Ancient Artist: Developing an art career after 50

Thoughts from a Closet Regionalist

Dry/Canyon, Mountain Series, oil on board

Having recently read the interesting post on Edward Winkleman's blog about his thoughts on Regionalism, I had a small Epiphany of my own.  I am a Regionalist.  Not such a horrible thing, when you think about it.  There are numerous artists we all could name who are seen as internationally recognized stars of the art world but - who are, at the core - Regionalists.  So yes, I am a Regionalist.  I live and paint my environment, as I experience it.  As I want to share it with those who live in areas quite different from mine.

We most often learn about Regionalism in the Art History classes, looking at Grant Wood, or Thomas Hart Benton.  There is an odd quirkiness about their Depression Era work; it carries the negative stigma of being the kind of art that attempts to "reassure America with scenes of idyllic rural life." Art we would - in today's volatile political arena - dismiss as pandering to an unsophisticated audience looking for their Thomas Kinkade fix.

I admit, after reading Winkleman's open thread, I was feeling an insidious fear that my work was really just "Tourist Art from Quaintsville."  I had to remind myself of all the artists who inspire me, and the common theme I find in their lives - that they all felt the need to remove themselves from what was their equivalent of New York.  That they all isolated themselves, in an effort to discover their own sense of who they were and, more importantly, why they felt compelled to create the art that they did.

(image: Afternoon Light, Mountain Series, 20x30, oil)

I am also a realist.  I'm willing to acknowledge that my work will only show in New York if I participate in the National Association of Women Artists Annual Membership Show again.  The ambitious part of me mourns the idea that I will never make it in this rarefied arena - and the other part acknowledges that my passion has already taken me in a different direction.   Which - after all - it is the path that suits my art, the way I paint, the ideas that inspire me, and the stories I want to share. The stories many collectors appreciate.

This quote from Zen teacher Cheri Huber is on my studio wall because it is the most important thing for me to remember: "Every time we choose safety, we reinforce fear."

Because there is safety in crowding into the center of the herd, where you aren't as likely to be taken out by the predators. Safety in blending in and adopting a form of camouflage by looking just like everything else around you.

(Image: Eye of the Sleeping Man, 22x28, oil)

There is safety in not raising your hand, not sticking out your neck, not taking that road filled with rocks and weeds where you might suddenly find yourself lost and alone. And ignored.

But maybe, being an artist is what you are, not what you do, and if you honor that part of your creative life then you must also honor your personal voice.  If nothing else, this recession has been a gift to me in this respect.  I have discovered the freedom to explore ideas related to my art and my process that I would never have had the courage to express before - partly because no one seems to be looking right now, and I say that with all respect and warm humor.  It's like we are all waiting in the wings, and no one knows when the curtain will go up, but some of us are so fearful we will miss the big event we can't move from our spot. 

Maybe a negative concept like being a Regionalist Artist is the kind of impression that can keep you rooted in place, seeking safety.  Or maybe it is a concept that expands your way of thinking about your art. By working through the clutter of generalizations in Winkelman's post and continuing thread, it is possible to see that if we wanted to, we could describe everyone as a Regionalist - the Conceptual artists who require a continuing dialog with like minded people to fuel their work, the landscape artists drawing inspiration through environmental ideas, even the dismissive term of Quaintsville denotes a "Regionalist" way of thinking about where you are compared to where everyone else is. 

You could say I live in the middle of nowhere and I would agree.  You could also say that the Pacific Northwest is dominated by Conceptual and Contemporary influences.  And you could also add that the idea of someone choosing to paint landscape in such an environment is probably...well, someone who is lost in Quaintsville.

And you might be right - if you are speaking from a "Regionalist" viewpoint where the center is where you are and the importance of other art diminishes the further away it is from your center.

It is the secret reality of the art world.

We are all Regionalists. 

