This may be a more profound statement than I realized: "It's all about you." It does seem to apply as much to all of life as to being an artist!
Here's the thing: As I make my way through this new world of art licensing, I come upon doors marked "competition", "trends", "collections", "style". I've been opening those doors and seeing so much incredible art - so many incredible artists - and seeing so many ways of looking at this journey I have embarked upon.
I choose not to compete. I choose to share - my artwork, my point of view, my information.
I choose to put any trends I stumble upon - and trust me, it will be a matter of stumbling, because I only have so many hours in a day - second to the ongoing discovery of my art. It's tempting to look at others' work and say, "Oh, s/he has it so together! Knows exactly what s/he wants to present, has perfectly ordered collections," but the bottom line is...who cares!
The bottom line for my artwork, for my art licensing journey, for my life is that it's all about me. What voice, what messages do I want to express, share, try on? This isn't supposed to be about the end zone - it's about the journey of discovery. If it weren't about that, it wouldn't be art!
I am reminded of something Tara Reed says in her ebook "How to Get Started in Art Licensing":
"The most important part of all of this is to be YOURSELF..... You need to create from your point of view, so that you shine through. No one else can do that."
And Michelle Ward, a coach specifically geared toward us Creatives, said in an interview with The Abundant Artist, Cory Huff (www.TheAbundantArtist.com) that as an actress, when she went against what others told her to do was when she was remembered, called, and appreciated. (You can see the full interview on Cory's website at http://bit.ly/r87Z8h.)
So I don't know about you, but I'm fighting the urge to compare and try to be like anyone else. I have to not care if I do it "wrong". In fact, I have to stop believing in "wrong", and believe only in the fun of discovery as I wander along, the Fool in a Tarot deck of artists, learning, laughing, trying, falling and rising again, to find that all along...it was easy to succeed, as long as I was being myself.
Here's the thing: As I make my way through this new world of art licensing, I come upon doors marked "competition", "trends", "collections", "style". I've been opening those doors and seeing so much incredible art - so many incredible artists - and seeing so many ways of looking at this journey I have embarked upon.
I choose not to compete. I choose to share - my artwork, my point of view, my information.
I choose to put any trends I stumble upon - and trust me, it will be a matter of stumbling, because I only have so many hours in a day - second to the ongoing discovery of my art. It's tempting to look at others' work and say, "Oh, s/he has it so together! Knows exactly what s/he wants to present, has perfectly ordered collections," but the bottom line is...who cares!
The bottom line for my artwork, for my art licensing journey, for my life is that it's all about me. What voice, what messages do I want to express, share, try on? This isn't supposed to be about the end zone - it's about the journey of discovery. If it weren't about that, it wouldn't be art!
I am reminded of something Tara Reed says in her ebook "How to Get Started in Art Licensing":
"The most important part of all of this is to be YOURSELF..... You need to create from your point of view, so that you shine through. No one else can do that."
And Michelle Ward, a coach specifically geared toward us Creatives, said in an interview with The Abundant Artist, Cory Huff (www.TheAbundantArtist.com) that as an actress, when she went against what others told her to do was when she was remembered, called, and appreciated. (You can see the full interview on Cory's website at http://bit.ly/r87Z8h.)
So I don't know about you, but I'm fighting the urge to compare and try to be like anyone else. I have to not care if I do it "wrong". In fact, I have to stop believing in "wrong", and believe only in the fun of discovery as I wander along, the Fool in a Tarot deck of artists, learning, laughing, trying, falling and rising again, to find that all along...it was easy to succeed, as long as I was being myself.
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