Artist
The other flowers have blossomed
When will I?
Will my turn even come?
Or will I just fade, never more than a simple bud
They are bright and luscious with their arms outstretched joyously
And I wait
I wait and hope that when it is my turn
If I get a turn
As a late lily
That someone will smile
Because of the one last blossom
When the rest have long faded
"Lily Blossoming", Oil Painting on Canvas, 8 x 10 inches
https://www.melissawillett.com/lily-blossoming
Sweet and bright
Hand picked perfection
A child grabs a handful with no delicacy
Ripe and unripe
They do not know the potential in the little white green berry
They must be taught
Take a moment
Explain as sweetly as the deep, rich berries
Take these easy moments
Take them and use them
Do not take them for granted
Work in Progress, Strawberries, Oil Painting
“Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up and get to work.”- Chuck Close
I was recently reading an interview with Chuck Close in the book Inside the Painter’s Studio by Joe Fig. Close mentioned a belief that I focus on: that you do not need any inspiration to be an artist. Really, you don’t. Many artists do lean on inspiration and have wonderful ideas that result in beautiful artwork. When I have an exciting idea, I still follow that instinct and paint away. However, I don't only paint when I am inspired. While the romantic artist ideal is lovely- (in a studio, painting with a fury of passion a unique and brilliant idea that must be created immediately!) -it is not realistic on a regular basis. All you need to be an artist is to show up and create. Put a figure, a face, a landscape, a still life, or just a color palette in front of you and get to work.
When you don't lean on inspiration, creative block is rare. When I am unsure what to paint, I think about it logically. What is around me that I can paint? Do I have pictures from a recent trip? Do I need to get out in nature? Have I painted a portrait recently? Is there an element of art that I have been ignoring (bold values, rich textures, a unique color palette, etc.). I also keep a bullet journal and have a page for painting ideas. If I think of multiple ideas in one day I write them down and know where to look if I'm feeling unsure what to create. If I only created art when I thought I had a unique, inspiring creative idea - I would not be a prolific painter.
Another way I decide what to paint is by having a series. It makes painting feel like more of a journey. Looking at where you have been can let you know where to go next. I can look at my impressionist series as a whole and ask myself questions such as: Does this series convey a message or narrative? Where are the holes? My series also has themes to provide guidance such as life and death in contrast. This can guide my subject matter choices such as budding flowers, abundant landscapes, and joyful people to depict life and in contrast skulls, weary expressions, and wilting flowers to represent death. The impressionist style influence of the series can also provide guidance on what to paint. Looking at what the masters of impressionism created provides a wealth of ideas.
So remember next time you aren't feeling inspired to create - it doesn't make you any less of an artist. What makes you an artist is the act of creating art. So pick up a paintbrush, a pencil, or a block of clay and get to work!
Spending time creating is obviously essential to being a prolific artist. However, as many artists have another job, this can be overwhelming. Personally, I balance teaching art in the afternoons and being an artist in the morning. This can make time creating art feel limited and precious, especially because being an artist also involves time doing other tasks (marketing, website maintenance, applications, emails, etc.). So how do you accomplish this balancing act?
For me, I started the year with a big goal to guide myself. My goal this year is to build a large series of impressionist inspired artwork. Then, I set a smaller daily goal that is easy to accomplish most days of the week: to paint for at least 10 minutes. This goal sounds like nothing. What can really be accomplished in 10 minutes? Here is the thing though, sometimes I have busy mornings - teachers cannot take time off for appointments without a substitute stepping into the classroom. So every extra appointment or chore that comes with life is taken from art time in the morning, as well as marketing, photography and more. However, I can still paint for 10 minutes even on my busiest days. Most days I can accomplish much more, but I think about it in 10-minute increments. On days that I paint for an hour, I think to myself that 6 times I did a 10 minute set. Side note: This also helps me to protect my wrists, which get sore from painting for extended periods of time. It reminds me to take breaks.
The next thing I do is start a new painting every week. The first week of the month I try to make the work a bit more challenging, to help me grow as an artist. For example, at the beginning of February, I started a bridal portrait. The other weeks I painted lower pressure subjects- a skull, a pomegranate, and a San Francisco landscape. By the end of the year, I should have 52 paintings started (with a few still in progress). Between painting daily and starting a new painting weekly, I should easily reach my goal of having a large series.
Do you have to copy my plan exactly? No, this will never be one size fits all, but setting a small daily goal, medium weekly goal, a monthly challenge, and larger yearly goal is a great path to success- in many fields. Most importantly, hold yourself accountable. This doesn't mean you have to be perfect - but be aware if you are doing what you set out to do. I personally keep a bullet journal with my goals which works great for me. Simple check marks and writing in the time I spent painting. I know I am accomplishing my goal because I can look back at every month this year so far and see that I checked off working on the series almost every day. I can see that I am starting a painting every week because I have the title and time spent for each piece. My personal philosophy with goal setting is if it isn't simple enough, you won't stick with it. Something simple that you can accomplish will keep you coming back long term. Then reevaluate as needed (every new year can be a great reminder.) Good luck with becoming a more prolific artist!
Note: This blog was inspired by a post I read written by a part-time author who wrote 200 words a day in order to make progress on their novels. There were a lot of parallels between our goal setting approaches. It really reminded me of how I work - take a goal that seems inconsequential and do it regularly. I cannot find the post, so if you know it, please contact me with the link and I will add it below.