The Not So Funny Part About Art....

I was rereading the book I had mentioned in a previous blog:Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking and it really floored me that a person who is making art will probably only produce 10 noteworthy pieces in their life time. Thousands and thousands of work just brushed to the side not even making a dent, but ten will somehow evoke people's attention. And that's if you ever get noticed at all by the general public. So why do artist do it then? Put themselves through the grueling torture of never making it big because their is hardly a market for it anymore. It's easy, because if they didn't produce art they wouldn't be living. It's an essential, just like breathing for some and the thought of not making something is just too much of a downer.  Also if you look closely at a lot of the old master work you will find that many of the paintings are actually painted over another image that was, to there eyes or to the eyes of the critics, a failure.  But without these failures, an artist would never be pushed in the direction of a success.

 Then there are those pieces that you don't care of people appreciate them because you have found them to be your own personal success.  They fill you with a sense of accomplishment that will not be dampened by some one's silly opinion.  These are the pieces that keep an artist moving forward instead of just quitting where they stand, and believe me I have found myself thinking about it on several occasions.  There is something however, about when a project just comes together the way you hoped it would and it makes you feel like you were meant to make it.  So for all you artists out there pondering the idea of throwing in the towel, remember its not really about everyone else's opinion but your own that really counts. 

If you can continue on with your life with out the stroke of the brush or the scratch of a graphite pencil to paper than an artist's life is not for you, but if you are constantly being drawn back to the craft there is really nothing you can do about it.  Just do what you like and like what you do!!  The most that we can pray for is that society will catch on to our genius...lol.  Stay Crafty, LKB