March 21, 2023

Art needs life

There are times when the art practice needs to take a back seat. Maybe it’s that work is overwhelming, or the kids need more attention than usual, or someone close to us needs an extra level of care beyond normal. Like, right now, I’m working 3 jobs at once. I love that work, deeply, but it’s not art. So it’s easy to think that work is ‘taking over’, that I’m losing my motivation or inspiration for making art. But, it seems, the opposite may be true.

Life, like art, isn’t static. In fact, they feed each other. The experiences we have in life fuel the personal exploration of answers to questions no one asked of us. In fact, without life, art may be impossible.

So, sometimes, life has to take priority, and instead of fighting it, the best thing to do is embrace it. Those intense periods of work, the kids, or caring for others will eventually subside and the space to create art once again do eventually appear it’s just that now, we may have something more to say because we’ve lived a little in between.

Other observations
November 5, 2024

Consistent or resistant

Is my aversion to change about my wanting to be consistent? Or, am I actually being resistant and am I losing something because of that?

October 22, 2024

Critically unacclaimed

What do reviews really tell us about the work? Does it matter who’s reviewing?

October 15, 2024

Proper technique

If I’m learning a new art form, do I focus on technical correctness first or building an emotional connection with the medium?

October 8, 2024

The importance of mess

Physical art materials are messy and inconvenient. But isn’t that the point?

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