The other day, I had a conversation about a topic that’s been on my mind: what is the distinction between art and decoration? This question haunted me since a photographer first asked me about the meaning behind my landscapes. The answer I found seemed worth sharing.
The photographer’s question
A few years ago, a photographer arrived at my brand new studio. I’d given an interview for a news paper before, so he came along to shoot an accompanying picture. A friendly giant with a huge lens entered the studio and filled it with friendliness and professionalism. “So, tell me something about what you make,” he said, snapping some shots.
Up until then my story had been about pursuing my long harboured dream of becoming an artist. I hadn’t really figured out what I was making yet. “Well… I make landscapes… so I can dream away a little…” It dawned on me that I didn’t have an important or socially engaging answer.
The photographer looked around at my work and nodded. Said something smart about contrast, underlying feelings. My mind was elsewhere – did my art have meaning at all or was I simply busy trying to make something decorative and nice?
The inner critic’s grip
It’s been over 3 years since the question, but I haven’t stopped looking for an answer. What is my “message”? My reason for being an artist? Does it matter at all what I’m doing? What social matters am I advocating for or against? Am I pushing the mediums I work with to their limits in an original way, or do I make people stop and think, or…?
I’m ashamed to admit that I even tortured myself with a very aggressive online program that was supposed to unearth my deepest message “or else you’re just not an artist”.
Perhaps you can guess what happened when the deserts and the silence came along (which you can read more about here).
Criticize the inner critic
That brings me to the conversation I started this newsletter with. I visited Roxy at her studio and somehow I poured out my deepest fears and judgements, the scathing perfectionism, the vile inner critic, and the difficulty navigating all that vulnerability in an entrepreneurial setting. It’s not easy to show people how valuable you are all the while you’re wrestling with a very deep and dark sense of worthlessness. (Don’t worry mom, it was just a process.)
Instead of dealing with my hurt pride and self pity, Roxy went for the underlying assumption. Do we need to know what makes art art and not decoration?
- Media, galleries and museums actually hire people whose job it is to criticize art. It’s not the artist’s job to judge and even an art critic’s judgment is subjective. The next critic may think the exact opposite.
- Clichés exist for a reason: “Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder”. If you’re not validated in a certain room, you’re probably in the wrong room. No reason to give up or question yourself.
- Your job as an artist is just to make art. Just continue to make so much art that you can start to trust yourself again. ‘I’ve got this’ comes from ‘I’ve done this a thousand times’.
I felt this change of perspective may benefit someone else too. Do you need to know the value of your contributions to derive joy and meaning from them? If you don’t feel valued, are you in the right environment? And most of all: what action can boost your confidence? I hope these questions will lift the weight of worthiness a little, in case you needed it.
*(Fun fact: Roxy’s message in all that she does is actually “I want you to never feel small gain”)
What are your thoughts? I love reading responses and am curious about your thoughts. Do you recognize the search for meaning? Do you have any insights or new ways to look at the worth of art and creating? Let me know in the comments below or by contacting me.
What else happened?
Meanwhile I’m working on a book cover (the sequel to this book!), a custom colourful animal (the gorgeous lab in coloured pencils you see here), and there are illustrations for a book coming up.
Added to that, I’m a full time freelancer since October: artist, storyteller and marketeer. I’m open to ideas about collaborations and requests!