This morning I pick up my weathered and stained copy of "The Wisdom of the Heart" by Henry Miller. Leave it to Henry to pick up on exactly the theme that has been circling around my brain for the last few hours. Reading his words gets me giddy and excited, all my worries about creating start to evaporate like the fog that hovered over the garden yesterday morning. I am reminded of having a class with Ross Mendes, wanting to run bursting from the classroom, excited to explore the world and learn everything I can about it.
It is nearly impossible for me to not quote the entire essay here. But I will refrain, and let those who are piqued it have their own little adventure in finding it for themselves.
"On the surface, where the historical battles rage, where everything is interpreted in terms of money and power, there may be crowding, but life only begins when one drops below the surface, when one gives up the struggle, sinks and disappears from sight. Now I can as easily not write as write: there is no longer any compulsion, no longer any therapeutic aspect to it. Whatever I do is done out of sheer joy: I drop fruits like a ripe tree. What the general reader or the critic makes of it is not my concern. I am not establishing values: I defecate and nourish. There is nothing more to it. -fr. Reflections on Writing"
And so the topic that is circling around my brain is the tendency of the artist to want to (or feel compelled to) either a) stick to what worked for others, or b) the tendency for sucessful artists to stick to the thing that gave them the success in the first place. Be it a style, or concept, or a format. One cannot put the artist entirely at blame for this, it is quite natural for the world to want you to do more of what they know you for. And also natural to keep doing what works. Especially in the field of illustration, we work hard to develop a "style" that sells and once we get it, it becomes a marker of sorts.
But with this comes a tendency to stagnate creatively. It can contribute to a lack of growth, and a fear of trying something different. If people like me for "this", how will they react when I show them "that". What if I lose everything that I have worked so hard to create? Is that fear real?
In my conversation with J, this morning on this subject we determined that it is the artist's responsibility to always be trying new things and moving in new and unexpected directions. If we look at all of the great artists of the world, most of them constantly pushed themselves to new places, even when it was a great risk to do so. I silently wondered if there has been a psychological shift of late, since we now refer to art as a "career", thus the connection to 'making an income'. Wouldn't want to impact my career negatively, but my personal work, that's a different category. There's no risk in trying something new when it does not impact my income.
Henry Miller himself admited to spending much time copying the great writers in the beginning of his writing career, studying them and attempting to emulate their style. He realized he was failing miserably at it and it was at that point that he felt he really began to write. Copying what works for others (or even ourselves) feels safe, looking into our own personalites and seeing what lurks there, then presenting it to the world can be terrifying.
When I give talks I enjoy showing examples of artists who are/were consistantly going out on a limb and experimenting with new ideas, many of whom bring all of their unique personality traits to the forefront. (Maira Kalman, Tim Burton, James Joyce, Frieda Kahlo, Charles Eames, Picasso, to name but a few). Things that are often perceived as quirky and strange to the general public, yet these are the things that make for a unique voice. We all have them, are we willing to present them to others? A conclusion that we might come to at some point is that we are not a good judge of what others will respond to. And so it is futile to even try. Our only job is to put things out there that we ourselves are responding to (to "defecate and nourish"). It is the judgement that stops us. But to what effect?
Henry quotes the surrealist artist Rene Crevel,
"No daring is fatal."
Posted by kerismith at September 27, 2004 10:41 AMArrived here in a round-about way from Moleskinerie (someone mentioned your blog in her blog in an entry about Moleskines.) Its funny, but we're very different yet strikingly similar in outlook. Your art seems so happily relaxed and self-assured. Mine is so tightly rendered I am surprised my head doesn't spin off. (I mainly draw in silverpoint and paint in egg tempera.) I draw only for myself. By day I am a mild-mannered educator and geek.
I agree with you that its better to dare and try, and fail than to never try at all.
Thanks, I have bookmarked your blog :)
Posted by: Web Gecko on October 2, 2004 08:54 PMI was so glad to see someone like Tim Burton on your list of people who go out on a limb when it comes to finding their own piece of the art world. I am an Alumni of the same college as Tim and I have always greatly looked up to his work, but more so, his gift of relishing in the "being different" of it all, is inspiring. He often uses himself as the backbone of his characters. The odd looking one who just doesn't fit in; but even though looking so dark and unique, they have something beautiful to contribute to their small world. Even through his designs, the only reason right angles are discarded in his worlds are because he admittedly was "...never very good with them", and because of that artistic, self preservation, his style was born. I guess it's not so much a fear of finding the right "style" that will WOW the audiences, but believing in the simple fact that because you yourself are unique and different, then your art will be too. and maybe thats really all it needs to grow.
Well enough of my ramblings. Thanks for the inspirations, Keri!
I think that stage of copying what went before can be important when we are starting out, learning the lessons from the masters! But there is nothing better than that soaring feeling when you take off on your own wings!
Posted by: Kathryn on September 28, 2004 08:41 AMVery inspiring indeed. I am struggling with a very similar issue. Since I am a student, I am often restricted into a certain frame of mind. I am obliged to write what my professors expect to read, I am obliged to design what they expect to see. I can not stand up and argue for "my ideas" my concepts, and my visual creations. I can not be myself when my grade is on stake. In fact, few days ago, I risked doing things my way and letting my style dominate a piece. I was very proud of it because it was by all means radical. You do succeed when you follow your heart. This is not a cliché, it never was. It stood out among my classmates projects; it was by all means different. However to my surprise, my professor wasn't able to decode its ideas. I was then forced to edit it, doing something totally against my own will.
Posted by: M on September 28, 2004 06:38 AMThank you Keri.
Posted by: Michael Nobbs on September 28, 2004 02:29 AMI just finished reading (last night in fact) "Henry & June" by Anais Nin and so when I saw your entry refer to Henry Miller I lunged at it :)
As a designer I have suffered much from trying to stick with what has worked in the past as it continued to put food on the table. After reading your blog I feel inspired to show my clients a different side of me and explore other avenues!
Thanks!
Hi Keri! This is so "RIGHT NOW" for me! I have so many things going now... and I struggle with " the desire to wake up and Create JUST BECAUSE...and the need to make some $ with items that I know will sell/ have sold. I am like a frog in quicksand with the frustration!.. I want to be able to Jump into Action.. yet the everyday balance of paying the bills and daily living needs seem to stifle the spontaneity.When the creative me wins out .. I am happier for the moment; but the grown up in me says "Debi, you need to make some $ !" So the question is ... " how do I compromise and balance .. so that both needs are met? The need for Spontaneous Creativity .. and the need to pay the bills ! Any advice ? ..
And...... thanks for being here! This site has helped me in so many ways... ! Just had to let you know!
Wow, I struggle with wondering if I should stop doing totally different things and coming up with one "style". I get bored easily and I end up working on things that don't look like they came from the same artist. Just today I dropped off two pieces of art that couldn't be any different than each other. One is a painting of a very graphic zebra while the other is a mixed media, very personal, feminine form sculpture. I was struggling with these two sitting side by side in a downtown art exhibit. Will people wonder if they are of the same artist or will they just assume that they are by two different artists? Well I decided to always create from passion and not from what I think will sell or what my "public" wants to see. Otherwise I become more of a "manufacturing" artist.
Posted by: Pinky on September 27, 2004 03:02 PMlovely entry keri. i'm printing it out and putting it on my inspiration "clothespin" line.
Posted by: delphina on September 27, 2004 02:04 PM