Advice to an Artist 2 Suggestions
Today a dear artist friend and mom of 3 called and asked me about how to make a go of it as an artist. I think it is nearly impossible, but here are two suggestions make it all worthwhile:
1. Forget Fame, Making Money, and Commissions.
Manet was dying and he took the time to paint 16 small floral paintings. Think like that. Art at its best is coming from your heart for no other reason than to make something you love. Anything else is a total waste of time and a sham. Lots of good people think that they don't mind doing other people's visions or that they are collaborating, but it is a lie. Art's nature is to trigger your personal evolution. When you opt instead to make a spectacle, to rant, to do a commission, to do what others want, and to be popular you disrespect your soul. Instead of being a creator you prostitute your talent giving others power over you. It is a pact with the devil, you get temporary satisfaction but the cost to you is to be plagued by self-loathing that will never go away. By rejecting this direction and making art that is 100% you, you grow and the your art becomes a gift to your loved ones, friends, and if you are really good to humanity. When you connect your passion, thought, and senses into a work it shows others that the next steps of living good is possible, and it might inspire them to achieve of their dreams. By being a champion of your spirit you pass on a great gift on to others.
2. "Speak" to the Smartest, Wisest, and Most Loving Person You Know
Writing as an artist is a bitch. Most artists fail miserably at it, either sounding too apologetic (yuck) or too patronizingly pompous (boo). Yet, it is important to write about your art and you should do it out of respect for your friends and collectors. Just posting a link, or a painting comes across as a jerk. It says to your friends that they are not worth an introduction. A fantastic way to write about your art is to imagine you are sharing it with the smartest, wisest, most loving person you know. My grandmother, Edna, is one of the people I think about when I write. She is passed now, but she was smart, savvy, and extraordinarily loving and supportive. Another person I imagine writing to is a dear friend who is a philosopher. Thinking about writing to a brilliant person keeps you from being patronizing. Your writing doesn't have to be perfect, you don't have to teach them anything, just enjoy sharing with the most meaningful people in your life. You will be surprised that it often touches strangers in powerful ways.
Michael Newberry, Idyllwild, 6/12/2020