 

 

(images: Break in the Storm, Mountain Series, Mile Post 46, Mile Post Series)

 

 *****

"I could sure hear you in the book, very upbeat and encouraging...I also loaned your book to my Tucson art teacher and she let another friend of hers read it, too.  She’s already doing most of what you suggested...she hates self-promotion like most of us do..."  TB, Tuscon, AZ

Book - Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist: the business plan (not just) for the mature artist

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Narrative in Landscape

 

One of my favorite stories is about Vladimirka Road (1892, Isaak Levitan, oil on canvas, 79 x 123cm, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, shown left).  It comes from the book Isaak Levitan Lyrical Landscape, by Averil King. 

Long considered one of the artist's masterworks, the story behind Levitan's inspiration is recounted by his friend:

"Kuvshinnikova recalls how she and the artist were returning from a hunting expedition when they suddenly found themselves on the old Vladimirka highway.  Now re-named Highway M-7, running eastwards from Moscow, the ancient road formed the route taken by generations of prisoners to spend their lives in Siberia.  The modern town of Gorenki, from the Russian word gore meaning grief, lies at the site of its first staging post, the place where countless families saw their loved ones for the last time.  Levitan started as he recognized the road, calling to mind 'the many unfortunate souls who trod the road, clanging their chains, on their way to exile'.  He and Kuvshinnikova sat at the foot of a weather-beaten roadside alter and talked about the fates witnessed by this highway and the sorrowful supplications that must have been addressed to the little alter."

The story continues to describe how Levitan returned to the site the next day with a large (31 inch x 48 inch) canvas and began to work directly from nature; over the course of several days, he produced what is widely regarded as his masterpiece, a stark, endless landscape under stormy skies, with a solitary figure standing in front of the roadside alter.  As author Averil King states, "It is a picture filled with sadness and foreboding, clearly suggestive of the despair of the shackled men and women who had trudged eastward through these lonely wastes."

Narrative in art is easier to understand when expressed through still life and figure, but for many landscape painters the question becomes more nebulous: is it enough to paint a scene because it consists of interesting elements? 

Certainly a beautiful painting will generate its own narraive in the mind of the viewer.

But when the artist's emotional response to a scene is also grounded in the narrative, the result can be powerful. 

What do you think?

 

*****

"I could sure hear you in the book, very upbeat and encouraging...I also loaned your book to my Tucson art teacher and she let another friend of hers read it, too.  She’s already doing most of what you suggested...she hates self-promotion like most of us do..."  TB, Tuscon, AZ

Book - Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist: the business plan (not just) for the mature artist

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A New Reading/Discussion Guide for Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist as a Squidoo Lens

In response to those of you requesting a "book club" atmosphere around Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist, I've just finished a fun new lens on Squidoo called Ancient Artist Resources for Artists - Study Group Guide for Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist.  

There's new content, discussions, and my favorite feature - the Dueling Debate Modules, where you can agree or disagree.  Why not get your artist friends together in a cafe or a studio and have an old-fashioned Salon?

Here is a sampling:

INTRODUCTION, EXCERPT:

Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist is about your art - why you create art, and the choices you must make in order to create art. It is partly a discussion on the practical aspects of the art business, as well as an exploration into your own private understanding of what it means to be successful as an artist.

Just buying a book and reading it isn't always enough. The experiences of artists differ. The motives for creating differ, as well as the sources of satisfaction. While Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist is written from personal experience, as well as the experiences of others, it raises questions that are not easily answered.

This lens is an additional resource as you begin to identify your own questions.

This lens is about taking risks.

It's about finding your voice.

It's about art.

 

DISCUSSION EXCERPT

Creating commerce through our art work

...and the difference between the two

Art and commerce have always had a partnership: throughout most of world history, art was a commodity - a decoration, a fetish, forms of identification, or a means of story telling to an illiterate society. Artists worked for patrons and created on demand. Very few signed their work, and only within the last century has the idea taken root of the Artist creating Artwork as a means of personal experience - performance art, earth works art, environmental experience art. While expressive freedom has indeed opened the doors of opportunity for many artists, for others, the reasons behind the "why" of creating art have become far more nebulous.

Creative people struggle to find meaning and purpose as a daily experience. Without a "patron" we find ourselves on our own. And we ask: Who will buy our art? Who will help us sell our art? How can we justify the long hours of hard work with so little financial reward? Where will we find the funds needed to replenish our supplies, pay our mortgages, and contribute to our families while still maintaining our creative purpose without having to give up?

In Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist, the section on How to Mentor Yourself focuses upon how we can identify sources of inner emotional support, obtain practical knowledge, discover methods to improve our craft, and build resources to help maintain emotional balance. Discuss your response to these questions:

Do we create as a form of self expression? And if so, then when our "expression" is not appreciated why do we begin to doubt ourselves?

Do we create to sell in the marketplace? What does this mean in terms of the decisions we make regarding what we produce? How does this affect our interest in the work - whether the work sells, or does not sell?

What ideas did you respond to in the essay by Shannon E Myrick, Ph.D, titled "Motivation and Art: Does getting paid for your work lower its quality?" How does this theme of intrinsic verses extrinsic motivation work it's way through Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist?

Depending on the type of art you create (photography, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, clothing, painting) how have you integrated your personal expression into your work?

How do you think you are honoring your creative vision and why do you find this important?

What are your best methods for maintaining a balance between what seem like competing concerns?

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I hope you will hop on over to Squidoo and see what's there - it's too much to recreate on this blog. 

Best to all of you - thank you so much for supporting Amcient Wisdom Emerging Artist, and wishing all of you a happy, creative life every day. 

Book - Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist: the business plan (not just) for the mature artist

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Sorry, But On This Fine Art Generalization You Are Flat Out Wrong

 

I’m a fan of Stapleton Kearns.  I enjoy his blog for the information he shares, but sometimes I just have to answer back, particularly to this post about the difference between art and craft – although probably not for the reasons you imagine. 

The discussion about art vs. craft was intended to arouse controversy, something Stape does and does quite well – part of why I like him because he gets people to think, sometimes, and generates a lively conversation.  But it was this statement – which has nothing to do with either art or craft – that was slipped in before the main event and snagged my attention:

"I had someone tell me on Facebook that it was too bad I didn't like older painters. I like em fine, and well enough not to jive em about what their chances are of achieving mastery and competing with those who have done nothing else all their lives."

So here’s the pebble in my shoe: It is human nature to interpret the world from our own viewpoint and to then extend our own reality into the lives of others with similar experiences.  But this interpretation that it takes an extended length of time (i.e. doing nothing else all your life) to reach mastery is flat out wrong from a research standpoint. 

Consider this - in my recent research into creativity and age I came away with these ideas:

• According to psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, creativity is a function of our cognitive abilities as well as certain personality traits that are strengthened with age, such as the ability to persevere despite setbacks, to be less influenced by conventional wisdom or peer acceptance, and the emergence of a stronger sense of personal calling or purpose. In this post that I wrote in 2008, The Seven Characteristics That Distinguish Older Artists From Their Younger Peers you will find more information on this idea.

• Recent brain science supports the theory that, with the development of efficient neural networks within the mature brain, mature adults have the ability to process information faster, discover unique insights due to both education and life experience, and focus more intently upon mastering a technique or subject, making it possible to condense the standard generalization of 10 years of concerted effort to attain mastery into a shorter period of time. 

• According to research by Stephanie Z Dudek and others from the University of Quebec at Montreal, personality and the level of commitment are the most significant determinants for success in the profession of art.  In their definition, commitment comes from self-awareness and an intense identification with the work, manifesting as a “difficulty in distinguishing where the self ends and the work begins,” adding, “It is possible to work at a profession for a lifetime and never be committed to it.”

• Early development of artistic skill is often more the result of the artist finding himself in a nurturing and supportive environment, enabling the sustained growth necessary to realize potential; but success as an artist has nothing to do with “when you started,” only that you were able to start at age twelve instead of age fifty.  There is no genuine reason why - if you have the commitment, the willingness to put in the concerted, hard effort to learn and master skills necessary, and the ability to resist conventional wisdom - that you cannot achieve some level of success in the profession of art if you want it bad enough. 

The only difference is the length of time you will have to enjoy the success before really old age takes a toll, but we are living healthy, productive lives well into our 80’s and 90’s so there’s no reason to conclude that if you start to pursue the profession of art at age fifty you cannot realize a measure of success by the time you are sixty, which allows at least two decades or more of pure enjoyment, artistic commitment and creative success. 

