Miss Neptune’s Reverie

As rewarding as it might seem to have praise and recognition from others, an artist must first know the value of her art. Everything else then is gravy.

The phrase ‘aspiring artist’ often pops up like a weed chocking off all the nearby plants. But what does this mean? There is no such thing as an aspiring artist because he is or is not an artist. You know what I’m saying if you feel it in your soul, in your bones.

Why is this clarification necessary? Aspiring means to one day become, which most often refers to public recognition and marketing. I don’t rely on the entrenched and incestuous art establishment to validate me; if they do, great. If not, I have already validated myself. Get my book, An Artist Empowered, and expand your awareness.

You have to prove your dedication over time, but this is not aspiring to be. This is your contract with the Great Creator—the source of your gift.

Are you still aspiring, or not?

School Trip

What’s the difference between art and craft?

I hear this question often, and it also came up during my talk at the 2012 SmARTist Telesummit.

Let me preface that all comparisons in art are traps. It’s more important to know what you are doing and why, then trying to live up to someone else’s evaluation. Of all the pitfalls you may face, self-deception is the worst.

If you’re certain that you can reproduce your work, then it is a craft. And great craft is as rare as great art.

If you face the empty canvas of your work, not knowing whether it will lead to anything, then it may lead to art—not reproducible or guaranteed.

Aussie Dreams

Someone posted a question in the guest book, which needs fixing—leaving my name as the sender.

“Dear Eden,

“At which point can/should the artist’s true voice be free of conditioning and culture—In Australian Aboriginal language, there are many words equivalent to ‘we’ but no word to say ‘I’. The tribe is all there is, and tradition is law. Their artistic inspiration is what they call ‘my (my tribe’s) dreaming’ yet Australian contemporary Aboriginal Art is considered the only real original ‘art movement’ since the 80’s. Any thoughts?”

My response:

When an outsider inquired as to why the Aboriginal man made cave art, he replied: “I don’t make art … the hand spirit makes art.”

The Aboriginal man’s answer implies that his art is born out of spirit, not ego.

If there is no word for ‘I’ in the lexicon, then each person must have a name to distinguish one from another.

Tradition and culture are not the enemy. Mindless tradition and culture are the culprits. Following tradition means repetition. Breaking free from the past demands courage and a vision. Then, no longer entrapped by the opinion of others, the artist creates new work, evolved work, unique work.

“Australian contemporary Aboriginal Art is considered the only real original ‘art movement’ since the 80’s.”

Who says so?

Art is not about trends, movements, fashion, or wavering tastes.

Art isn’t an ‘ism’. All the ‘isms’ that define the various art movements over the years have nothing to do with the creation of art. Who will be the next groundbreaking artist? This isn’t up to the artist who does what he does. There is only one breakthrough in art of any value to the artist, and that is truth.

Wassily, The Blue Rider

Yes, the title of this post is a cliche, and such banalities are on my verboten list. But, it is okay to use a cliche if you do so on purpose and not out of mindlessness.

Whenever some situation arises and it seems that the ‘fault’ lies with some other party or entity—stop from having an immediate opinion. Let things settle before mouthing off. Once said, it cannot be unsaid.

In the end, you may discover that the issue was pilot error, your lapse for whatever the reason. And then, you will be proud of yourself for having had the self-discipline and awareness to see things as they are, not as you thought they were.

This principle also connects with art. Don’t prejudge. Let your art develop by getting out of the way. If the art isn’t happening, then it is your own interference and frustration at work. You need not be better than any other artist; you need only be your unique self.

An artist told me that she loves to capture things in her art. In my work, I am dedicated to unleashing that which wants to be born. 

Multitasking

For those who missed the Xanadu Webinar as noted in my previous post with me as guest speaker, you can hear the audio here. I feel you will find the information of great value.

Jason Horejs, who generously hosted the Webinar, is the progressive and forward thinking owner of the successful Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Note that Jason is also the author of “Starving to Success”—a fine primer on how to best approach galleries with your artwork.