Artist, Know Thyself (6 Questions to Ask Yourself) by Judy Ballance

Artist, Know Thyself (6 Questions to Ask Yourself)

by Judy Ballance

Talent and technique aren't enough, great art has to speak to the viewer and have soul in order to exceed simple technique. Artists who haven't thought about who they are and the emotional aspects of their art have no interaction with a viewer. They can't make other people feel the emotions they are unable to feel themselves. They have difficulty starting a work of art, when they have nothing to say.

Goals need to be re-examined on a regular basis in order to keep from getting in a rut. You know you are in a rut when the more you work at your art, the more frustrated you become. When you re-evaluate, look for new emotions with a new message and another objective you want to explore. Emotion and inspiration are what make the difference between amazing or mundane art. Know your purpose in creating art so that what you make will jump off the wall or off the sculpture stand.

Ask yourself these questions and let the results show in your work:

1. Why do I want to create art?
2. What kind of art do I want to create?
3. Am I imitating what someone else has already done?
4. Am I adding to art I really admire and creating something completely my own?
5. Does my work add to the art community?
6. Which is more important to me, how I do art or why I do art?
   

Viewers, especially jurors or judges of selection want to see the artist in the work. Be bold and powerful, focus on why you want to create a particular subject, not on how it must be done. It's easy to copy what you see, the hard part of making art is in recognizing your own thoughts, ideas and emotions and being open about them in your work. Look inward for what you want to say, not outward to the mechanics of creating art. Being aware of what you like, what you see and what you believe will produce work that stands out from everything else.

What kind of art do you want to create? Are you willing to learn more about yourself and undertake the unknown? What is holding you back? 

Later, Judy