Seek to be original, right?
Be you.
Authentically you. All the wild and sensitivity within you.
When I was studying at the Glasgow School of Art I remember looking at the art and design trends thinking, “Why didn’t I think of that?” which always lead to a spiraling thought process of, “I am ALWAYS behind in what is trendy in art. Why can’t I start the trend and not grab onto it at the tail end?”
What I would tell my younger artist self now is “You don’t want the trend because you will be at the whim of the frequent change. You want to find and 100% be the true you.”
That must mean to seek to be original right?
Yes and No.
Did you know that you have a one of a kind tongue print? Yep, not only are your fingerprints only matched to you, so is the way your tastebuds are arranged! By nature, you and all you were created to be are unique and original from eternity past to eternity future-there is only ONE of you!
In painting, as well as other creative outlets, the more you become aware of what ignites your soul, the bits that make your eyes sparkle with excitement, the more elements you discover you enjoy…the more your artwork becomes original and you don’t need to chase a trend.
But nothing you create is truly an original.
Well that sounds depressing.
Jim Jarmusch’s famous quote,
“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination…Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent.”
If your focus is ‘I must be original’ then you will inevitably erect a creative block for yourself. We can not help what we see; the films we watch, the books we read, the art on exhibit or even nature itself is part of us. A quick word search on the meaning of authentic. It comes from the Greek meaning, ‘genuine.’
As you pursue what you like and dislike in your creative practice, you become more authentic.
I am still learning this about my painting practice. I found myself scrapping away layers of paint with the tedious process of Isopropyl Alcohol and a paint scrapper. (good ventilation highly suggested). This removal of paint technique I end up with a messy type of mosaic of texture and color.
I have been inquisitive about this process. Asking myself, “Do you like this scrapping away? Do you need it in your painting process?”
I keep coming back to the answer, “No. I don’t like spending the hours scrapping and scrapping away sludge to reveal what’s underneath. I don’t like the smell, or the physicality of it. So why do I keep doing it?”
I don’t have an answer…yet.
But as I keep examining what brings me delight in my painting process, the more authentic my art becomes.
Being different is a good thing. Chasing the trends is something you and I can do. But isn’t it so much more satisfying when you are discovering the genuine you?
On YouTube:
I was having a day of feeling overwhelmed. My attention was being pulled in many directions and trying to keep my thoughts straight felt laborious. I decided I would paint exactly how I felt.
Click HERE to watch the video.
