Commitment to our art

PAMELA

Decide what you want to do, then do it!
How many times have you said that to yourself, for me many.

It is a common motivation mantra, which can be a powerful approach. Our mind drifts to: why am I doing this? Am I a good artist?  Is my work good enough to sell or even be liked?  The list goes on..

It's normal to have self-doubts and questions about your work. Establishing a plan and maintaining a sketch book are effective ways that help navigate self-doubt in your creative process.  Pushing yourself to work on something for 10 mins a day you will find that those 10 mins can turn into an hour or so worth of creating.

Find inspiration by taking your time going through photos, books, Pinterest, or old paintings you can alter.  I  like to work on simple drawings adding watercolor, ink, or pencil marks or make junk journals so I can ease my brain a bit.

Its normal to have self doubt so take your time exploring new techniques, and seeking inspiration from various sources. Making art a priority allows us to fully immerse ourselves into a creative process.

Remember that art is subjective, and everyone’s journey is unique. Keep in mind what inspires you and what kind of art you enjoy making.

RIA

When I think of commitment to our art what comes to mind is fulfillment of a promise made to myself. It's always been a struggle for me mostly because of procrastination.

Procrastination has had many faces. It was once my favorite pastime. Some days procrastination looked like updating my website, or it took the form of incessantly cleaning and rearranging the studio. Other days, I just thought too much about what to paint rather than painting it. For the most part, I've overcome this demon. As a result, the length of my procrastination is much shorter than it was in the past.

When it comes to prioritizing the word "schedule" comes to mind. We all have other things that need to get done in our lives. I can become seriously side tracked and overwhelmed with life stuff. The more I schedule things that need to get done (and actually do them), the more time I have for painting.

Everyone has their own approaches to getting things done. What works for me won't necessarily work for you. In the past I had many unfinished paintings. Working on, and finishing, one painting at a time has helped me maintain consistency.

On days that I don't paint I spend at least part of the day doing something related to my art. It could be working out a sketch in Photoshop or looking online for galleries with art calls. 

Waiting for inspiration is not something I do anymore. If I don't know what to paint I'll look around my house. There's always something waiting to be painted even if it's just a piece of fruit or a vase.

There are also sources online that I sometimes go to for a challenge. We'll address this in an upcoming post!

Talking to a friend who is also an artist for encouragement has been very important in my journey. 

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We'd love to hear about your experiences in the comment section below!

Please check out our work.

Pamela's

Ria's