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As a potter and a teacher of pottery I have a very simple saying that has come back to me a million times, "pots break". Pots break. Does this mean you don't put your heart and soul into it? No, you put your heart and soul into it. It means that you have to be willing and able to let go. You put your heart and soul into a piece, you fall in love with it, and then you give it to the kiln gods, and you let go. You have to let go. Because sometimes they come out beautifully, and sometimes not so much. And sometimes they break even before they get to the kiln. Pots break and it is part of the creative process. What I have found over the years is that when you put your heart and soul into a piece and you love it and it breaks, and you start over, the next piece will be even better. That is if you let yourself make the next piece and not try to make the same piece. Because you have learned something. I recently had a failure that looked more like a catastrophe. It was a kiln load of pots and sculpture and test tiles and my intern's work as well. And there was an explosion in the kiln. Yup. The kiln shelves were pulverized and the kiln roof was damaged and I lost about half of the art in the kiln. Luckily all of the intern's work survived. (read more below) So I was asked, what happened - how did this happen?
User Error was my first answer. My fault. And it's true, but I am not saying it to beat myself up, but rather to look at where are the mistakes that lead to this. What can I learn? After a day of walking around and poking at it and then a few days of asking some clay people and kiln people their opinions, I have a pretty good answer. I know how to fix it and I have learned a good set of lessons. Not the least of which was don't be casual about a firing - pay attention! Pots break and there are lessons. You have to take responsibility so you can learn what needs to be learned. It is important not to beat yourself up. User error happens. It doesn't mean stop, and it doesn't mean you suck. It means slow down and learn, and then keep going. ______________________________________________________________________________________
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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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