I just finished a large body of new work. I have a show coming up in 4 days. Invitations were produced. Some paintings have already sold. I really like what I have made. There have been many conversations with the gallery about pricing, about responses to the work and how the paintings will be hung at the opening.
I even bought a new jacket for the opening. It turned into a several hour ordeal trying to find one that actually fit my tall frame. None did, of course, and so alterations were required. Since June is wedding season, the seamstress brought in to rescue me was incredibly stressed and could only half promise she would be able to pull it off so I could wear it at my opening a mere 4 days away.
Standing on a raised stool in front of a mirror with this panicked woman working around the cuffs of my sleeves, pulling, pinning and tucking the material behind my back, it occurred to me how very far away I presently was from the actual quiet process of making art. And yes, all this peripheral stuff – from promoting your work, occasionally wearing clothes that do not have paint on them as well as trying to create strong Art not just for yourself but also for those who are in the business of selling it – is all part of a career in Art.
But it can sometimes feel hard.
In fact, as I was stuck in traffic driving home afterwards, I was thinking about just how many mini roadblocks seem to pop up in one’s life, especially when you are trying intentionally to make something happen. Involving yourself in a career in Art takes a giant amount of intention. The reserve of energy has to be large enough to overpower the small roadblocks that occur along the way.
[Tweet “”Your Art has changed, just when you thought it never could, and not surprisingly, you have too.” – Nicholas Wilton”]
Where is this energy, this wave of positivity that can help overcome the obstacles, supposed to come from? It certainly doesn’t come from promoting and talking about your Art. When I spend most of my time on the business side of Art as I have these past few weeks, it is all too easy to forget. Where is the source of intention, faith and positivity? And then I remember. Again.
It comes from making Art. It comes from quiet afternoons in your studio, swimming in the metaphorical world of color, textures, shape and line. It is a world that is a million miles deep but utterly inviting. Art making always seems to reward you with something substantial even if you arrive exactly where you began. It even sometimes gives something unexpected that hints at what is coming but can’t yet be seen.
The roadblocks, in this world, can be more easily over come, as they are your own creation. They lightly topple over when met with new learning. And this maybe is at the heart of it; that learning discovered along the way – our own way – is what makes a career in Art so fulfilling.
At the end of the day it is those still moments, usually when you are by yourself in the quiet of your studio, when you just know that you understand a little bit more. It is clear that above everything else you are continuing to improve and learn. That somehow after all these years, all the tries, that today you got it, the penny has finally dropped. You understand a little bit more. And now your work will never be quite the same again. It is becoming stronger.
Your Art has changed, just when you thought it never could, and not surprisingly, you have too.
In gratitude, Nicholas
18 Comments
Hi! I’m
Nicholas Wilton
the founder of Art2Life.
With over 20 years experience as a working artist and educator, I’ve developed a systematic approach that brings authenticity, spontaneity and joy back into the creative process.
Join me and artists from all over the world in our Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group or learn more here about Art2Life.
Nicholas, I love how simply and openly you express yourself on matters that concern me so much. Thank you for sharing yourself!
Nicholas, I love how simply and openly you express yourself on matters that concern me so much. Thank you for sharing yourself!
this was inspiring today Thank you for saying it.
this was inspiring today Thank you for saying it.
I’m so inspired by your awareness of all those moments. So well said! That concept of feeling so far away from your actual art while still working toward the big picture of it… But wondering how and why we find ourselves in these random situations we don’t necessarily enjoy but end up here as part of progressing the whole…. And realizing that it’s all the same in a way. Good, bad… Same same. Not sure if that makes sense, but loved your sentiment today!!
On getaway In napa until Friday, sad to miss the opening by a day! I know it’s gong to be great!! Xo
I’m so inspired by your awareness of all those moments. So well said! That concept of feeling so far away from your actual art while still working toward the big picture of it… But wondering how and why we find ourselves in these random situations we don’t necessarily enjoy but end up here as part of progressing the whole…. And realizing that it’s all the same in a way. Good, bad… Same same. Not sure if that makes sense, but loved your sentiment today!!
On getaway In napa until Friday, sad to miss the opening by a day! I know it’s gong to be great!! Xo
Nicholas, thank you for the beautiful exploration of the balance of the work artists do. Sometimes there is that collision course of our art, which feeds our souls, and the demands of the “real world.” Being open to learning something new from it is so important. Art provides a respite from real world tensions – not only for the artist, but for all those who take a moment to enjoy it, at well. All the best on your show!
Well said…thanks Michelle.
