A Word To The Striving Artist...

Dear Striving Artist,

Let me encourage you today.  You need to remember just one thing.... You were made to be you, so just let yourself BE!   You are created uniquely and wonderfully and there are things that you see and think that perhaps nobody else on this earth will quite see or think in the exact same way.

My weakness has always been comparing myself to others and comparing my work to others which of course can lead to disappointment and frustration.  Us artists... we are stubborn.  I'm not quite sure if that's a good thing or bad thing yet, but there is something about being stubborn that keeps me doing what I'm doing.  It's that uncanny dissatisfaction I have with my work that makes me motivated to keep going, to keep improving.  However, what became not healthy, was always putting myself and my work down and letting myself get to a point of wanting to quit.  I almost let myself get that point in college studying for a BFA.  Being surrounded by artists 24/7 full of criticism and talent... quite difficult to not put yourself and your own work down.  I used to point out all the flaws and "could haves" and "should haves" in my work before any and ever class critic so I wouldn't feel bad when or if I got rejected.  Terrible, right?  I began looking at other work and wondering why can't my work look that good?  

Now, I'm finally beginning to break free from being my own worst critic.  It's a slow process, but the less I compare myself with others and the more I see how much I've improved and the more I focus on what I enjoy, what makes me... well... me, then the more I begin to enjoy who I am as an artist.   I used to think that I had to come up with the most unique, most creative, most original, most conceptual, most artistic photograph, painting, or whatever in order to be a "real" artist.  But now I'm learning that me being an artist, is just to embrace who I am and what I love, even if it's something terribly simple.  

And what I love.... are simple things!  I love a hot cup of coffee.  I love sitting or laying down out in the grass.  I love spending one on one quality time with someone.  I love reminiscing on my childhood.  I love nature, I love sunlight and warmth, I love romance, enchantment, mystery, and I enjoy being feminine.  I enjoy people watching.  I value the time I spend talking and listening to God.  I value dreams.  I value marriage and I value what it means to love and to be loved.

The things I enjoy, love, value... is what makes me who I am and makes me who I am as an artist.  The way I express that through any medium of art, is up to me.  The way it's embraced or rejected by others, is up to them.  

Life is like a mist.  Refrain from comparing yourself and your work with others and just embrace how you were designed, what you enjoy, and what makes you... well... you!