Not that I don’t appreciate the huge amount of comments and compliments on the artwork that I create and sell… I really do, but at the end of the day, it’s what I think of my work, the quality of it, that keeps me going.
Sometimes I think I’m a dumb artist. Dumb is a nice way to put it. Maybe lazy is more appropriate.
A lot of the art that I have created in the past isn’t artwork that I would buy, or even selfishly keep for myself. It’s just “good enough”. It’s something that someone else may really cherish, which is wonderful, and I love that a lot, but it’s still not “good enough” for me.
As I have taught many students in the past “The only thing that makes you a real artist is the ability to like your own work”. Sometimes I think that’s a bad, or at least incomplete definition, but that’s a thought for another post.
In some ways, I’ve been putting up things for sale that are “good enough”, but in my mind, good enough really isn’t…
The piece I’m showing you today is really hard for me to sell. (But it is on eBay if you want to bid, buy and own.) I want to keep it, along with a few others that I have actually kept. It’s another dragon, but this one definitely has a personality.
I think what I’m trying to say, is that I no longer want to be good enough. Good enough doesn’t fuel that passion that keeps me going. I want to geek out hard about all of my art. Like this piece.
This one’s a keeper.
You can just see the wheels turning behind his eyes, as he, or I suppose she, contemplates some kind of chaos.
I don’t make resolutions anymore, but I am going to, as of right now, set the bar higher and resolve to make it harder to sell my artwork, by making each piece something I am loathe to sell as it will be just so go.
No more “good enough”.
If you’re interested in this piece, it is currently up on eBay until Monday.
Bid early, bid often! Ha! Have a great weekend and not one that’s good enough.
Civil comments are welcome.
Well, I suppose every sort of artist can only ever learn through years of experience. My writing and moviemaking skill weren't always as they are now. But now I'm achieving in both these areas quite well. It took years and practice and dedication to hone them to as they are now. I realize I can only just go further with these passions of mine, just so long as I keep at them. So, just a bit of friendly advice, you must just keep at doing what you are passionate about and love to do, especially if it brings joy to others. And your art does bring joy to me certainly.