I have said it before and I'll say it again. If this blog was a living thing it would be dead due to how much I neglect it!
Yesterday a voice in my head said "Hey you, remember you have that blog thing you posted in MONTHS AGO!!" Such a failure. Which brings me around to the topic of this post! Artists' tendency to self loath...
constantly.
To be honest I'm guilty of this as well, especially the past 2 weeks, but if we're really being honest it has been coming in tidal waves for the past 3 years (as in since I graduated college and was tossed face first into the work world without water wings to help me stay afloat).
Self loathing seems to be an inherent trait in most artists. Comes with the territory of exposing one's self to the world and its criticisms.
As an artist it is essential to immerse ones self with inspirational things, whether it be people, places, things, sounds, and especially other artists' work. The last one is a kind of necessary evil...
OTHER
ARTISTS'
WORK
( most of the time it is best known as )
OTHER
ARTISTS'
FREAKING
AMAZING
CREATIONS
PRODUCED OUT OF A WHITE BALL OF LIGHT
MADE OF PURE GENIUS
SCULPTED BY THE HORNS OF
50 JUVENILE UNICORNS
This magical abomination then brings on the Pity Party which leads to the feelings of Everything I Make Is Crap and Looks Like I Made it With My Feet! Sounds extremely unappealing, and it is, but like I said it is most necessary. Believe it or not, but obsessively staring at and studying other artists' work helps to make you a better artist. But first, the Pity Party has to happen, which is where I've been for the past 2 weeks. All the balloons have deflated and I'm ready to take control and get out of my funk! I have a couple steps to get me back on track.
STEP ONE :
Post something on one of my social media outlets EVERY DAY. Yes... EVERY DAY! I have this bad habit of posting on a more monthly basis which does absolutely NOTHING for my social media presence. I came to the realization today that I take posting things to social media as more of a monthly progress report of "What I've Been Working On". This day and age revolves around "OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND". So when I spend most of the month forgetting I even have an Instagram/facebook/infamous blog, then a couple days thinking up the idea of what I'm going to post, drawing/painting it, photographing it THEN eventually posting it... I have already been forgotten. Here I am thinking that everyone is going to see and love this thing that I put so much time in when the truth of the matter is everyone has already forgotten they're even following me! And to top it off because I rarely post, when I DO post it's at the end of their feed which means there's an even LESS chance of them seeing it!
SOLUTION :
Post something EVERY DAY!!! No each post doesn't have to be a mini masterpiece, but I won't post something I'm not proud of either (that would be a crime!). Just post SOMETHING, and make it good, and most importantly make it fun. I've decided to pick my Instagram ( j_shari_ewing ) as the main victim of my daily posts. One of the easiest forums for me to post on at the moment cause I'm simple minded like that!
That being said I'm on day 4 of my post something EVERY DAY-athon!
Day One :
Day Two :
Day Three :
Day Four :
Lets keep this thing going! That being said
STEP TWO :
I am also going to get a real calendar, made of paper and ink (digital ones don't work for me) and hang it next to my face in my studio. I will then mark every week to write a blog post. Yes... a blog post. I can't keep neglecting this thing! I want to post SOMETHING once a week here, whether it be a quick little post of some art, or a long winded post about something random. Time to stop neglecting this poor blog!
My plan for next week's post... a topic that my friends and I have been discussing for years. Our opinion on art school, coming from a Fine Arts degree perspective. It's going to be a juicy one!
In the words of the bouncy legend Tigger...
TTFN!
