Nourish your creative soil—and soul
Do you ever feel trapped by your artistic style—the style that you are known for, the style that sells, the style you spent years developing? Are you itching to try subjects, mediums, and styles that are a departure from your usual, but you feel too guilty to spend your precious art time exploring this unknown path?
If you answered yes, I’m not surprised to hear it. Many of the artists I mentor in the Art Practice Accelerator express these feelings—sometimes it seems that the more established the artist, the stronger the guilt and resistance is to trying new things that are far from a sure thing. It’s based in our primal need for security, so there’s no need to beat yourself up for feeling this way!
In fact, taking time off the clock to explore your artistic ideas and whims is critical to preventing burnout and to keeping your creative fire burning. So I’m here to say that you not only have permission to play and try new ideas, you are required to do it!
Why spend time trying something that may not become a sellable artwork when you know how to create a sure thing? Think of it this way: if you were a farmer and you used your field to grow delicious corn that sold out every season, could you continually crank out that corn year after year and maintain the integrity of your soil? You couldn’t! Each rich harvest of corn depletes your soil a bit by taking the mix of nutrients that corn needs. If you don’t turn over the field and try a different crop, your soil will become unable to sustain your corn production.
By taking time to delve into new mediums, ideas, or styles, you are effectively fertilizing your creative soil. It doesn’t matter if you have no future use for the products of this exploration—you’ll become a more knowledgeable and experienced artist and you’ll be able to keep producing your “cash crop” without depleting your creative soil. Dig in and fertilize your art practice! Don’t be afraid of making manure, because even that has powerful enriching benefits.
What mediums or ideas are calling to you, urging you outside your usual art routines? I’d love to know! Email me and let me know. I hope that you’ll follow these creative urges with no sense of guilt—and come out a more enriched artist!
Getting a nice haircut makes me more willing to turn on the camera and get out there. The video link below is all about what it takes to show up and includes some thoughts about being willing to be seen! This is so similar to just making your art and getting out of the way to let the world have it and connect to it in spite of your own doubt and second guessing. I'd love to hear what helps you show up, what gets you out there? Email me and let me know!
