Navigating the Creativity River

I have found that choosing where to go next in my work is a big theme in my brain chatter. I have multiple "tributaries" to explore. I come to a junction with multiple routes and I choose one... hoping to double back and take a different route later. Right now, I'm floating down the river of "experimentation and play" however, I am constantly shelving ideas for new ventures. The summer is difficult because there is no real routine to our summer. I must be somewhat engaged with the small humans that I live among. When school starts, I hope to double down on a few projects that require a lot of planning and focus.

These are a couple of paintings I'm working on now. Both are large canvases and I am just working intuitively.

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There is a a lot of materials and products out there to help artists like me market my work. I know that I should really get more serious about the business. However, my gut says to simply keep working. I believe that as my work evolves, and I have a better grasp on the diversity of my work, then the time for that will come. I'm just over one year into this professional artist thing.

But wait... Just because I started painting differently in May 2015, does that really mean that I'm a beginner. The urge to sell myself short is constant. When did I become an artist? Actually, I started making money as an artist in junior high. My first mural was a project for my hometown high school. I painted our mascot on a dressing room wall. I then painted four more before I graduated...the gym, the field house, the band trailer, and more. I guess I forget to start my pro career way back then. Why do I still feel like a novice?

I am am not a novice. It's that inner critic that always pours doubt over all my memories.

Today, I have works in multiple galleries, I have sold many paintings in the last year, I have a new rep/agent working on my behalf, and I have been included in multiple juried shows. This September, I will have my first solo exhibit and I am incredibly excited to see how far I have come in a short time. The short time frame started when I finally saw what other people always saw... they saw me as a "real artist" longer way befo I did.

I used to worry about having a cohesive body of work. I felt like I needed to pick one genre or medium and stick to it. Then I watched the documentary "Beauty is Embarrassing" and my whole view changed. Wayne White is my hero.

This movie is incredibly inspiring and affirming.

Wayne dabbles in a little of everything. He builds puppets, sets, abstract paintings, he writes, he plays with mechanics and he plays the banjo... He also does a dozen other things... Because he wants to.

​I wanna be like Wayne... Actually, I am a lot like Wayne. I want to try it all. I don't want to box myself in. Life is too short.

Curiostiy is is my guide and it has brought me thus far.

I'm cringing a little over how self-referenced this post is... But then again, if you are reading this, perhaps you have the same struggles.

I am pretty certain that most people have trouble deciding to take themselves seriously. I can bet that all creatives have more than one area of interest and more than one talent. I believe that as long as we are alive, we have the freedom to float, paddle though the backwaters, dig a new ditch, or put on our scuba gear and go deep. There are no rules. There is complete freedom in exploration and experimentation. I often get jokes about being ADD... and it comforts me to know that most creative people get the same label.

Let's ignore that. Let's get on with whatever we want. Let's not be afraid to make mistakes or change courses.

Life is not a train ride down the immovable tracks set out by others...

Life is off-road and free-range. It's muddy and wet, and there is no map.

I am so glad that I have the freedom to explore. I think more people need to give themselves permission to make life an adventure instead of a list of to dos.