Winning in the art studio
I’m creating 52 works by 31 May 2024. With this episode of “Red Playground Extreme 1 and 2” I have now completed 10 of my target 52 works.
That's Life!
Don’t you find it tough to get into the studio sometimes? I know I sure do! Especially when there’s a lot of living going on!
Hanging out with family takes a lot of time, and I wouldn’t have it any other way! Feeding, clothing, and making other provision requires cooking and shopping and more. Of course, there’s the housework, too.
Work takes time too. Writing blogposts, making videos, and maintaining my website takes me 3-4 hours every weekday. And, that’s before I get to create any art work.
With all this happoening, how do you get into studio to create meaningfully?
I'm only human
Simply being human can distract, too. Bill and I were out with the flu several days last winter. Languishing in bed, fevered, and coughing, I didn’t worry about making art or videos. By then, I had made several videos ahead of time, so I was fine!
So I thought!
Please watch, “Unlocking Studio Success: My Journey from Weary to Triumphant”
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The Inspiring works
New medium
The steep learning curve I experienced with ‘Red Playground Derivative Squared’ and ‘Red Playground Extreme’ set me back substantially. Printing with oil-based ink, a medium with which I had little experience, nearly stopped me in my tracks because the longer time it took them to touch dry. Additional effort was required to arrange space to hang the works while they finished drying.
You can watch me creating ‘Red Playground Derivative Squared’ by clicking here.
You can watch me making this week’s ‘Red Playground Extreme’ by clicking here.
Printing is messy
Printing IS messy, I’ve discovered. Really messy! Cleaning up takes at least 30 minutes after each session.
These realities upended my already ambitious schedule of making and editiing videos for 52 works by next May. Hmmm. I’m scrambling to find a way to meet my deadline. And, I will.
Read “4 Ways to Overcome When Life Gets in the Way of Creating Art” by clicking here.
Change is tiring
The works I’ve created during this year of exploration are crucial for where I’m heading in my arts practice. However, I am battling weariness from constant change. In longing for the familiar, I acknowledge there is no growth in comfort. I must continue pushing my bounds.
Does anyone care?
Alongside weariness I sometimes battle “Imposter Syndrome”. One persistent thought lately is: “Why should anyone care about my art?”
How do I overcome this thinking?
I literally step up to the mirror and say to myself, “You’re going to get in the studio, set everything up, Hit ‘record’ and start making art!”
And, I do! It’s really tough, sometimes, but I still do.
This kind of self-talk is tremendously important when you want to achieve a goal that seems bigger than yourself. I plan to talk more about the “Imposter Syndrome” in a future blog post. Join my email list to be notified when that video and post is published by clicking here.
The Mental Game
Winning the mental game is the toughest aspect of forging a satisfying arts practice. I have found that reading books, watching videos, listening to podcasts about mindset helps tremendously.
Investing time and money on mentors and programs on leadership, philosophy and organising skills has given me tools to move ahead. Let me know in the comments if you’d like for me to talk about what I’ve learned about the mental game.
An important thing I’ve latched onto about mindset boils down to this: the key to a satisfying life is to choose to make simple motions of moving forward every day, no matter how you feel emotionally.
Winning in the art studio.
I get into the studio nearly every weekday. (As much as I love art, weekends are for family)
Everytime I go there, even if only to clean up, organise, or add a few marks to a work, I make sure I move forward. I simply don’t quit. Little steps forward is how I’ve created a body of work that is meaningful to me. Click here to see my narrative realism works.
Everything I make in the studio is not a “win” for me. The ones that don’t work for me are quietly put away in a stash where I review and learn from them. That’s the important thing about stuff-ups. You get to study them and learn for next time.
Winning in the art studio, particularly when you’re tired, sad, distracted, or coping with what life throws at you, is to simply show up and move forward in the direction you want to go.
Remember, each time you get into the studio and make motions forward is a win. Especially when you don’t feel like it. It’s a win!
my thoughts on Red playground extreme 1 and 2
Red Playground Extreme really astonishes me. A year ago I would never have imagined I would create works like these two. They decidedly differ from my earlier Red Playground works, too.
There are lessons to learn by contemplating them over the next several weeks.
Pushing through my fears and acting on my decision to show up has given me a set of works that demonstrate that I have pushed myself well beyond that which is “normal” for me.
Now, that, in my book, is a win!
In what ways do you win in the studio? Please let me know in the comments below.
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Is there a better title?
All of the ‘Red Playground’ works only have working titles, so far. I’d appreciate your suggestions for a final title. Post them in the comments below or in the comment section on any of the videos of the series.
