gather inspiration.
I remember as an art student having an extremely vague understanding of how people actually made a living as an artist. Discussing money is often a taboo subject in American culture to begin with, and I found that as artists, we can be particularly squeamish when discussing how we financially support our practice.
However, I’m noticing that this is changing. More and more I’m finding people having discussions that look behind the curtain at how artists are building a sustainable life. And one thing that has become glaringly apparent to me is that there isn’t one “right” way to be an artist. Everyone has to find their own path that is meaningful and purposeful to them and aligned with their own values.
It can still be hard, though, when you are scrolling through Instagram or your Facebook feed to remember that there is real work and sometimes struggle happening behind the scenes. And this visual filtering through social media can often lead to feelings of resentment or jealousy because we can’t see the whole picture.
To help me stay grounded in my path, I love to listen to podcasts that feature conversations with artists and other creatives about their process and journey. Here are some of my favorites:
Beyond the Studio – Created by artists Nicole Mueller and Amanda Adams, this podcast talks with artists about the behind the scenes work of their practice, and how they support and sustain themselves as artists.
Sound & Vision – Hosted by Brian Alfred, this podcasts interviews artists and musicians about their creative process.
Hyperallergic – Podcast from the Hyperallergic blog around the discussion of contemporary art.
The Art of Process with Aimee Mann and Ted Leo – Musicians Aimee Mann and Ted Leo interview musicians and performers about their creative process and journey. Even though it isn’t visual art specific, there is a lot of overlap in terms of how people talk about managing their time and finding opportunities for their work.
Design Matters with Debbie Millman – Debbie Millman interviews designers, artists, musicians, and other cultural producers about their work, their successes, their failures, and everything in between.
In addition to listening to podcasts, I’m also extremely fond of the books edited by Sharon Louden. Sharon is an amazing artist who makes collaboration a central part of her practice. She has two books that I particularly love that are collections of essays from artists:
The Artists as Culture Producer: Living and Sustaining a Creative Life 
Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artists
I’m curious to know what resources you find inspiring in your own studio practice.
Please share your thoughts and resources in the comments below so that we can all grow together!
P.S. I recently interviewed Michele for my own blog and you can read the full interview here. She shares her own journey as an artist and many of the lessons she has learned along the way. Enjoy!
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