Journal 1: Random Thoughts through the Course of my Artistic Journey

I decided to start journaling my thoughts once a week or so in order to relate what I am feeling. I must first mention that I speak as someone who is still emerging in the arts. I have been pursuing the arts seriously for about a year and so I am still growing. I felt the need to share some of the thoughts I have been having and some of the personal things that I am experiencing. I decided to break them up into numbered paragraphs so that I do not sound like I am rambling too much.

Thought 1:

I have been noticing an increase in posts on social media, Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram, claiming that if you read a certain book your art sales will increase, and so on. Many artists have a hard time with marketing, which is understandable. As a new artist, this sounds appealing. Most of these books will tell you what most people already know, which is that one needs to be honest, dedicated, and be willing to put yourself out there. These are not things that anyone does not know. The interesting thing about these people selling books is that they are making money off of people buying them and not necessarily their own artwork. I decided to think deeper about the type of artist I want to be and what I did not want to do. I think it is everyone’s right to do what they want to do and I have no problem with people educating others. I just would hate for someone to buy into the whole idea that there is some magic formula for selling art or being an artist. I read somewhere that Van Gogh only sold 2 paintings out of 2000. In the age of capitalism, I believe that what is good is not always what is popular. Although I would love to sell more art, I am more concerned with enjoying what I do. It is easy to get swept into the mindset that one is as good as one sells. That Is not true at all!

Thought 2: I think honesty is the most important thing when pursuing the arts. It is okay to try new things and experiment, but I think that the goal is to come up with your own voice. I feel that my art is constantly changing and that I am still at the stage where I am experimenting, and I am absolutely okay with that.

Thought 3: As someone who has been diagnosed with Anxiety, I am constantly worried about everything I do. Personal family issues make its way into my mind as I paint. I learned how to use these struggles to empower my art. Instead of trying to shun them away, I use these concepts and explore ways to put them to use. I find that my art is about exploration and the search for symbols, mainly because I am in search of something unseen. Landscapes have been my main choice because I am attracted to the connection between humans and nature. However, I find myself exploring these same concepts in still-life and in portraits. I don’t ever see myself focusing solely on portraits or figures.

This is a painting I am currently working on. I am trying to take things slow so that I don’t overwork the foreground. I really like using loose and swirly brushstrokes and adding a bit of texture.

A Turn: 24″ x 18″ Linen Panel