To be honest, I don’t follow anyone’s blog. Ok, that’s not true, let’s be REALLY honest – when I decided to start my OWN blog I researched “Successful Blogging” and found someone who sounded pretty smart so I figured I’d “follow” him. Maybe it’s the submissive stigma of “following” in lieu of “leading” and I think, “Well, why should I follow anybody? I should be leading the pack! I know what the f*** I’m talking about! Why should I ‘follow’ anyone else?” Well, geez, maybe I should get my ego in check…hence I began ‘following’ someone who sounded somewhat interesting and maybe I could learn something. I can only imagine that I’m not the only visual artist who was pulled kicking and screaming into social media. I’d rather spend my days creating art rather than taking selfies in front of what I ate for breakfast. I mean really, who needs to know that I like to mix my Special K Protein flakes with my Special K red berries cereal? I’m still unsure of what “Twittering” is (or is it “twerking”?). I like birds so maybe it’s up my alley. In the blog I began following it was suggested that I limit my writing time to no more than 2 hours so I figured I’d test the waters and begin by typing for just 1. Over the past few months I’ve been fleshing out my blog in my mind, because lord knows I’ve got to be prepared before baring my soul in front of the world wide web. What should I title my blog? What should be my focus? How often should I post and how long should my posts be? How on earth can I be committed to such an undertaking? There’s a responsibility to blogging and good grief are my standards high.
To give you a little background: I work at an art store pretty much full time. On my days off I teach art workshops and classes. When I’m not teaching an art class I’m preparing for the class by testing out techniques and making what I like to call “sample boards”. When I’m not doing any of the above I get to truly explore what I love, live and breathe: art. A few weeks ago I taught a workshop at the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society and the undercurrent of the workshop was fear in the face of creating art or vice versa: creating art in the face of fear. Potato potAto. It was intense and amazing and I was honored to lead the students through uncertain waters. I mentioned to the group that I was going to begin a blog. The only thing stopping me from beginning this venture was the lack of a name. For some reason I thought it important for my blog to have a proper name. I couldn’t possibly start this project without a name. Plus, it has to be the right name, the “correct” name, a name bestowed upon it from the heavens above. Without this PERFECT name the blog cannot be in existence. That was when I caught the tiger by the toe. There it is again, my buddy that puts up the all-familiar roadblock to something potentially exciting and personal and quite possibly life-changing: perfection. So if perfection is the only thing that’s stopping me from writing this blog – screw that and here goes…
This is my art blog that focuses on painting as “survival” vs. art as “inspiration”. We can simplify this further: painting vs. art. Painting in the face of fear, perfection, selling, john-Q-public and ego is a different game than art for creation’s sake. Learning from your pieces, painting for the hell of it and loving the process more than the outcome is by far more rewarding and what I consider ART. I decided to draw up a little contract (mostly for myself) to put my intentions out into the world: In my future writings I will:
cover my personal art processes, inspirations, and road-blocks through the painting media that “suits my fancy”.
Post on average once a week.
Type for no more than 2 hours.
Post pictures and videos.
Give myself permission to misspell words.
Veer off topic from time to time.
Not beat myself up.
That being said, Happy birthday to “The Fearless Painter”!
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