What Makes a Healthy Art Practice?
What makes a healthy art practice?
If you're like me, you haven't thought a lot about that question. (At least, the OLD me.) I've been consistently creating art since 1997 and I love to ponder my present ideas about it compared to what I used to think.
For instance, I used to think it was all about time spent painting. And yes, logging the hours matters a lot. You don't have an art practice without it, but thinking that it's only about time has kept me spinning in circles in the past. Because when I didn't have ‘enough’ time, I automatically wouldn't take the advances that were available--I assumed they were out of reach.
I ponder this question a lot now because I realized the artists that inspired me had a definite method and approach to creating--they had a healthy, vital practice. There seemed to be a purpose behind it that wasn't exclusively about producing paintings to sell or show.
It was more personal. It was about them. They viewed their ‘job’ as an explorer and they took it seriously. The most interesting thing is that their work seemed to be the outgrowth of that practice, not the objective.
To begin to explore this subject, I wanted to share the 4 areas that seem to generally describe a healthy art practice to me now.
It's intentional. I pay attention, take notes, ask questions. Learning is my job.
It's self focused. Meaning, it's primarily about me, my growth and creativity. The art I make is a result of that priority.
It requires devotion. I no longer see it as selfish or indulgent. I am creative and I finally acknowledge the significance of that through action.
It calls for honesty. It asks me to be willing to examine my part in my impasses and take responsibility for creating in a way I've always dreamed it could be.
I'm going to be talking about a healthy art practice in upcoming posts. I hope you tune in because how we perceive our practice can have a big impact on the results we get. What are your thoughts? We’d love to hear them in the comments.
