Although I came from a family of artists and was brought up with a background of appreciation for the arts, I never was particularly encouraged as a child to develop my artistic gifts. I remember growing up thinking that I had to be an artistic “genius” or at least outstanding to merit becoming an artist.
When I thought of becoming an artist, I could imagine members of my family whispering behind my back, “It’s a pity she’s decided to become an artist; she doesn’t really have the talent.” This effectively stopped me in my tracks.
However, in my late twenties, I felt more and more the call to follow my artist’s soul. I had to learn to steel myself against my inner critic, who kept saying, “You are not really creative,” ”Why bother,” and “You will never succeed at this.”
In her book, “Loving What Is” Byron Katie says these wise words: “If I had a prayer, it would be this: “God spare me from the desire for love, for approval or appreciation.” This is true in all aspects of our life, and particularly true with our art. We can get absolutely paralyzed in our artistic practice by fears that our work may not be appreciated, that we may fail to impress, that people may not like our work and think badly of us.
There’s a very interesting paradox that exists in art making. We have to be conscious that we are creating our artwork for an audience; that it is a form of communication, a way of creating beauty and magic and of giving other people pleasure. However we cannot be bound by the dictates of trying to please those people while we are doing our art.
We have to listen to our inner voice, to the inner truths that the art making process reveals. We have to tune our sensitivity to the messages and images that are contained within the subject and medium we are working with. If we turn our sensitivities and attention to what people may think, we deprive ourselves of the true nature of art.
Art is an examination of life, a noticing and extracting from life, its lessons and essence, and conveying it through the molding and shaping of our artistic medium. It is the expression by our bodies or our voices of our individual and collective experience of joy and sorrow and of the mysteries of the universe. It a cry of rage against injustice, it is a celebration of beauty, it is an examination of our own and others values.
It is not through pandering to our ego’s need for acceptance that we find such truth, because in doing so we turn away from the call which is shaping our art and towards the voices in our head that dictate and create boxes in which our creativity cannot thrive.
All the technique in the world used to dazzle the eyes and ears of others is of little avail when we are not tuned into the soul of art, the deep message it wants to convey. Of course when technique is married with full soul expression, it is a marvelous thing, but never let your concern for impressing others let you forget the true source of your art.
Part of the job of being an artist is to be a warrior for your own soul project, the artwork that you know the world needs, even if its message will not be understood by all and may confront opposition or rejection.
These qualities of courage and tenacity that the artist must have often don’t get full acknowledgment, but they are the protectors of your creativity. Take a moment and think about how you can be a warrior for your creativity. Summon up that inner courage that lives inside of you, along with the deep knowledge of artistic truth that needs to be aired and go forth. Only then will your creative self thrive.
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