Criticisms

I went to sleep not feeling good last night. I did not feel good because of a thought that I did not know how to process. I received a small criticism on my art by a close friend, voluntarily. He was viewing my blog while chatting with me, and I did not ask for any comments from him.

"You should have used a dark background for that piece."

"I will use blue or black, instead of white as the background."

"Your painting and the title doesn't match."

"Your painting doesn't look right to me." 

Starting Out

When I first started to share pictures of my painting with close friends at the beginning of my art pursuit, I have always gotten tonnes of encouragement, praises, compliments and support. I was feeling shy and vulnerable, and am still feeling this way now. But the fact is when you start to show something to the world at it's beginning stage, the world would usually reacts kindly. 

Just like when you would treat a child that just came into this world. You would clap and praise at every step that he moves, sings or talks. All you have is encouragements and compliments to cheer him on to his growing stage.

Anger

Getting used to positive words was something that I did not realize I had cultivated unknowingly. It is no surprise on how angry I felt in my own rights when that friend of mine uninvitingly shove his viewpoints on to my face, without respecting my painting as my own creation.

Even though my reply to him was a nonchalant "It doesn't look right to you, but it was right for me when I painted it.", I can't help but felt blatantly angry at his words for disrespecting an artist like me! Never mind that he himself does not even know how to sketch an elephant properly (which he admittedly acknowledges), he is not even making a living through art.

In my heart I was thinking that this guy need some lessons in humbleness, respect, maturity and acceptance about the openness of art's creativity which differs among human beings.

The fact that he has attempted to create several pieces of oil pastel paintings himself in his spare time does not make him an artist that should start criticizing other people's art.

I vented my inapprehensible anger to a fellow artist friend of mine, and she was so kind to inform me that this is what budding artists get when starting out. That at this stage, we will be feeling most vulnerable to criticisms and that we just have to accept and move on.

She even reminded me to thank him for the criticisms, which of course, I did not!

Revelation

I woke up this morning feeling a little bit grouchy for not being able to understand the anger that is still lingering from last night. I knew I was taking comments way too emotionally, but I couldn't help my sensitivity.

And then as I was taking my shower, a different thought suddenly came to my mind.  It was as if something whispered to my ear, saying "Elaine, don't you see that? Your art is growing. That is why you are finally ready for criticisms...!"

I felt a sudden surge of energy as I let that sentence repeats itself over and over in my head. And as the words drill clearer into my mind, it seems that things start to make sense once again, I no longer feel dejected and dispirited anymore.

It dawns on me that when you are ready to face more challenges in your life, when the universe detected that it is time for you to grow to the next level and get better, criticisms will show up. They are here for a reason! They are here to give you the signs that you are on the right track to move further up. 

You don't shoo them away, you should be anticipating them, welcoming them and thanking them for finally showing up, for this is an indication of your journey's progression.

It means your art matters enough to be criticized. That's why there are 'art critics' in this world. :D Criticisms are what most successful people always get.

Jack Canfield once wrote in his best selling book about roadblocks, in which now I shall regard the criticisms as roadblocks:  ".... they're supposed to appear. If they don't, it means you haven't set a goal that's big enough to stretch you and grow you. It means there's no real potential for self-development."

Bring It On!

I am writing these thoughts out aloud in a blog post to serve as a reminder for me in the future. I will be putting my works out to the public in days to come, and I will soon face even more harsher critics than what a close friend would give.

I don't have the privilege of a mentor to coach me and guide me in my art direction, and I do not take any academic lessons in which there would be a linear path structure to follow.

I guess I just have to take my lessons slowly, one at a time. So today, I learned something new in my art journey. All I can say now is...

Bring it on, dear criticizers, for I am ready to grow!

How To Make More Art (even when your life is busy)

Sometimes when my friends ask me how do I still manage to paint when I have such a hectic day job and travels to do, I told them I just gotta find my time to paint. 

After giving some thoughts to how I find the energy to do that, I decide to write some of the methods that I practiced myself:

1: Flex your art muscles

Making art can be like an exercise. If you keep doing it more, it will get easier to start every time. I learnt this when I took up the challenge to paint for 30 days, producing 40 works in an online event. The first few days were difficult, just like when you make a resolution to start hitting the gym everyday. I wasn't absolutely sure whether I could make it through.

As the days go by, I find that it gets easier and easier. Now, making art is just something I could pickup a pen or a brush and draw away, as long as I've got maybe 30 minutes or more to spare.

2: Use anything

Yes, use anything! Grab a pen, pencil, marker, crayon or color pencils. Do it on your notebook, papers, or whatever material you can grab at the moment. Anything available can be used to make art.

I used to draw on hotel's stationeries when I was travelling. Nowadays, I would bring along my favorite set of water color pencils. marker pens and some blank small canvases with me when I travel.

You really don't need to have your complete set of oils or acrylics or your 50-piece brush set to get you going.

3: Doodling IS ART

Need I say more? Yes, of course doodling is art. Examples of what I did here and here. There are people who take doodling as a serious 'non-serious' art sub culture. Checkout the links here.

I like to draw Mandalas too. It is a form of therapeutic art. Mandalas are fun and easy to draw. Here's a site to learn how to draw mandalas.

4: Don't make too much preparation

Stop telling yourself that you need to "get into the zone" to make art. You'd get into the zone WHEN you make art!

I know that it is ideal to have the right time frame, right state of mind, and perhaps even the right weather to really sit down and start creating that one masterpiece which you have been envisioning in your mind for so long. But are external factors really that important? They sound like procrastination excuses which we make in order to stop ourselves from actually doing the deed.

Just put on that damn music, and grab the brush already!

5: Do more things that triggers art or creativity

This is something like getting into the flow of creativity. What makes an art? It could be a piece of music, a dance, a dish or a journal. Put on the music, and turn off that TV. Dance, like nobody is watching. Cook up a dish like you would for a loved one. Write to yourself. Sing out loud.

These are simple things you can do to get the creative energy flowing and the more you do it, the more the energy recycles. You'd realize you have more energy, space and the right frame of mind to make art when you do things that triggers the artistic side of you to emerge.

So, what else are you waiting for?

STOP THINKING, AND START PAINTING!  ;) 

Counting My Blessings

It's a good thing that you can start a pursuit from scratch. You get a chance to sell something small at a very low price, and you can be excited and giddy for it. And then you get small invitation to put up your product at their humble place, and you get all excited and giddy again.

It's like watching your own baby take a small step, and you go so proud of him and you are beaming with pride even for a small thing that he does. 

In other words, I just feel so blessed. So blessed that I can sell my work. So blessed that people noticed. I feel gratitude that I have a chance to give birth to this artistic pursuit of mine, give birth to it, and watching it grow, knowing that one day, it would evolve and get better. I'm glad that I don't have to force it or myself to succeed right away. I'm sure I cannot handle success now, but I like momentum and learning curve, and slowly, my vibration will be in-tuned to success.

Its like you wouldn't want your 1 yr old baby to suddenly grow up to be the 18 yr old teenager or the 30 yr old wise and successful man you'd want him to be. You want to watch him grow.. step by step, little by little, enjoying your parenting journey.

That's how I feel right now.