Comments on: A 7th Observation on Being an Artist

By: Miranda

Miranda — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:21:43 +0000

Byrne, thanks for stopping by! Taking risks is definitely scary, but it does pay off in the end. Thanks for the great article that got the ideas flowing!

Hi Kendra! Wow, it’s awesome to hear from another left-brained artist! There doesn’t seem to be too many of us. You’re right, though, being organized and analytical definitely helps with the business side of art. There have been times when I’ve been grateful for that side of myself. Your paintings, by the way, are gorgeous, they really capture the beauty of BC! Thanks for the discussion, hope to see you again soon!

By: Kendra Smith

Kendra Smith — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:29:47 +0000

Miranda, that is cool that you are a left-brained thinking artist. So am I! I don’t think of myself as very artsty. I’m creative in a different way. Sometimes I think I plan my paintings out like puzzles, deciding which piece goes where; there is a certain order to things.

I also think that it’s the left-brained side of us that drives us to blog, twitter, and explore the business side of art. In the beginning I was better at marketing than at painting. lol Putting my art out there definitely felt uncomfortable - until it was happening and then it was exhilerating. I agree that you have to push your own boundaries and then you will leap forward.

By: Byrne

Byrne — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:19:22 +0000

Hi-and thanks for sparking discussion on this interesting subject! A couple of comments–
I agree, artists should be (and probably are moreso than most people) well rounded.
Your 7th goal is true but scary–taking risks is the very only way to make progress; otherwise, there are no peaks and valleys, only plains.
Thanks again.

By: Miranda

Miranda — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 05:06:55 +0000

Sounds good Trish! I’ll set mine up right next to yours!!

By: trish

trish — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:42:46 +0000

hey, I’m going to live by the ocean ocean day, even if I have to live in a pop up tent!

By: Miranda

Miranda — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:26:13 +0000

Hi Kim! I’d love a wife to take care of the everyday mundane household things! Even so, I’d still explore my other interests besides art. I once had an art teacher who advised his students to take other courses besides studio courses. Whether it was astronomy or biology or sociology, he believed it was important to have other activities to inform your artwork. I will be checking out your blog shortly, thanks for the discussion!

By: Miranda

Miranda — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:22:33 +0000

Hi Heather! I’ve struggled a lot with that as well. I’m not very expressive as an artist; my work is more logical and linear. I’m actually more of a left-brained thinker, which is not what you’d expect of an artist. I don’t always feel like I fit into conventional art circles because my approach to art is so different, but I’ve come to accept that I’m not wrong, just different. Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you again soon!

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:38:37 +0000

Thank you. All amazing points, but your second-to-end paragraph resonates right now. I’m not an artist who paints figures or landscapes or portraits, I am an artist who builds her own canvas because I like the texture and sizes better, I am an artist who uses drips and layers and I’ve wondered far too often if I’m an artist at all because of it. Thank you for the reminder to look inside what I actually do and not to compare with what other artists do.

By: Kim

Kim — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:15:38 +0000

This is an interesting post to be sure. I know for me, sometimes my art goals are revealed to me as I work through my art. Of course there are those infamous, necessary business goals which absolutely drive me crazy. I have often said if artists could have wives (husbands don’t seem to be as notorious for putting things into place so all the artist has to do is create) there would be more artist with public note.

Like you, I cannot say my art is my only goal, but I can say many aspects of my life drive my art. Clearly the person who has their art as their only goal has a “wife” to take care of the other aspects of living…such as paying bills and taxes, buying and preparing meals, taking care of health issues, children, home repairs, etc. Shy of those highly linear activities, I can say most aspects of my life play a part in my art. It doesn’t seem obvious to the casual art observer, but you can see some of these thoughts play out and discussed on my own blog ( http://kimrodefferfunk.com/blog ). Your seventh observation is an excellent one. I know this is very true in life and I speak of it often, so putting it into the context of art makes perfect sense.

I look forward to exploring and following this wonderful blog further. Thank you for the contemplations.