Wow Cecil, perfect timing for me to read your positive and direct message for us artists to embrace our own uniqueness.
This week I have been struggling with rewriting my Artist Bio and statement. I have always hated doing this. Why is it so hard to share, explain, speak, write about “The Who I am and Why” I do what I do? I went on a day long dive looking at other artists bios and statements that left me feeling so under achieved in comparison based on the volume of works by year these artists accomplished.
Then I got so ( pardon my language) pissed off at myself. I had to go look in the mirror after standing in front of works and say “ Girl! You have been a successfully commissioned artist for 20 years. You know you have all the tools and curiosity to get in your space and just do whatever the heck you want!”
I’m renouncing the bad mouthing and you and all of the artists that follow you are my witness. Thank You!!!!
So much to think about here........I love it! My mind appreciates the stimulation of what you write and ask. I stopped comparing my work to other artists and only compete with myself........that is if I can fall deeply in love with a piece I'm working on as much or more than the last piece or any others that preceded that. And there are those times when I'm in the conception mode of creating a piece where I fantasize having no limits to how I want it to go......like a blink of an eye or a wiggle of the nose I can just materialize exactly what I'm visualizing.......I suppose if I had a huge studio and unlimited funds for the tools to make exactly what I see in my mind's eye.......but then.......there's something that I really love to do and that is in appreciating my limits, finding the creative engineering and ulterior options to make what I need to make. And by embracing those challenges, there's a profound feeling of accomplishing something way better than if I merely had the magic to just pop something into existence. The magic fantasies are fun but the more satisfying feelings of searching for how I can actually do something is the best.
Which is why I learned that for me, Less is More..........that came when I fantasized driving an 18-wheeler across the country to buy tons of quality junk for my assemblages......limits of junk has taught me to find ways to stretch my imagination using the limited stuff I have and find.
Wow Cecil, perfect timing for me to read your positive and direct message for us artists to embrace our own uniqueness.
This week I have been struggling with rewriting my Artist Bio and statement. I have always hated doing this. Why is it so hard to share, explain, speak, write about “The Who I am and Why” I do what I do? I went on a day long dive looking at other artists bios and statements that left me feeling so under achieved in comparison based on the volume of works by year these artists accomplished.
Then I got so ( pardon my language) pissed off at myself. I had to go look in the mirror after standing in front of works and say “ Girl! You have been a successfully commissioned artist for 20 years. You know you have all the tools and curiosity to get in your space and just do whatever the heck you want!”
I’m renouncing the bad mouthing and you and all of the artists that follow you are my witness. Thank You!!!!
Plus I did a collage recently and due to your posts I want to do more!
Hi Cecil, thanks for the peptalk. I got a new idea while I was reading it.
Cool Steve. What is the new idea? (if you don't mind me asking)
So much to think about here........I love it! My mind appreciates the stimulation of what you write and ask. I stopped comparing my work to other artists and only compete with myself........that is if I can fall deeply in love with a piece I'm working on as much or more than the last piece or any others that preceded that. And there are those times when I'm in the conception mode of creating a piece where I fantasize having no limits to how I want it to go......like a blink of an eye or a wiggle of the nose I can just materialize exactly what I'm visualizing.......I suppose if I had a huge studio and unlimited funds for the tools to make exactly what I see in my mind's eye.......but then.......there's something that I really love to do and that is in appreciating my limits, finding the creative engineering and ulterior options to make what I need to make. And by embracing those challenges, there's a profound feeling of accomplishing something way better than if I merely had the magic to just pop something into existence. The magic fantasies are fun but the more satisfying feelings of searching for how I can actually do something is the best.
Disciplining one's self to happily work within limits - and we all have to - is a superpower for creative people.
Which is why I learned that for me, Less is More..........that came when I fantasized driving an 18-wheeler across the country to buy tons of quality junk for my assemblages......limits of junk has taught me to find ways to stretch my imagination using the limited stuff I have and find.
Wow, this was a great perspective. I really enjoy these posts and how thoughtful they always are. Thanks Cecil 🙏
Thank you Eric for reading and responding with such kind words. Good to hear from you!