It may be an oversimplification, but these days, I create with a basic summation - there is no audience. And never will be.
I understand desire, cravings, and addiction (being a former junkie, now 20 years clean and sober), and I understand the human need for social inclusion (despite being an introverted anti-social Luddite), and I also realised that, whenever I'm writing or painting or buried in music, that the outside world ceases to exist. Yes, it would be nice to share my efforts and thusly gain some sort of approval, but I stripped that premise back to discover what actually motivates my love of the arts.
And it wasn't the dopamine hits afforded by social media. It wasn't getting approval from strangers - the unqualified critics of cyberspace - whom I would never meet. It wasn't to stroke the ego, or gain self-approval, or satisfy an ambition that would elevate my social standing. I simply like the mindset that artistry creates, the beautiful silence of isolation and solitude, and the introspective process that manifests my imagination into something physical: I look at what's inside my mind, my hands and fingers then construct it outside, thereby reproducing my mental visions as something solid, creating today what didn't exist yesterday.
That may make me sound like a bit of a wanker, and I probably am, but it works for me - If nobody will ever read my stories, or see my paintings, would I still bother to do them? The answer is yes.
And that's probably completely unhelpful, but I like your observations and perspective, and even if I announce myself to be anti-social, it's still nice to meet a kindred spirit here in cyberspace, and thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Hi Michelle - I have a question. Would you continue to paint if you had no market or stopped marketing your work altogether? Would your paintings change do you think? Would your motivations change? Just curious.
I hope you’re enjoying your life in Oregon. I have to admit to being a little jealous.
It may be an oversimplification, but these days, I create with a basic summation - there is no audience. And never will be.
I understand desire, cravings, and addiction (being a former junkie, now 20 years clean and sober), and I understand the human need for social inclusion (despite being an introverted anti-social Luddite), and I also realised that, whenever I'm writing or painting or buried in music, that the outside world ceases to exist. Yes, it would be nice to share my efforts and thusly gain some sort of approval, but I stripped that premise back to discover what actually motivates my love of the arts.
And it wasn't the dopamine hits afforded by social media. It wasn't getting approval from strangers - the unqualified critics of cyberspace - whom I would never meet. It wasn't to stroke the ego, or gain self-approval, or satisfy an ambition that would elevate my social standing. I simply like the mindset that artistry creates, the beautiful silence of isolation and solitude, and the introspective process that manifests my imagination into something physical: I look at what's inside my mind, my hands and fingers then construct it outside, thereby reproducing my mental visions as something solid, creating today what didn't exist yesterday.
That may make me sound like a bit of a wanker, and I probably am, but it works for me - If nobody will ever read my stories, or see my paintings, would I still bother to do them? The answer is yes.
And that's probably completely unhelpful, but I like your observations and perspective, and even if I announce myself to be anti-social, it's still nice to meet a kindred spirit here in cyberspace, and thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Cheers from my little corner of Australia.
Nice work!
Hi Michelle - I have a question. Would you continue to paint if you had no market or stopped marketing your work altogether? Would your paintings change do you think? Would your motivations change? Just curious.
I hope you’re enjoying your life in Oregon. I have to admit to being a little jealous.
Best regards,
John