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Have you ever considered having an open studio sale or being part of a neighborhood art tour?
I made this video when I was preparing to invite people to my yard to see my art as part of a neighborhood art tour. I offer it to you here as a way to think through the value of sharing your work in a tender way. The idea of a neighborhood art tour brings up the balance between professionalism and vulnerability. To be "professional" you would present only the spit-shined art in a clean gallery setting. It's the resume self. And there is great value in doing that. It is a way to get out of the way of the art and let it do its thing with the viewers. It is not about you, the artist. The thing is that I am scrappy - and art is messy. Maybe this is true for you too? Opening my space to the public is allowing them to see my vulnerable underbelly. All of my self doubts are right there. I do not have a perfectly manicured lawn, and the chickens are likely to come sauntering through. It is an invitation to the human side of creative practice. Is this a good idea? What I came to at the time is a deep realization that I wonder if you would resonate with. My art is about the vulnerable underbelly. It is ok to share that with people because they also have a vulnerable underbelly and they may also want a little permission not to be perfect and spit shined. Also as artists we need to have our work received and to feel it being received in order to continue to understand the value of it. This means interacting with an audience in some way. Art is a communication and if it is not received then it is like talking on the phone when no one is there. At a certain point you stop talking. The ideas dry up. It will nourish your creative side to have that connection and quite possibly someone will walk away with some new understanding or deeper awareness because of your work. You have to trust that. I did and it was a really great day of socially distant connection! _______________________________________________________________________________________
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So many artists and creatives have this glitchy little voice that says that they are not a real artist.
"Someone else is the real artist - my sister, my neighbor, that other person - has the real creative genius. Not me." It totally gets in the way of your showing up in the studio or to whatever your creative pursuit is. What do you do about it? How do you get around it? First, acknowledge it and laugh: "There you are again, trying to get in the way of creative work." It is a sub-personality, and there is great work that I do with clients about getting to know the sub and helping to make it feel less threatened and therefore have less power over you. But the main thing to remember is that it is not truth that it is speaking - it is trying to keep you small to keep you safe so it is lying to you. It is like a scared child who is afraid to be seen. Second, understand that being creative is a human trait. It is part of what it means to be human. It is our birthright. It is what we use to engage in the world, to present ourselves, to process our painful bits.
In order to put in that time and dedication it helps to have the sense that it is worth it, that you have something of value to offer. This is the way that I think of it. You are a channel of creativity - we all are. We move through the world, living life, making mistakes, noticing what we notice and bumbling along. All of this is collecting in us- it all soaks in and gestates inside of us. Then, when we sit down to create, it comes pouring out of us- through our very particular and individual lens. We express what we need to see and hear, and that in turn is what others need to see and hear. Simply by being engaged in the world, if you are paying attention and caring, and if you make something that you need, you are going to express something that others need too. Not everyone, but probably someone needs your perspective. So take a leap of faith. Pretend that you have something to offer and it will reveal itself as you fall in love with your own work.
If you are an artist or creative who has an inner voice that is saying that it is arrogant to want to have your work seen by others, to take up space, you need to hear this.
That inner voice is trying to protect you from being ridiculed or thrown out of the human collective. It is fearful. It is an important voice, but it is doing its job inappropriately at this point. It is getting in the way of something important. We need your work. We need the heartfelt, vulnerable, soul searching art work that you are creating. So turn to that inner voice that is fearful of being judged and listen to it. Give it gratitude for the work it is doing to protect you, give it a hug, and let it know that you are handling it. Put that voice to the side and get to work!
It is really common for people who are making creative work to look at their work the next day and be bummed that they do not like it as well as they thought they did. Or all they can see is the mistakes and things they wish they had done differently. If this is you, does this mean you are not a real artist? I talk about it in a little more depth in this video, but in a nut shell: No. What it means is that you have a fairly sophisticated critical awareness of your chosen material, be it music, writing, visual art or whatever. You have been listening to really great music, looking at visual culture, reading books all your life. You know on a deep level what good work is, what you are turned on by. This is good -- really good. The problem is that your own skills in creation have not caught up yet to your base of understanding. Be patient. Keep working. The thing you really need to do is give yourself permission to play, to follow what is compelling to you, and to let yourself be a beginner, or exactly where you are in your process. Thank your internal critic for holding out hope for that high standard. And for being such a perceptive aid in helping you make improvements over time. You will get there if you keep going. Really. Keep going. So many creatives find themselves procrastinating on things they want to do. We have all been there and it sucks.
