What is the greatest reward you get from doing your work?
Like most artists, the greatest reward/joy is doing the work. Creation is by far why I do the work, I really love working through the process of making art. It often leads me down unexpected avenues as it guides me almost as if we are having a dialogue, to where it wants to go. It can be frustrating and exhilarating as I try to force my preconceived notions on to it and it fights back.
The other joy for me is to get the work out into the world and see how people react to it. I am always amazed which works are liked by certain people, and I am usually wrong about who will like what! It also is a joy finding out what others feel a work says or means, the adage of a picture is worth a thousand words stands true. I feel that narrative is unique to everyone though…
In your opinion, what does it mean to be a successful artist?
In the business world being successful usually means you are on top of their game, making loads of cash and keeping up with the Jones. In art success can mean a lot of other stuff, hence the goals are different or more varied. Don’t get me wrong, artists need to make a living just like everyone else and yes making money is a qualifier of success but it is not the golden fleece as it is in other fields.
I think we need to look at the “job” of an artist to get a better picture. An artist is a creative, an independent business owner, and a manufacture but they are also teachers, and political/social commentators, as well as a philosopher.
This suggest to me that success comes from creating something that people can enjoy on more than one level if they so choose. Evoking emotion, curiosity and wonderment, to challenge ones sensibilities and ones notions about the world and even who they are and can be, is a component of success.
Ok, that is my lofty answer but I have a simple one too and as for myself, an artist is successful if he or she feels good about his or her own body of work. Willing to continue to put work out into the world from desire and need.
What experience, good or bad, has taught you the most as an artist?
I must say art school is a great way to learn your craft and vet your ideas. I think any serious artist should go through it or at least take some advanced art classes to really get the skills and knowledge that is important to artists. I am not saying you have to get a degree but at least some education is important but not the most important.
For me, getting out of your normal way of working has taught me the most. I am primarily a painter with a love of the figure. With that said, I also love to work in other media, even when I don’t know what I am doing! So my advice is if you are a painter try some photography, if you are a sculptor try some poetry, how about some print making, or gold leafing, or watercolor? If you paint big, make a tiny painting, if you are really structured in your process, splatter paint around! The moral of the story here is HAVE FUN AND DO NOT BE AFRAID TO FAIL! Failure is the biggest catalyst to learning and success.
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