undiscoveredartist

My Worst Enemy, Myself.

Sometimes I have to wonder, who or what is holding me back from creating more? Is it me? I think it is. I believe I am my own worst critic. Because I am the one who continues not to paint, not to show my work and not to put it out there. What am I so worried about? Different people have different perspectives. It is clear that I am judging myself and harshly. I feel like everything I create is going to be subject to revision, revision, revision. I can never stop until I reach perfection. But that is not exactly true…

Here are some perspectives I have acquired after puzzling over this for some time.

The first perspective says to me that I shouldn’t judge what I create because my only job; my only worry is just to make it and get it out in the world. Others can make judgments about it, but I can’t hold back my work by judging it beforehand.

The second perspective says that because there is only one of me, my expression is so unique that it doesn’t matter what people think, I have to put it out there. If I don’t, then it will never ever exist in any form and it will be lost forever.

The third perspective says that I need to try my best. If my work doesn’t appeal to any one but me, I am just another artist that tried and failed but at least I tried.

A fourth perspective dictates that there is a place where only the artist’s opinion is important. Anything else is of uncertain benefit. If I keep focused in this way, I can soldier on, creating my own trail with little regard to who thinks what about it.

I am a little partial to the fourth perspective; however there is a downside to this. Once you build that barrier of security, someone unavoidably sees your work, gives you their critique and you are left to build that wall of conviction all over again; brick by brick.

These are just some things I believe that artists should keep in mind before they start holding back their creativity. That is why I am going to the art store tomorrow to purchase a new canvas and officially end this painter’s block. Wish me luck!

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