It’s a difficult one this week! As I sit down here are start tapping away I have not done any artworks, apart from my daily visual journal. I am finding it difficult to get a balance between my work commitments and creating something for myself. This is nothing new and millions, if not billions go through the same thing. But it’s still difficult to get through nonetheless.
Imposter
That leads me nicely into my thoughts for this week. One of the main reasons I started my blog was to document my journey into becoming an artist. As I sit and write this, I am having jitters even writing it. In the last couple of days of flicking through Threads and to a lesser extent on Mastodon, I have been hit by a big dose of Imposter Syndrome. There are just so many talented people out there! “Wow, that’s better than anything I could make!”. Ad nauseam. To the point where I said to myself. “Better give up now, and get a better job”.
It’s so hard to be surrounded by these creative, more prolific, talented, consistent, professional and all-round better artists. There is just so much of it. The mind works in mysterious ways. Mine seems to be the contrary. Always flipping to the more negative side. Coming from a family of artists probably doesn’t help either. But that’s more about my own self-awareness or the lack of it. But Imposter Syndrome is a thing. Probably way more profligate now with all the social media platforms displaying other talents for all to see. I know I have said previously that the benefit of the internet is the access to the world. But the drawbacks are the access to the world.
So, how does one overcome this? Well in my case after thinking about it for a bit. All that matters is that one gets enjoyment from one’s efforts. Whether that’s doodling on a Post-it note every day or taking a year to paint a massive oil canvas. Ultimately, it’s the joy of doing.
When it becomes a job then it might not be as enjoyable?! But I guess that the majority of people on the internet creating Art want some kind of recognition. Whether that’s likes, followers or making money from their efforts. Not everyone is selling for selling sake. Some sell to just pay for materials. But the basic premise is that there is some recognition that someone likes your work.
With all that said. How do I see myself in all this? Well, I think I need to know where I want to go with my Art and then commit to putting the effort in to produce things that others might like. It doesn’t have to be for sale. I do my daily journal as not only a record for myself but for others to hopefully get some enjoyment from. I know that it does bring a brief moment of joy to a couple of people, admittedly they are family members, but I’ll take that.
However, I want to take the experiment of the dairy and put it into my other Artwork projects. My initial thought was, “Oh I won’t be able to do that before Christmas as just won’t be able to find the time”. But I think a more healthy approach is to say that I will start, and where I can find time to sit down and do I will.
Don’t put things off!
Make time!
Do stuff!
… and not blog about it.
What I have watched, listened to, come or across.
In thinking about creating art and having an outlet. I stumbled across this channel talking about Etsy and their treatment of their sellers. I know there are always two sides to a coin and we don’t know the whole picture of many of these kinds of stories. But on the whole, we know that the big corporations are only out for themselves.
But I do think that remaining in control of one’s work is paramount. Or at least not rely on one point of failure. But that’s probably another topic.
There were some recommendations for alternatives most of which I had heard of, and one I hadn’t.
I have been clearing out my podcast app and thinking about replacing the ones that I’m not listening to or that have gone inactive. So if you have any recommendations for art podcasts, that would be appreciated.
One Picture
Wrap Up
Although it has been a bit of a creative desert over the last week. Writing this post has spurred me on to not allow the grind of the nine-to-five (or longer in many cases) to affect my ability to create some art.
I sit here on Remembrance Day and I think of people who inspire me, like Ravillious and Nash. And all those who had their artistic lives cut short, the families affected too. Past and present. We shall not forget them
Until the next time…