it is deceiving to the artist to have a lot of completed work. to me i think, i have made, no need to make, here i sit surrounded by what has been made. yet, it is the making that keeps me being an artist though. having made once is having been an artist, it is the making art that keeps one being an artist.
my father has made one art in his life, it is hanging up in the basement, out of view. beautiful piece. this is proof that he can make art but he really likes that he has made art, and so he is not an artist anymore. he was an artist though.
this is not gatekeeping, it is gate awareness. there is a gate to pass through for most things in life. the gate around being an artist has no lock or key, it is not hidden in the trees. all you have to do to be an artist is make art consistently. that is it. make any art you want, but make the art, or risk becoming a was.
i do not want to become a was i need to remain an am.
the struggle of the artist is balancing the made with the making.
it is imperative to not attach too heavily to the outcome that when the outcome arrives all you think about for the rest of your life is the time you created that specific outcome.
when i make art i become enamored with its creation, the outcome is just the result of what i love. it is ok to love the outcome, to attach to it, you just can't let it become who you are. this will make you very risk adverse.
when the making is over i enjoy the outcome but that is not why i started. i set an intention, i make art that reflects that intention, and when it is over i know that the result is accurate because of how deeply i sat with my intention to create.
you have to show up consistently for your art to be an artist. you need to increase your chances of having a good idea or a wonderful intention by giving the ideas a chance to graze you while you are ready to create. if you are always doing chores or going to restaurants or driving your car what the hell do you do with a good idea that lands on you.
also it is ok to switch mediums or have different ways of self expression. i am a writer, painter, drawing guy, digital artist, meme maker, collage artist, poet, and sculptor.
the very last gate to pass through as an artist is publishing and i don't think it is good to think about it until you have to think about it. write the book you like, make the art that is good for your eyes. you is a person, other people is also people. we really are not that different from each other, so we can reasonably trust that whatever we find palatable and interesting probably lands the same to at least a percentage of the population.
make the art, show up for the art, share the art, be the artist
jbbartram-illu
kaledo-art
discoholicmusic
2087