Episode 64: Changing Directions

The creative journey is never a straight path and all artists go through times of change in their work. These are necessary but can also be frustrating and painful as you head into the unknown. Today we’re going to talk about times of change in your work and some of the challenges that artists face, including the experiences of one Chicago painter who has shared her struggle with Rebecca. http://www.joangearystudio.com/ www.rebeccacrowell.com www.squeegeepress.com www.facebook.com/messystudiopodcast Notes: “Nothing is constant but change”—good mantra for those of us in creative fields Change is holistic—affects your work, and how you view it, your market, your opportunities. Relates to previous podcast about blocks, which can be related to resisting change Necessity of change for growth, keeping ideas fresh, avoiding repetition and boredom—as artists we recognize this need and yet may shy away out of concern for other’s reactions—galleries, collectors, our own circle of family and friends I see it in workshops—the urge to move into abstraction –takes time Shows true dedication to the process Stressful if you have commitments to exhibit in the midst of change—wanting to show new work but not sure if you can pull it off in time. Go into some strategies for this in next podcast introduce Joan Geary who recently shared her struggles with change with me via email. (Friend and former student in cold wax workshops who has been struggling with change—desire to find a more personal voice and way of expressing her ideas.) Long interested in expressing light in her work but had not found her way in technical terms. Issue of form and content—cold wax artists tend to work most successfully with aspects of texture and numerous layers; many paintings tend to have a very solid presence. There are those whose work emanates light (JMS) but it’s important to find one’s own way Joan was challenged by a gallerist/friend to take her work to a new level. Felt like criticism at first but J. also saw the need herself. Realized she was stuck in a mode of trying produce work rather than keeping on exploring and growing. (Very typical and easy trap to fall into with demands and pressures on us.) Studied other painters such as Helen Frankenthaler and Emily Mason --ended up developing a new technical approach in her cold wax work, involves pouring paint onto the panel. Involved a LOT of trial and error, frustration, despair. Technical issue of finding right consistency and additives to allow paint to adhere. Chipping and flaking issues. Did research, tried a lot of things. Worked on this for about 6 months before achieving any success. Will post the painting that was successful as a result of efforts. Impressive amount of focus and determination. All while under pressure with 3 exhibits on the horizon. Excellent example of what we talked about in the podcast about being blocked. We have to be open to change or stagnate. But as Joan said, growth is painful. How to distinguish change from simply being too scattered, which is a concern for many artists. How do you know you are growing instead of spreading too thin Look for connection It can start out as random but sometimes random means intuitive—do you keep on with the idea? Ask if it feels right for you, is there something truly intriguing? Instructor once gave me a compliment -- he could see a logical connection from one group of work to the next—showing exploration, moving step by step –done intuitively, I was not aware of it. But seeing the connection was encouraging. ask if it feels right and sincere to you, while allowing for a wide view of yourself Try and see the purposeful reasons for change, it can help to define it – Take your time, no rush to get feedback or show the new work Sometimes you need to digest it alone for a while; resist urge to seek validation from a lot of people right away. Social media validation is easy to come by and can be too influential. Talk to someone you trust or keep it around long enough to feel you trust it yourself. The time of creating new work/transitional time/you are vulnerable Not to be afraid, just know that it may take some time to really understand what you are doing. The most significant changes take place somewhat slowly, organically. Can start with bold moves but takes time to understand and integrate. Realize it can change how you are viewed as an artist in positive ways. In conclusion, change is integral to the creative process, welcome it, respect it, give it time. Holisitc, affecting not only the work but how it is seen, by whom, how others see your work