In my last KTY post, I left off with homework for myself to write a piece on a topic that I want to write about but that I'm not currently writing about. I chose to address a topic that is one that I can speak about forever - finding your voice as an artist. I want to hold workshops for creatives to work thru the blocks that interfere with giving oneself permission to use their creative voice but that cannot happen before finding that voice. This piece addresses that process. (sidenote, the assignment was to write a couple hundred words. I ended up at 1088 words)
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So often, I hear from friends &
clients “I'm not creative” or “I just can't do the artist
thing”. I don't know who ever told these beautiful people that they
aren't creative. I also don't understand why there's an assumption
that creativity and artistic are synonymous. Every single human being
has the ability to be creative. And I'm not speaking of just artistic
definitions of creativity. Every time you've had to solve a problem;
whether it's fitting your 4x4 pickup into a parking space designed
for a Smart Car or turning that blank sheet of paper & water
color paints into a masterpiece, you are using the creative part of
your brain.
But considering that most peoples'
definition of creativity relates to the arts and their desire to gain
clarity in their own 'voice' as an artist, we'll stick to that
assumption for the sake of what I want to share with you.
Your
voice as an artist is unique to you. It cannot ever be replicated. It
might be emulated, mimicked or even outright stolen but unless it is
original work generated by your individual point of view, it will
always be missing 'something'. Every artistic medium deals with this
and it is most often seen in work generated by artists just starting
out. New artists try to figure out what it is they want to say with
their art and during that process, they look to other artists who
inspire them. They will look at the work created by those artists and
attempt to recreate their unique works or borrow many themes &
techniques. This is where most creatives begin. And it is OK as long
as this isn't where you stay. It is a part of the process and there
is a much more rewarding place beyond this one.
Of course,
finding inspiration in the work of those whose creations speak to you
is a valuable part of the creative process, it can be a slippery
slope to copy-catting. This is a very grey area and can lead to the
creation of a body of work that is flat, uninspired and missing the
connection that drew you (the artist) to the original piece. The
most important part of looking to other artists for inspiration is to
pay attention to what elements resonate with you and how they make
you feel. It is then your responsibility as a unique creator of
compelling work to focus on those qualities in your own pieces.
If the tone of a piece of music makes
you feel melancholy and introspective, these are the qualities to
bring into your own work rather than copying the melody or lyrics. If
a painting exhibits texture and energy that makes you feel happy &
alive, this is where you focus ought to be when creating your own
painting. Same goes for photography. If a certain light setup or
location evokes a sense of mystery & wonder, those qualities
ought to be where you concentrate rather than shooting in an
identical location and recreating the light setup.
Copying is
boring and it always looks like copying. It is also not sustainable.
Duplicating the work of another artist is a drain on your creative
well. Generating original works is fulfilling and will ensure that
your creative well never runs dry.
For me, as a mother and as
a woman who has experienced loss & grief in some of my
woman-to-woman relationships, I bring that emotion to my work. I lost
my mother in an arguement during my brother's hospitalization right
before his Schizophrenia diagnosis. She is still very much alive but
so full of selfishness, pain & victim-thinking that having her in
my life is very toxic. So she and I do not speak and haven't for
almost a decade. Also, I lost a baby when I was 19 and that raw pain
is with me to this day. I have experienced painful things that
motivate me to celebrate the relationships that my clients have with
their children. I stop time for these mothers who are expecting a
child, whose children are growing up too fast or whose little girls
are on the cusp of becoming women as they graduate high school. These
relationships are the most important thing that I focus on when
working with my clients.
My competitors may look at my work
and may decide that they can recreate a scene or studio setup and
that is probably true. But what they cannot bring to that shoot is
me, my vision and my heart. The lack of those things will make their
work fall flat. Every. Time.
To help you find your own
creative voice ask yourself a few questions:
what are my values
what message do I want to
communicate with my work
when I am dead and gone, what will
others say about me as an artist
I want people to feel ___________
when they see my work
Looking at the answers found in these
few questions will help you gain clarity into your own perspective
and what makes your artistic expression unique. Take some time to
really think on these questions and look into your own heart for the
answers. They are there, but you must unlock them.
A singer may feel like the genre (folk,
jazz, rock) dictates much of the message. A painter may use only
still-life to be their subject matter and a photographer may choose
to only shoot landscapes. Every one of those artists has something to
say with their art. They may communicate joy, pain, loss,
anticipation, loneliness, any number of things. Also doing something
because you love it definitely factors in. But HOW you do it is
influenced by the things you will learn about yourself in the above
questions.
So while you may still be pursuing a
clear definition of your creative voice, hopefully you see that you
do possess such a gift, that it has value and yours is the only one
exactly like it. You cannot be duplicated. You are beautifully unique
and deserve every opportunity to express your wonderful, unique
perspective freely. But once you can do it clearly &
authentically, you will find your work takes on a deeper meaning, it
communicates your message much more effectively and you will be more
satisfied as an artist. Remind yourself of this often. It's an easy
lesson to forget.
Go be unique, inspired, passionate and
original. Go be you. You're the only one who can.
