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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Some Thoughts on Success: Is That All There Is?
Today I’m bringing back a post from my archive that explores why we may feel dissatisfied when we reach goals or achieve success, and how to find validation in the present moment. Enjoy!
A dear artist friend of mine recently finished a major commission. (SO excited for her and proud of her!) However, she mentioned she’s feeling a little let down after all the hard work she put in to get it finished on a tight deadline. She’s left with that feeling: Is that it?
It reminded me of a story I heard about an artist who achieved the distinction and recognition of being included in the Whitney biennial in her early 20s- an achievement that many contemporary American artists covet and aspire to. And yet, as she was riding the bus after the opening and she described an empty feeling and a similar thought. So that was it?
(Depending on where you are right now with your career you may be saying to yourself, If only I had such problems!)
But this kind of post-event let down brings up a question all of us face: Why are we doing this stuff in the first place? Because I’m sure many of you, like me, have these benchmarks – things we want to achieve because we think we’ll feel better when we get them.
I’ll be really happy when…
I get in that gallery.
Someone buys my work.
I get in the Whitney Biennial.
We might get so caught up in reaching that goal, completing a body of work or preparing for an exhibition that we forgot to feel happy with where we are right here and now. We may neglect to appreciate the present moment and our current situation.
I know in my own life I have had different dreams for my art. For instance, when I was in my 20s I always wanted to travel abroad for my art and have shows in different countries. I dreamed of exhibiting my work in museums. Now that I’ve achieved these things I want even bigger things. I want to be in bigger museums and better known venues. I compare myself to others who have achieved things I have not and I forget to appreciate all that I have created and all that I have achieved. This isn’t good enough. What’s next?
There are always things to appreciate no matter where you are in your career. It’s great to always be looking forward and to have big dreams visions and goals to help us move forward.
But actually the true joy and excitement is in the day-to-day!
We live only in the present moment.
Honestly, nothing else exists. Everything else is just dreams (the future) or memories (the past).
We got in this racket to enjoy the creative ride!
Every dream or goal is to inspire some kind of fun action that we can savor while we are in the moment.
Moment by moment by moment.
Contrary to popular myth it’s not about some kind of arrival, some pinnacle, some accomplishment.
Think for a moment about all the unfulfilled dreams and wishes you have currently for your creative or professional life. Now ponder what exactly is it that you hope you will feel when you’ve achieved this dream? Will you feel more successful? Will you feel happier because you’ll feel validated as an artist? Will you feel better when your work is recognized? Or that other people will take you more seriously as an artist?
Is there a way you can validate yourself right now? How can you appreciate or recognize yourself as you are in your current state?
Now, pause to savor this very moment. Breathe deeply. Feel your body against the chair, hear the hum of your computer. Receive the sounds around you near and far. The drip of the faucet, a bird, the neighbor’s thumping bass? Notice the colors and textures in your vicinity. Close your eyes and allow a faint smile to lighten your lips. Can you keep breathing and relaxing until you can touch on the exquisiteness and the preciousness of this present moment?
I’d love it if you’d share in the comments below something small (or big!) that you treasure and cherish in your current life. Be it the fact that you are blessed to have a box full of art supplies to make your work, or the fact that you have a space to work in or the fact that you have these gifts or skills or you have a family member or a friend or a teacher who is supportive of your endeavors.
Isn’t it wonderful that I have this connection to my creativity?
How great it is that I have had ideas and new ones keep flowing through me!
Isn’t it sweet that I am reading this article because I’m committed to supporting myself mentally, emotionally spiritually as a creative person?
Whatever it is, I invite you to appreciate that now and do not let go of your dreams!
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Art & Meditation: Creating A Daily Practice
In this post, I’m continuing our exploration of how artists can use meditation as a
tool to improve their studio practice. You can read more in Part I and Part 2.
Recently I was asked, what is the difference between mindfulness and meditation? While mindfulness is being aware in the present moment, meditation is the means to cultivate mindfulness. It takes practice – just like learning to tie your shoelaces. When you were small, you may have struggled quite some time to learn this. But now you do it so effortlessly, you scarcely know the steps.
This daily practice of sitting in meditation can also be applied to sitting to make art. Picasso used to say, “Inspiration exists, but it must find you well placed at your work.” To me, “well placed” means showing up regularly to the studio, without fail, even if I’m feeling some resistance to the idea. Because the first ten minutes of work is always the hardest. Once you get going, the work carries you.
You know that feeling when you first wake up? When your thinking is clear and your mind is calm? Many people tell me that is when they have their best creative thinking. I know it’s true for me. When I have a challenging project before me, I like to devote at least 25 minutes on it when I first wake up following my meditation time. Some people get that fresh mind from taking a shower. I think that’s why many people say they get their best ideas in the shower. I think it’s similar to meditation. Your body is washed clean and with it, your thoughts. You’re relaxed, you are not trying to think of anything in particular or do anything else. Your mind becomes clear. Ideas flow in.
Meditation can give you that “fresh mind” any time of the day, no water required. I call meditation a superhighway to new ideas and solutions. When you slow thoughts, observe thoughts, your mind can open to its higher centers of creative thinking.
I have found that many artists struggle to find consistency in their creative practice. The first thing I recommend is setting aside 15 minutes to make art. Daily. I find that even the busiest people who truly want to make art can find 15 minutes a day. Consistency is key. Because your body, your mind, your heart and your soul get used to that time. It’s as if you were ready for it. The more you do it, the more ready you are.
The benefit of being consistent is that you find your mind is actually working on your art at other times, in the background, while you are doing other things. The creative problem-solving continues even when you are not actually in the studio.
Here are some things to consider to help you get started:
- Think about your mornings. Is there a way to carve out an extra 15 min to write/paint/draw before you walk out the door to work? I like to have my tea while I draw sometimes.
- What about lunch time? Can you keep some simple supplies such as paper, pens and markers at work for 15 minutes of drawing time during your break?
- What about your evening? After dinner, can you take fifteen minutes alone to draw, sketch, or scribble some ideas?
- No matter what time of day you choose, set a timer. Fifteen minutes goes by quick, and you may be surprised about what happens in a short, focused period of time.
- Create space. Consistency is easier if you have a place to work and have what you need. Whether it’s a corner of your desk with a jar of pencils or an entire room, make sure you have a place to create with your supplies close by.
How do you make time in your busy life for your art? What challenges do you face to building a daily habit? I invite you to share some of your questions or challenges, or your routines and habits that work in the comments section below.
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Motivation to Create! Six reasons to go make stuff NOW!
We all need a little push now and again. Sometimes we’ve just gotten busy and neglected making art for a little while or maybe we had a job or were raising children and neglected it for a good long while.
Whatever the reasons, here is some inspiration to help get you back to work! If not RIGHT this moment, then hopefully sometime in the very near future!
- Think how good you’ll feel when you do!
- Only by doing it will you be able to move through ‘the wall’ to free creative energy.
- You need creative time to bring out the best in yourself.
- The Butterfly Effect – Your creativity effects other in ways you will never know. You don’t have to be a “famous” artist to have an impact. Just think of how we are still affected by the cave paintings done over 6,000 years ago by anonymous early humans or the baskets, weavings, ceramics, etc. created by people in civilizations who predate ours.
- It’s an antidote to consumerism. Adds to the good in the world.
- Creativity connects you to something greater than yourself.
Now go make something. NOW. Go do it! Even if it’s just for 10 minutes! Yay!!
If you’ve been missing making your art, share below and let us know which reason resonated the most with you?
What are some other reasons you can come up with to do your creative work?
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