Elitist Arting and Fake Art Rules
Should your art be any specific type of media in order to actually be ART? There are a lot of art "purists" that would tell you yes. They may also tell you that if you don't have the finest brushes, canvases, oil paints, and an art degree you aren't a REAL artist. The elitist attitudes that come from lots of these people is often very much unwarranted, and truthfully doesn't make their art sell better or make it worth more.
I am an artist who doesn't have an art degree background. I am an artist who grew up painting and drawing with what I could get my hands on. I created, regardless of the tools that I did or didn't have. Early on I actually thought that made a difference in how much I could be viewed as an artist. I have actually been engaging in what we will call "art practices" for many years, but it took me a very long time to actually start showing my work and sharing that work with others. My reluctance to share my work came less from a fear of rejection and more from a fear of exposure. Having spent the greater part of my life creating from the bare minimum of materials I had grown very close with my own art techniques and styles. Allowing other eyes to view it was too revealing for me. How could I allow others to look directly into my soul?
Eventually, I decided to try to show my art...I wanted to see if MAYBE I could find people who enjoyed my art. I wanted to see if maybe I had simply been fighting against my true calling. So, I joined a lot of groups on social media and I started reading the posts and trying to interact and network with others. Artists do this to share some work and also to get exposure to what other artists are doing. Sometimes you can network with others and even get a few sales from these groups. In doing so I have realized that there are some people who are critics simply to be criticizing.
I would love to say that everyone you meet is pleasant, but that isn't a truth...not in the real world and not in the art world. Strangely, people in the art world seem to think that they are entitled to MORE freedom to be rude to others. This could be as simple as not following the Golden Rule, to citing imaginary creative rules, to being downright selfish about sharing the spotlight. I watch people that are often on their first try out of the gate be shot down simply because they made the LARGEST mistake that any artist can make. They simply ASKED FOR INPUT. This seems like a ridiculous statement to make because certainly adults, people, people of the ARTIST kind can give constructive feedback and not just tear people to shreds for the sake of making sure nobody feels better about themselves than they do. Right? Nope! Artists are the WORST offender, maybe even worse than actors and musicians.
My main piece of advice for new artists is to be happy with your art...even when the art isn't what you yourself would call perfect. Artists are also their own worst critics. Be happy with it based solely on the fact that you created something and you were brave enough to do it...you were brave enough to share it with the world. The main thing that will make you a real artist is the mindset and the ability to create. It doesn't really matter whether you have a super expensive canvas, a board, a piece of glass, or even if you stick your art on the backside of a spoon. All that matters is how your artwork makes you feel. Buyers may or may not come, and if they never do...would you want to stop creating? If the answer is "No, I could NEVER stop creating!" Then you are an artist, even if you have crappy art ;)
All of that being said I stopped, in a sense, communicating with the uptight elitists. I stopped responding to clique' behaviors prior to junior high. Part of being an artist in the first place comes from a deep space in your soul that is filled with nonconformity and a reluctance to cooperate fully with authority. I show my work as often as I can and I try to uplift those who need it. Art should make people feel, but it shouldn't make them feel bad. Forget those imaginary art rules and stick your art wherever you can!
#arti_st_gallery #artblog #artnews #artrules #artelite #isitart #arts_promote #paintanyway #paintingfromlife #artistbusiness #womenwhodraw #arttips #creativelife #worldofartists #supporthandmade #supportlivingartists #creativehappylife #inthestudio #creativeminds #mycreativebiz
Comments