Your art teaches you what your art is about
I used to think I had to understand what I was doing before I started. Why was I drawing or painting? It seemed that was what was pushed into me at art school... What does it mean? Why are you creating it? My feeble excuses about it being in my heart didn't seem to get heard.
What seems like a lifetime later I have realised that its ok to work from your heart. To not know where you are going is a method in itself. To let your art teach you about you. I read another lovely quote last week about the dream you had last night answering tomorrows questions. Or even questions you will ask yourself in a year or two's time.
Your art is like that too. Well, assuming your anything like me. My art is so far ahead of my conscious thoughts I am still catching up on what it means. Seriously. It teaches me about who I am, what I am thinking and about what is going on in my world.
I know some of you will think I am quite mad in thinking this. But let me assure you it is true for me, and also true for many artists, writers, and photographers. You don't need to understand now. What you need to do now is work hard and make lots of art. Make art that moves you. That connects with you on as many levels as possible.
It connects with your hand, your heart and your head...
Let go...
Make art..
Enjoy...
"You learn how to make your work by making your work … art you care about -- and lots of it!”
David Bayles & Ted Orlando Art and Fear
Waratah, Mount Wilson, The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area Photograph and text copyright © Len Metcalf 2018
