The Risk Is Worth It
I followed hockey as a kid and collected just a few cards. One of my sports heroes was Wayne Gretzky. His famous quote is, “You’ll miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. “ In art, it’s no different. Every brush stroke is a risk, but what if it becomes a masterpiece?
I’ve learned over the years as an artist that there are many talented artists in the world. It’s truly unbelievable when you start scrolling through social media or Google, and the art pours through your screen feed. It’s enough to make you bury your head in the sand and give up. The difference between successful artists in business and in their craft is the hard work they put into it. Talent will always be beaten by hard work.
With every brush stroke you put down on paper, you are one step closer to mastering your craft as an artist. You have to begin. For many, just beginning is the biggest hurdle. So I have a plan for you. Begin with a scribble, a blob, a mess on the page. Do not have any preconceived notions of what you will be creating at that moment, and see what happens.
Task initiation can be paralyzing to many, especially those of us with ADHD or some form of it. Science has produced some strategies to help with this. One suggestion is what I mentioned already: just start with one stroke. Having a small barrier can make a difference, rather than thinking of it as starting a whole painting. Another strategy is what Artventure Retreats core is all about. Creating side by side with other artists. This helps you focus on the task, and it creates external accountability. There are other strategies, like setting a 5-minute timer or scheduling it in your daily calendar.
You create art for yourself. You’re not creating artwork to get social media likes or pats on the back from your friends and family. You create art for yourself to feed your soul. This is where you get to play, wonder, and get messy. My final suggestion is to turn your viewpoint around on failure. Failure in art is how you come alive with new ideas. It’s almost like you want to fail when creating so you discover new possibilities! The more you allow yourself to explore and have fun, the sooner you’ll be on your way to mastering your craft.
Put the blinders on and start making art!
Your Art Buddy,
Julie