The art of stopping and starting
Not everyone can dedicate themselves to their art 24/7. Sarah Edmonds looks at how to fit your art around your life and stay motivated
Not everyone can dedicate themselves to their art 24/7. Sarah Edmonds looks at how to fit your art around your life and stay motivated
When I started writing this column it was my intention to explore the business side of being an artist and share some effective routes to digital marketing. After a tortuous year for many, it has evolved to include ‘life issues’ such as staying motivated and, this month, fitting your art around Life with a capital ‘L’.
The pandemic has affected artists in many different ways – for some it has allowed more time at home to work and focus, for others creativity has fallen off a cliff. The Royal Society of Oil Painters has seen a record number of entrants to their Open Exhibition this year. For example, but I have spoken to many artists who have struggled to work.
If you feel like your painting and drawing takes a back seat, if you struggle to find the time and headspace to be creative, if all the admin is getting in the way – you are not alone. Whatever stage you are at in life and work, whether an amateur or professional, young or retired, committing to painting is a conscious decision, one that requires time. There simply are no shortcuts.
I spoke to DJ, professional artist, tutor, writer and father about how he organises his week to ensure he finds the right balance. Planning his day with a loose structure has kept him motivated. Like so many of us, he has found a closer connection with nature that has lifted his spirits and given him space to think. As a keen climber, he is often found up a mountain in Wales with his paintbrush and pochade. Crucially, he sites setting deadlines and goals as central to his process and progress.
A true passion for painting is the common thread that links all my interviewees and one that has sustained them through good times and bad. It is a lifetime’s work.