Insecurities of an artist

I have not studied art formally. Thus I feel a bit at a disadvantage when creating something. When you have not learned the principles of color, form, dimensions etc, you are not sure if what you are making is really good, average or just plain bad !

During the past 5 years, I tried various art and craft forms. In the times when anything you do goes on social networking sites, I was also tempted to share all that I made on Facebook. Most often than not, I received huge compliments for what I had made. However, it was never clear if the compliments were just kindhearted encouragement from close friends or a real measure of the quality of my work. Thus, I wasn’t sure of what I was doing. For that matter, after 5 years of making and selling art, I am still quite unsure of myself.

So, is it right to have misgivings about your work ?

I listened to several TED talks, read blogs of artists (both schooled and unschooled), to find out if other people felt the same misgivings that I do. While, there was nothing conclusive, one thing was sure…. The most content and happy artists, just created. There was brilliant work and then some stuff I couldn’t understand.

The crux was that they were making. They were creating without seeking approval. They were creating without wondering if the work would sell. They were creating without wondering what they would do with the stuff, if it didn’t sell. These were the very questions that were haunting me all this time.

This realisation suddenly cleared all the cobwebs in my mind. It felt as if I had received a new lease of life as an artist. This was a self discovery. I like creating things that do not have any practical use. I like creating without a premeditated plan of what it is going to be.

Result…. Most of the times awful stuff, but sometimes I do love the final output. This may not be a great lesson for most, but works for me.

Today I am happy with myself J