Let’s talk about YOUR Art

~ Brooke F.

I read a tweet awhile back (as all good stories start I’m sure) and I just really wanted to discuss it. It’s a tweet that is by a woman named Elicia Donze (an artist) that reads as follows:

I immediately knew I wanted to talk about this, especially since I, myself, am a creator of art. All different kinds in fact, the biggest one being writing. And, subsequently, I know a few writers (and artists) follow me as well. So I think this is good for both me and my readers to hear.

Sometimes you spend a lot of time working on a piece of art, usually for me it’s a writing piece. I work and work on it until I’m done. I step back and reread over the piece and instant dissatisfaction. Not because it’s BAD but because it just doesn’t sound like I want it to. I want it to sound like that narrator in that book I just read a few days ago. The one that was particularly clever. I want it to sound like my favorite authors. In short, I want it to sound like someone else. Because, apparently, the sign of creative genius is your work sounding nothing like you. Something like a stranger wrote. This is, of course, a lie. One that I am often guilty of without even realizing it.

It’s hard when I get so inspired by the world around me that I want what I create to look EXACTLY like that. But, in doing so, I’m defeating the whole purpose of me creating. The joy comes from MY specific take on something. The point is it becomes unique by the fact that I’m merely creating it. If I am creating something correctly, it should look different from everyone else’s work. But it should also sound like ME. And, as the tweet above states, that’s the valuable part of your art.

I know this is a short post but I really wanted to talk about this because I think it’s something that many creators struggle with. Let me know in the comments below what you think! Have a lovely day!

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Published by Brooke F.

I’m a college student who has unrealistic dreams of being a famous authoress who writes mystery novels. Either that or a goblin... haven't decided which. I live on a farm up on a hilltop where the wind likes to mess up my hair and the trees sway poetically in the wind.

6 thoughts on “Let’s talk about YOUR Art”

  1. I think this is a great post for all the artists, and I guess we all have at least once, honestly more than once expected our art to be something which is not us but is like that aesthetic perfection kind of art. So whenever I write a poem, I don’t feel satisfied when I want it to sound all good with fanciful words I might have heard only once and probably need to improve my vocabulary but at the end of the day, whatever I write is written by me, is an “original” work done from my perspective. Maybe if we start with being honest to our art, we can not only improve but also truly enjoy whatever art we create. Cheers to all the artists, writers, creators out there!✨

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    1. I love that you said “maybe if we start being honest to our art, we can not only improve but also truly enjoy whatever we create”. That Is a MARVELOUS way of putting it.
      And yes! A round of applause to all the creators out there!🙌

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  2. Well, I feel called out. Just last night I was working on a drawing that I hated beyond belief because no matter how I tried, it still looked like I drew it. Which, in retrospect, is…really dumb, but it sounded a lot more reasonable at the time! Whenever I showed anyone something of mine, be it art or writing or what have you, I’d always apologize for this or that automatically because I just knew that whatever glaring errors I saw had to be so obvious, and they’d always look at me like I was crazy. I’d assume they were just being nice and slink away in mediocre shame. But I never quite thought of this way. It’s a good mindset, and I like it. Thanks for this!

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    1. I feel that. I can be self concious about my work as well, like I should apologize for its existence even though the goal of art is simply to BRING something into existence. Like that’s the accomplishment.
      Glad you got something from this post. I know a quote doesnt automatically cure one’s self conciousness about their art but hopefully it can be considered the next time you particularly hate a piece you’ve made.

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      1. Exactly. And the whole point of making art is to show something from your perspective. How is that supposed to work if you’re trying so hard to make it look like you didn’t even do it? *eyes past self sternly*
        If quotes could do all that, we’d both be millionaires by now. Alas! Still, this one’s going in my folder of random things I look at when I need motivation.

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