| In a world where you can be anything, choose kind. |
Art is hard. If it was easy, everyone would do it. Therefore:
- Be kind to yourself when your art isn’t as great as you want it to be.
- Be kind to yourself when you can’t get marks down on the canvas.
- Be kind to yourself when you get negative feedback.
- Be kind to yourself when you have to delete everything and start over.
- Be kind to yourself when you feel like you’re completely out of ideas.
- Be kind to yourself when you can’t even find the courage to sit down and try.
I promise you, being hard on yourself will not make it any easier. It will cause anxiety which is a creativity killer. Treat yourself with kindness and good things will follow.
- This week’s artist – Tortik Annushka – cake artists! I stumbled across these amazing confectionaries a few weeks ago and just had to share. I try to make sure my baking tastes good. A friend from college made some really impressive cakes (including one that looked like a guitar) but these are on a completely different level. Be sure to check out their instagram for even more!
- Here are 100 tips for a better life. (I like 64 and 95… and many others).
- I thought this comparison of “epic” and “incident” will be really helpful when planning out future pieces.
- Want to make the mail pickup the highlight of someone’s day? Follow this calligraphy swan tutorial and send it to a friend!
- Don’t forget – art is hard, be kind to yourself!
- Even if you don’t agree with the people chose, it’s great to see an 80 over 80 list, celebrating the inpact had over a lifetime.
- One artist’s list of 100 things that made their year in 2020.
- Jan 1st was Public Domain Day! See what works are newly available (like the Great Gatsby).
- A common struggle is how to price one’s art. Here’s a free calculator to help you get started.
- This week we’re focusing on brushes. We just restocked most of our Princeton brushes, so there’s a good selection, no matter what size or shape you might be looking for.
It seems that the only people who think art is easy don’t make it themselves and have no idea. Once you learn what goes into a piece through the experience of making it, you appreciate the art of others so much more!
Not everyone is willing to do the work: to practice the skills, to make the art, to experiment and throw away pieces that don’t work out. That’s part of what sets artists apart, the making of the art. So be kind to yourself. Yes, it’s hard. Hard to get it exactly the way you visualize. Hard to know what materials and techniques to use for a specific effect. Hard to share with others. You can do it, though! Others need you to. Your work is inspirational to someone who sees it. Someone who won’t or can’t make it for themselves. The world needs your art!
Cheers!
Matthew & the Art Supply House crew
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