Keep, Document, Archive Your Art

Within an artist is a demon who wants to throw out old pieces. This demon shames us, critiques our growing self, but we’re best off ignoring it. If it’s unreasonable to keep your art due to space issues, document it. Please, document your art. At the bare minimum, if you have a phone with a …

Good to Be Bad: Making Art

Are you afraid to create ‘bad’ art? The answer for myself is invariably yes, as is the answer to the question of failing or underwhelming, but it’s an incomplete response. Yes, I’m afraid, and I understand why I am, and why ‘bad’ art is important. Being aware of the whats and whys brings about a …

Reasons to Explore Multimedia Art

There is nothing inherently limited by working in one media, there is value and power in a piece comprised of one substance with singular support such as oil on canvas, charcoal on paper, there’s dedication. Skilled artists are unrestricted and are capable of using their material to its full potential which is, as potential is, …

Learning to Flow

When doing anything, we tend to second guess ourselves or meet roadblocks built by our own unconscious hand. Getting things done means finding rhythm in our work, pushing forward. We can’t always be confident but we can do our best to be persistent. NaNoWriMo is a good example of learning flow, National Novel Writing Month …

Art Practice: Stream of Consciousness

Art practice is a tool belt. We collect exercises and processes to advance our creativity and ability to derive and hone in on inspiration. My fiancé’s professor recently advised the two of us to start every day with stream of consciousness writing.  Much like brainstorming (which I write about in Making Conceptual Connections in Art) …

Making Conceptual Connections in Art

Ideas must be nurtured and fed. We are custodians to our thoughts, there are ways to grow a concept into contextual creation. Making connections outward from a core idea helps drag your work from shallow waters into the depths. Not all art must be complicated and we don't want to convolute our core concepts with …

Being Inspired

There is a fragility in avoiding media similar to art you produce, a difficult isolation to maintain and oft a detriment to your artistic journey. We fear too much that we’ll lose sight of our core ideas, copy those of others. Your concepts are not so weak as to be overrun by the influence of …

Ouroboros of Internalized Blame

Internalizing blame is a poisonous self flagellation that I’ve routinely partaken in— training is needed to not. Consistent practice in releasing guilt must be utilized, processing the shame and being compassionate, tender to the raw wounds left behind. The world assumes we are complicit in our suffering. Victim blaming, classism, mental health stigma, the racist …

Critique of Denying Artistic Influence

We are continually absorbing art, as sensory and perceptive organisms our internal mind is regurgitating external influence as our thoughts and ideas. Everything inside us has been affected by the outside world and it’s psychospiritual interpretations of influence into creative ideas. Recently I overheard a meeting between my fiancé and their peers in a studio …

Exploration Sketchbook

To combat a feeling of stagnation in my work I’ve begun a research sketchbook/journal to delve more in-depth into my inspirations. Studying the familiar aspects of artists I admire and how they apply to my own practice, cross referencing motifs and concepts I wish to become educated in, and developing a further understanding of traditional …