Nicholas, thank you for the beautiful exploration of the balance of the work artists do. Sometimes there is that collision course of our art, which feeds our souls, and the demands of the “real world.” Being open to learning something new from it is so important. Art provides a respite from real world tensions – not only for the artist, but for all those who take a moment to enjoy it, at well. All the best on your show!
Well said…thanks Michelle.
Nicolas, Bonne chance with the flow in your art. I was there in the noise of your fitting. You will shine. Your art is an opportunity to go deeper into your creativity amidst the haste. Love your style. Cheers, kellyannartsalon.com
Nicolas, Bonne chance with the flow in your art. I was there in the noise of your fitting. You will shine. Your art is an opportunity to go deeper into your creativity amidst the haste. Love your style. Cheers, kellyannartsalon.com
Having just been through my opening on Friday, your words resonated well. I can paint demo’s in front of crowds, no problems but speaking is quite another matter. If fact I was so stressed about it, I couldn’t even go up in the lift and had to take the stairs. I’m no fan of lifts but usually manage to breath deep but this time..anyway, each time I am forced to speak, I think I learn something more about myself and from taking a keen interest in others approach to this. I taught ballet for years and art is the same, you also have to wear so many other caps, ( accountant, PR, delivery driver, etc, etc) some good and some not so good. I’ve always thought, that if you stop learning, you die as an Artist. So it’s onwards and upwards…fly, fly fly.
Having just been through my opening on Friday, your words resonated well. I can paint demo’s in front of crowds, no problems but speaking is quite another matter. If fact I was so stressed about it, I couldn’t even go up in the lift and had to take the stairs. I’m no fan of lifts but usually manage to breath deep but this time..anyway, each time I am forced to speak, I think I learn something more about myself and from taking a keen interest in others approach to this. I taught ballet for years and art is the same, you also have to wear so many other caps, ( accountant, PR, delivery driver, etc, etc) some good and some not so good. I’ve always thought, that if you stop learning, you die as an Artist. So it’s onwards and upwards…fly, fly fly.
How do I face the many challenges of art making? I apply for teaching opportunities, this usually gets me excited about making art again. Teaching is a wonderful way for me to stay connected with people & share my enthusiasm for art making. It is also a pro active way to re engage in a project I have put aside for a while & would like to explore once again.
Reading blogs like these is also a great way to stay positive about the many challenges we are faced. It is a kind reminder that I am not alone, & share similar frustrations & rewards with many other artists.
How do I face the many challenges of art making? I apply for teaching opportunities, this usually gets me excited about making art again. Teaching is a wonderful way for me to stay connected with people & share my enthusiasm for art making. It is also a pro active way to re engage in a project I have put aside for a while & would like to explore once again.
Reading blogs like these is also a great way to stay positive about the many challenges we are faced. It is a kind reminder that I am not alone, & share similar frustrations & rewards with many other artists.
Thank you for your recent newsletter about overcoming obstacles. Just reading about your own obstacles was very helpful, as we sometimes feel alone in our “art world”. My longest span of not painting or making art lasted 10 years. It happened because I became bored and plateaued in my art. What I was painting just didn’t excite me anymore. Then, after our boys grew up, I went back to school, took 30 studio credits, went and got an MFA, started teaching, etc. All these things really helped to “feed the creative well”. As you said, as long as we are learning, from without or within, we can keep creating. I am always seeking ways to learn, whether from fellow artists, students, or walking with the dogs. It’s amazing how lucky we are to make art, and after all the nit picky things we have to do in everyday life that aren’t creative (paying bills, pulling weeds, taking out the garbage…), there’s nothing like a brush full of paint and a place to put it! Thanks Nick–your writing is as creative and refreshingly honest as your art!
Thank you for your recent newsletter about overcoming obstacles. Just reading about your own obstacles was very helpful, as we sometimes feel alone in our “art world”. My longest span of not painting or making art lasted 10 years. It happened because I became bored and plateaued in my art. What I was painting just didn’t excite me anymore. Then, after our boys grew up, I went back to school, took 30 studio credits, went and got an MFA, started teaching, etc. All these things really helped to “feed the creative well”. As you said, as long as we are learning, from without or within, we can keep creating. I am always seeking ways to learn, whether from fellow artists, students, or walking with the dogs. It’s amazing how lucky we are to make art, and after all the nit picky things we have to do in everyday life that aren’t creative (paying bills, pulling weeds, taking out the garbage…), there’s nothing like a brush full of paint and a place to put it! Thanks Nick–your writing is as creative and refreshingly honest as your art!