There are moments when I do ask myself “is my art work really good?” and I’m sure you too have asked yourself, well not about my work but about yours, mind you it might be about mine too, hmmm! Well I say one thing to that, define ‘good’?
In this era of technology and social media is it superfluous to define. Take a look at good ole social media and how does ‘good’ look like here. Is it the number of likes, number of followers, number of comments, number of reposts, is it a numbers game! Or is it the amount of exhibitions or features or is it just plain ole number of sales…you get the gist! This isn’t about using social media to showcase your portfolio or to promote your work as this is the best part of technology and engaging with an audience you never knew about. I was going to mention by comparison but that’s just one long slippery slope and not even worth entertaining…please don’t go there, at all.
It was an honour to have three of my art works accepted and exhibited at the Erotic Art Exhibition towards the end of October 2019. A wonderful opportunity not just for me but also for all the artists, whose works were amazing. I noticed we all have a place in the creative world, we all create our own unique pieces of art and we all have our own interpretation and style. I spent all the four days at the event wandering around and each time I returned to my framed works hung against the raw brick walls it dawned on me, it’s me that likes my work.
That’s what good looks like…I like my work !
It’s not about arrogance or confidence, it’s simply about being happy and pleased with the creative process and the outcome. You create art based on what inspires you and unless you’re a perfectionist (which I’m not kind of, well I know my limits let’s say) you stop when you can stand back and say “I’m happy with that”. What I realised from listening and conversing with fellow artists and visitors about my art at the exhibition was that people either connected with my works or they didn’t. It wasn’t necessarily about liking or not liking, it’s about making that connection which you can’t produce during the creative process. Sometimes your creations will resonate with others and sometimes it won’t but it should resonate with yourself, the creator.
Moral of the story (or of my experience) is, create what you like, for yourself and enjoy the process. Please yourself and others may just come on-board your journey too and that includes those elusive collectors/buyers who have yet to encounter the genius that is you…and me!
Stay inspired, keep learning, continue growing and keep creating!