Our intention creates our reality
Wayne Dyer
2023 was all about saying ‘yes’, in both my private studio practice and in how I shared my work publicly.
I tried new ways of working, experimented with different materials and painted bigger and bolder than I ever have before. I explored curious colour palettes and different ways of making marks. I created more than 30 new paintings, in a wide variety of shapes and themes. I had a LOT of fun in the studio and feel like my own authentic voice is showing up more and more frequently in my work.
I was also busy in the community. I applied to as many exhibitions as possible. I showed my paintings whenever and wherever the opportunity presented itself. I continued to share my in-process and finished work on a variety of online platforms. I had a LOT of fun doing so and appreciate the positive feedback I received from many viewers and collectors.
While this approach led to exciting new work and many new opportunities to show it (and I wouldn’t have done it any differently), I did learn a few things along the way.
In particular, the importance of both creating art with intention and being intentional in my choice of opportunities to share it.
By ‘intentional’, I don’t mean that I need to know the outcome in advance. I like not knowing where a painting is going (that’s often when the best work happens) and applying to opportunities that are uncertain and a ‘big swing’ encourage me to reach and grow.
Just that the creative projects and opportunities to show my work that make it onto my 2024 calendar need to have as many of the following elements as possible to be worth my time.
I – Interesting – they need to be able to sustain and hold my interest beyond the initial thrill of the invite or the first marks on the canvas
N – Nurturing – if I’m going to do something, it needs to nurture my studio practice, not compete for or take time away from painting
T – Timely – While I work well to a deadline, I don’t like feeling rushed to complete a project. I’ll be making sure I don’t start paintings or accept opportunities that leave me feeling anxious about their completion
E – Educational – I need to learn something new from each experience I have, whether that’s a technical skill or a novel way of thinking about art (or how to bloody well do Pinterest…)
N – New – there’s still so much I don’t know about making and marketing art, adding new skills to my repertoire is important to keep evolving as an artist
T – Transparent – I’m an ‘adds value’ type of person by nature. And I frequently assume everybody else is as well. This year I’m looking for opportunities that are transparent about costs, their share of the marketing efforts and expected outcomes.
Oh and of course, I’ll be continuing with my exploration of transparency in my paintings. It’s in those layers that the joyful surprises appear!
