I just hit 13 years as a full-time tile maker and potter! What a wild journey. It was full of twists and turns that has led me far beyond what I ever dreamed possible. With the triumphs and struggles over the years, I’ve gained valuable insight. So many things that I wish I would have understood as I was beginning my path to becoming an artist. When I feel overwhelmed and un-creative, I make sure to remind myself of these little tidbits of wisdom. I thought that I would put them here, just in case you may need them.
- #5 Stay focused on your vision: Create the things that you love; the things that you are passionate about. Whatever it is that makes you excited to get into the studio…do that. People who walk around art shows, your friends, your family will always have an opinion as to what you should create. And nine times out of ten, you will feel a pull to make those items. Maybe it’s because we are new to the art show world and feel unsure of what to offer at our booth. Perhaps we are still searching for our voice in our medium and aren’t’ selling much, so we start to grasp at straws. Maybe we are people pleasers. There is a variety of reasons why we take these suggestions and opinions to heart, but to become confident in your work, resist the temptation. Understand that if you step away from your vision and your passion to do what others say you should do; your work, your peace will suffer for it. Every piece that comes from the “should do” will lack luster, and personality. People will pick those pieces up and sense that something is just off. So, don’t bother with the should do’s and stick with your vision.
- #4 Your work won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and that’s ok: This one is an easy one to forget, so write it down somewhere that you can see it every day. When you create something, a beautiful painting, the perfect mug…whatever it is, a part of your soul is entwined with it. So, as potential buyers walk by and turn their nose up at it…or worse…mutter “I could make that”…it can sting. Keep things in perspective. We are all individuals with different tastes. What one likes, another will hate. It is human nature. If you follow the bit of wisdom above and create the beautiful things that you passionate about and put them out into the world, your people will find you. They will be just as wacky, fun and wonderful as you are. Love them and nurture that relationship.
- #3 Try not to see yourself in competition with others. Now that you’ve reminded yourself that when you put your heartfelt work out into the world for your people to find, you’ll realize that there is room in this world for everyone. Don’t waste time comparing your work to someone else’s. Forget the pangs of envy over another artist. It’s a waste of time. You have found YOUR vision not someone else’s. Instead, grow in community with them. There is no better place to bounce ideas off of, learn from and share knowledge with than a group of artists that work in a similar medium.
- #2 You don’t need an art degree to create art. This is a controversial statement. I know I am walking a fine line but hear me out. I’m not saying that an Art Degree isn’t valuable. I have no doubt that if I had gotten an Art degree in college instead of my ever-useful Psychology degree …I would have had the ability to take bigger strides in the progression of my work. However, I see it as a “Two roads diverged in the wood…” situation. I chose the road less traveled….and it took me thirteen years to get here. That isn’t a bad thing either. Sometimes the road less traveled is difficult, time consuming, and frustrating…but I’ve earned where I am today with every step. There is a sense of pride in learning something on your own. What I’m trying to say is, don’t think less of your work because you chose a different way to go about learning the craft.
- #1 Trust yourself. If there was ever a mantra to say every day…it is this…TRUST YOURSELF. Scream it from the roof tops, let me hear you! You know your craft, you know the limitations of your materials, you know in your heart of hearts what will work, and what won’t. You know your likes, your dislikes…Don’t ever let anyone convince you otherwise, it will only end in a catastrophe of a piece. Please, trust in your knowledge, your skills, your experience and stand for them.
This is just a quick list of important nuggets of wisdom that I regularly remind myself of and I hope that you have found something that resonates with you. Which one is your favorite? Do you have any bit of wisdom of your own to share? Let’s hear it!