First the most obvious- it does not help to berate yourself! It actually makes you feel bad and creates an internal friction that makes it harder and harder to get anything done. It saps energy. So when you start to hear the berating internal voices saying things like you are lazy and incompetent, it is a signal that you need to look at some questions: 1. Am I giving it the time that it needs? This is both the amount of time and a time of day where there is the energy and focus. If you are trying to get yourself to do it at a time of day when you are exhausted for example, your inner rebel will wake up to protect you. 2. Are you thinking of it as one BIG thing? If you break it into steps and focus on just the first thing, you will not feel as overwhelmed by it. 3. What is competing with it for time? There might be other priorities that you need to weigh. What is the most pressing thing that you want to attend to? Maybe it is OK to wait for this other thing to be complete. Or maybe you can have a more realistic understanding of how long it will take. 4. What is it about the thing that you are trying to do: Do you need more support, either co-working/accountability or to talk it through with someone? Do you need to do more research or learn some skill in order to move forward? Listen for the message that your resistance is trying to give you! You may need to think about what you can edit out of what you are doing with your time, or figure out a way to budget your time so that you can get the self-care, rest and nourishment you need in order to do the thing you want to do. Remember as you ask yourself these things to bring a sense of compassion. Say to yourself "OK, I am not bad, so what is it that I need in order to move forward?" Coming back to your creative work after a hiatus is hard. Whether you have been having another career for a number of years or just got off track for a while, it is hard to re-enter.
If it has been a short amount of time you can sort of pick up a thread from before. Which can be challenging if there is no energy there. But if it has been a while you may need to give yourself space to be in the not knowing because so much has changed, your values and interests might have changed, your aesthetic might be different. It is hard and it is worth it. You have lived a lot of life and the creative process is so great for helping you process the learning that you have been in. How do you know how to start, how to enter? This is my suggestion: Start with easy small things. Throw away art, or doodles. Get things lubricated by letting yourself be drawn to what you enjoy, what you find compelling right now. The magic that happens is that when you have made a few of these things your creative immagination starts to kick in and pretty soon bigger ideas are calling for your attention.
It is a time for a lot of work to bring the deep winter growth out to the light. This process cannot be rushed- don't expect the garden to be in full bloom right away- and don't expect that all that rich internal work of winter is going to suddenly emerge fully formed. There will be mud, and lurching and things to clear out of the way. What: Taproot Spring Workshop When: April 29 from 1-3 pm est Where: Zoom Who: artists and creatives of any sort, any background and any level of experience who like to play in the imagination Cost: $25
Join me as we feel into the flow that is going on inside us, clear the channel of whatever is getting in our way, and bring a sense of patience and ease to our creative work. The Spring is well underway, the juices are flowing, last year's seeds are sending out delicate hopeful little roots, the buds on the trees are getting engorged and preparing to open to the world. Bring your journals and we will do some visualization to invite our deep inner work to direct our attention. This will be a very safe container for personal exploration and reflection. As we move fully into spring, this will be a wonderful way to find grounding, affirm your place in the world, get yourself aligned in your direction, set intentions and prepare for the year ahead. So much healing to be done and as artists and creatives, our voices are a balm to our cultures. This will also be a great way meet other creatives who value the process of discovery that can happen in creative play. This is not a promotional event, but I will leave a little room at the end to share my offerings and take questions. It is spring in New England and this means mud season and maple syrup. And of course I have to think of the anaogies to the creative process!
