As artist and teacher Robert Henri writes in his book, The Art Spirit:

“Art is simply a result of expression during right feeling. It’s a result of a grip on the fundamentals of nature, the spirit of life, the constructive force, the secret of growth, a real understanding of the relative importance of things, order, balance. Any material will do. After all, the object is not to make art, but to be in the wonderful state which makes art inevitable.”

A creator creates from emptiness; he makes something from nothing. Art that flows from the unencumbered soul is free, and radially different from art made under pressure for a specific purpose. 

Making art that no one wants to acquire, let alone understand is the duality each original artist must confront—for himself. The art viewer already has a hard time comprehending the arts. But acquiescing your power to the critics is no great honor.

In the art business, there is the insatiable quest for the next big thing, the next ism, the next school, the next movement—where dealers and buyers can presumably get in on the ground floor—this is, of course, about money, not art appreciation of the avant garde.

It is not surprising then that much art of our times is diluted with self-referential work of a type that desires—even in earnest—to conceptualize, approximate, and produce itself as self-indulgent banal art that elevates no one. 

Innovation is organic and evolutionary. You cannot force originality—or its appreciation—as if you were baking bread, and even dough needs the proper time to rise. 

Birthdays are an ideal time to reflect on how well you’ve spent your most valuable of currencies—we call it time.

Although I am an advocate of “don’t look back,” there are moments when looking back is essential if you are to know where you stand.

Did you evolve in the search for the fountain of creation, the wellspring of art, your purpose in life?  Or, if you are a man, did you chase the skirt of nubile tenure as your passion, only to later find out she is a hag?

The artist in the 21st Century:

Artists need a new paradigm that defines success. The image of the damaged and destitute creator who is alienated from society is more than passé. It is dead.

So, let’s bury it, release it, and move on.

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Today I heard a film director talking about artists.

He said it’s clear: the artists who get attention are those who are willing to walk close to the edge … and the artists who get paid the most are those that are the most self-destructive. Society pays them to risk their lives in the public forum.

Even if this assessment has some accuracy, do you want to fall into the trap set by others, or do you want to create your own vision within a crucible forged by a healthy mind, heart, and soul.

Think about it now—if you are dedicated to your art then you will face this choice between follow the leader, or be the leader.