Artistic Curiosity Starts with Yourself
This month I’m exploring the theme of curiosity with the artists in my abstract painting membership, The Painterly Way. Curiosity is absolutely essential for artists! And yet we can sometimes throw up roadblocks that thwart our natural curiosity.
No Shame in Navel Gazing
Many of us—including me—grew up in a culture that told us that it’s selfish and vain to focus on oneself too much. In recent years, this has changed. Ask any 18-year-old how many selfies they have on their phone and you’ll see evidence of this cultural shift. We all have social media presences now where we share our personal brand.
So it’s important to see that this type of self reflection and self inquiry is absolutely acceptable in our society now. But it’s also good to reflect on oneself and one’s life to truly understand it. After all, how can you write a good artist statement or artist bio if you haven’t taken an in-depth look at yourself, your process, and your past.
Curiosity Can Pay Off
Being curious about yourself and your work can pay off in many ways. It can be part of your creative process, in fact. Take a look at your artwork and ask yourself why you made those artistic choices. In fact, pretend that you’re being interviewed by an art writer! Why did you choose that color palette? Why did you choose this medium and subject matter? Why did you choose that particular mark? What are you trying to express with this work?
So many of us work intuitively, but in fact we do make artistic choices. The better that you can articulate that, the better relationship you’ll have with your art practice and the better you’ll be able to articulate these choices to collectors, curators, and others.
Self Inquiry Can Lead to Discoveries
This method of exploration through curiosity can lead to important realizations about yourself and your work. For example, it could be that you use a lot of pink and other “feminine” colors and subjects. Maybe you used to think, “Oh, well I have always loved pink.” But by drilling deeper, you may find that you have strong feelings and beliefs about the power of the feminine or what it means to express femininity. You may have beliefs about the meaning or power of pink that you’d never consciously considered.
Art is so good for the psyche and the soul—and a big part of why this is so is that art helps us forge a better relationship with ourselves. Art also serves as a way to share ourselves with the world so we can be understood and make a connection with others. Curiosity about ourselves and our work is the key that unlocks this!
Looking for some guidance as you strive to get more curious about your art? Consider my one-on-one art coaching. I love helping artists get in touch with the true intention behind their artwork!
To your curiousity!
Caryl