It is messy and not all that organized in early spring- when things are just beginning to wake up. And this is so true for when new ideas are starting to come together- some of it is mud, but there are those crocuses and snow drops- those little gems! The sap is flowing long before the buds on the trees begin to open. So letting yourself feel the energy flowing in your body and your psyche- that sense of hope and wonder coming back to life. And be patient with yourself as the new growth, from the deep work of winter, is getting ready to reveal itself. Watch for Taproot Spring Workshop for Creatives (and really anyone who loves creativity and inner growth) - Thursday April 29th 1-3 pm est registration coming soon on my web site! subscribe to my newsletter: http://eepurl.com/buTz61 check out my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/taprootartsinsight Learn more about co-working with me: http://www.taprootartsinsight.com/virtual-coworking-for-artists-and-creatives.html More about coaching with val: http://www.taprootartsinsight.com/life-coach-for-artists-and-creatives-919262.html Can I interview you? It would be so helpful for me to hear what is going on for you so I can understand how to be of better service to artists and creatives and I would be happy to offer a coaching session in exchange. For more information check this link. https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=12649280&appointmentType=2437684 Our cultural understanding of what it is to be a successful artist or creative might be oppressing you and stifling your ability to make your work and get it out into the world.
When you think about getting your work out there, do you feel weighted and resistant or light and energized? If the answer is that you feel weighted or resistant, or any other similar feeling, you might be working under an understanding of success that is not in alignment with your values. In our broader culture we are taught that success means critical acclaim, high price tags, massive audience, high-end galleries, and making a solid living on your art work. All of this implies a judgement; is your work good enough to merit this - are you a good artist? This kind of judgement is counter-productive to making the heart-based work that is so essential to our well being. If you are making for the context of critical acclaim, money and reputation, your connection to the vulnerable work of the heart is going to dry up. That kind of work is vulnerable and raw and does not do well with judgment. If, on the other hand, you approach putting your art out into the world from a place of generosity, then the vulnerable, rich, exciting, raw work of the heart will have more ease. So think about your values, what is important to you in making the work. How do you want your work to interact with the audience? For example I value a deep connection, where my work might be healing or help people see the deeper parts of themselves. When I think of getting it out with a sense of generosity, I feel much more light and excited. It is worth it to get the work out there. My notion of success involves continuing to make with pleasure and depth, having a way for others to connect with the work on a deep level, and making work in the context of a life that is balanced and happy. What are your values and how do they relate to how you want to connect with your audience? How do you want to re-write the idea of success?
There is a challenge in bringing your "heart work", the creative work that comes from a very deep place in you, out into the world.
There is an inner voice that is very judgmental and says, "it is arrogant to want to be seen, it is selfish to want notoriety and appreciation for your work, it is arrogant to think that your work is worth that and you are trying to take up too much space." Yikes! So painful and destructive! OK, I get it that you want to be conscientious and not be a hog or arrogant. This is good. Don't block others or be so self-focused that you are not appreciating the gifts of others. But let me say something radical here: It is a disservice to not to put your work out. It is a disservice to you and it is a disservice to me. This is the thing, as humans we are collective creatures, we learn from each other. It is how our cultures are resilient. Each person has a particular perspective and way of thinking, and a particular set of gifts, and we need all of it in order to continue to grow and develop. If you have been making art and having a hard time getting it out and some of it you like a lot, it is time to get it out! Don't worry about liking all of it. If you are reaching and growing as an artist, you need to be making some crap - it is part of the process of discovery. Show the work that you are proud of. If you are making art from the heart, following what is compelling and allowing yourself to work at the edge of discomfort and the edge of understanding, this is very vulnerable work. And it is the most important work for us to see. As a culture we need that work. That voice that says don't be arrogant or a hog of space is not trying to hurt you! It is trying to protect you, but its technique is not working in your favor any more. As collective creatures we need to belong- it is a basic human need. That inner voice is trying to keep you from saying or doing anything that will cause you to be ostricized; judged and excluded from the community. So don't try to shove that side of you away. Instead turn to it and thank it for all the effort in protecting you. Let it know that you have done the work of developing really solid work and that you are not going to be ostracized. You are going to be OK and you want it to stay with you. There are people who need your work! I would love to hear from you! Warmly, Val
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