Tell All: Chapter 8

 

Welcome to the 5th edition of The Pulse -- The State of the Art -- a survey in words and pictures of the online artist community. The Pulse is a collaborative project that aims to introduce you to new artists, help you get to know familiar faces even more, and allow you access into the creative hearts and minds of a very talented crew of individuals. More than 130 artists have answered a series of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented in a series of online posts which will run every Sunday.

Style File, Techniques & Tools, Master Class, It's Still Life, and Playing Favorites were the first five projects posted and links to all these posts can be found on the sidebar of my blog. The final project from The Pulse #5, Tell All, continues now...

Participants were asked: what is the one thing that you know now that you would have liked to have known when you first started to create art? 

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I wish I had known that it was okay to make mistakes. In the beginning, I was such a perfectionist that I was afraid to take risks or try new techniques; I hadn't yet realized that making mistakes is a vital part of the learning process. when that finally dawned on me, it was extremely freeing, and a major turning point in my evolution as an artist. Sharmon Davidson 

That art and money DO mix. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to be okay with making money from something that comes easily to me. It was hard to frame art/teaching as WORK when I enjoy both so much. I felt unnecessarily conflicted for a really long time about making money from my passion. I wish I had found out so much sooner that it is okay. Deb Eck

Every single idea, sketch and doodle has the potential to become something great - but you've GOT to honor the muse and the process by showing up to the sketchbook and regularly recording everything. Then let it simmer...sometimes for years. Then go back with your artist's eye and cultivate the diamond. Victoria Crowder Payne

That it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks. I used to have a "deer in the headlights" reaction - to the point where I stopped creating because I was worried how the end product would be received. If I could go back in time I'd tell myself to trust my gut, just do the work and stop getting distracted. Stacey Merrill

No one in the world can tell you if you are an artist or not. That choice is up to YOU. Don't wait until you're "good enough" or get paid enough for your art. All of these things come second. FIRST, you have to embrace what makes the creative side of your heart beat, and allow it to flourish. Withholding the title of artist from yourself or allowing others to withhold it from you is not the way to do that. Rachel Whetzel

If I had known that art would have me to deal with many painful memories and express my deepest feelings, I would've definitely started creating earlier. Svetlana Spasojevic

This is a difficult question to answer. Therefore I quote Robert Motherwell, that "Art is much less important than life, but what a poor life without it." Eric Adama

That art is a personal thing. It's not about who likes what, it's about what speaks to you. If you like something or enjoyed creating it, that is enough. The views of others are their opinions and not something you can influence. Trying to make things to appeal to others that don't make you happy is something I've tried to do for far too long. It takes time to learn this, but you feel so liberated when you can escape that thought pattern and create things that make your own creative spirit soar. Billie's Craft Room

An artistic voice and artistic skills are developed over time and require hard work plus the willingness to persevere even when the process yields less than stellar results. Yes Virginia...good art is directly linked to bad art. Denise Aumick

Forget what I've read and heard - and just paint! Evie Zaccardelli

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Next Tell All will be posted on Sunday, March 3rd