I don't accept the full blame for my illness, as I believe that an illness like this isn't something you can ever truly claim responsibility for. It's dangerously satisfying to put the blame in a single place, but entirely wrong to do so. However, if I ignore the habits and things I did that contributed to the problem, then I haven't learned my lesson and continue to do damage to myself.
Read Morebad reasons for making (or not making) art
Ever felt stuck in a creative rut? Ever really just wanted to prove something to someone? Ever felt completely ignored and wanted to burn all your materials in a giant heap of cathartic flame? Well I have too, and I'm here to tell you that all of your reasons for making (or not making art) are probably wrong.
Examine the lists below, and see if something feels familiar.
bad reasons for making art
to prove someone wrong
to achieve fame or wealth
to make someone jealous
because it's "cool"
to “be the best”
If you're making art for some kind of crazy image-enhancing scheme or external motivation, you are going to burn out eventually. Someone you're trying to impress may not even be worthy of your efforts! Don't make art because it's impressive to do so.
bad reasons to quit making art
there's no money in it
there's a lot of it out there already
someone else is better at it than you
no one's noticed
it's a "waste of time/money"
"I have nothing to say”
Just because "it's been done before," or you're not as good at it as someone else is a poor excuse, undermining the beauty of doing a thing for the sake of doing it. Everyone has a right to make the art they want to make, and they have their own story to tell. DO IT.
Feeling stuck? You may just need a brief creative reset!
artist interview: tony henson
What makes my creative process unique or different is how I transfer the colors I see and experience in nature into my abstract paintings. Everyone sees differently and I try to show people how I see and feel through my artwork. No one has my sense of color or mark-making. No one sees as I do either.
Read Morewhy I enjoy commission work
I find this process satisfying. I find the limitations of client work an engaging and refreshing break from what feels like creating in a vacuum. And a commission can mean that you get to work in a way that you had never thought of before, as when I created a single giant fabric sunprint to be turned into a baby sling for a wonderful friend of mine.
Read Moreredefining artistic success
I was trying to grow something suited for shade in the sun, and sun in the shade. By rearranging my pursuits to fit my actual (newly-discovered) values, my life felt more livable. I could still cram my time to the brim (a bad habit of mine), but the things I pursued didn't really feel like work. It was just what I did.
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