Those seem like good enough odds to me.   

________________

 

As an aside, my painting, Chokecherry Farm, won the Cheap Joe's Award for Excellence in the 12th National American Impressionist Society's Exhibition going on right now at Mountainsong Galleries in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.  Plus, the painting sold.  I am both humbled and honored. 

 

The Quest for Beauty: Edgar Payne on Forms of Composition

 

This is the third post in the series on composition and features one of my favorite teachers, Edgar Payne (California Impressionist, Plein Air Artist).

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Edgar Payne's book, Composition of Outdoor Painting, is often described as one of the "must haves" in every artist's library. I've learned so much about technique, color, and problem solving from this little gem that I can't imagine being without it.

Payne teaches that every artist must have a solid foundation in the principles of art, but should also develop his own thinking and viewpoint. The artist's emotional response to the subject inspires the painting, while foundational principles are the means of accomplishing a successful result. 

When I first explored plein air painting, my biggest challenge was to identify what to paint, and then hold on to that initial impression when everything seems to change. Often, we get lost in the details, or chase the moving light, creating what one instructor called the "twenty-minute tone job."

 

 In this photograph of Sparks Lake, where I recently attended a painting workshop, you can see the many exciting possitilities in a single view.  Where do you start?

Payne suggests that we narrow down the choices by making important decisions first.

Find the abstract pattern that excites you.

Look for ways to emphasize your pattern as you arrange the major shapes.

Make the choice to focus on one motif at a time.  There will always be multiple possibilities presented to you and confusion arises from the inability to select just one idea.

 

In the photo above, you can see one of the plein air studies I completed in the field. I organized my initial abstract pattern around the standard S composition.  But - following Payne's example  - once I got home I began to explore the material in a variety of ways in my sketch book. In the photo above, you can see the examples Payne offers for constructing a "form of composition."  I am using these ideas as my guide to push my painted sketch in new directions.

The top sketch is pushed more toward group mass design.

The bottom sketch is pushed toward a steelyard design and offers an entirely different possibility.

Further explorations could include color variations, other design structures, and emphasizing specific areas such as the water and reflections, or the sky.  By using my painted sketch, I have an interesting guide for color temperature, edges, and the freshness of painting in the moment.

Payne teaches that design principles, as they relate to the various approaches to composition, are part of the “means” to achieving a satisfying result.  Knowledge of these principles will strengthen your work, but originality evolves from your ability to use these principles in your personal expression, not from following a rule.

Finding new, poetic solutions to express an initial response will help you develop your personal artistic voice.  Don't limit youself by painting what you see, exactly the way you see it.

The Quest for Beauty: Dynamic Diagonals

The Quest for Beauty: This is the second in a series of articles on simple steps and design concepts you can use to strengthen your compositions.

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    I first became interested in the use of diagonals in painting after studying the work of artists as varied as Don Stone, Matt Smith,  Nicolai Fechin, and the Barbizon School.  While these examples may not seem to relate to each other at first blush, there is a strong underlying design principle at work with regard to each artist’s use and placement of diagonals.

    I eventually identified this principle as a form of dynamic symmetry. I bought the book The Elements of Dynamic Symmetry, by Jay Hambidge (1867 – 1924), because he is considered one of the preeminent experts.  In fact he was recommended as a prime source in the Juliette Aristides book Classical Painting Atelier. But while the text is extensive in its description of the various forms of dynamic symmetry, as well as an exhaustively detailed analysis of the mathematics involved, I found it to be too arcane to be easily applied by the artist.  It is certainly an informative text, especially in the construction of root-square rectangles, but Juliette Aristides does a much better job at communicating the same information in her book.  Chapter Two: Composition, Design Systems of the Masters is a Master Class for those of you interested in the subject. 

    Now if I haven’t frightened you off with the idea of math in your artwork, root-square rectangles are actually a very simple concept.  Basically it is a step by step process for dividing the space of any rectangle, based on 90-degree intersecting lines, to form harmonic divisions of space. Here is one of the few sites I’ve found on the internet that gives an example: it is from Doug Craft Fine Art.  Scroll through the images: you will get an idea of what dynamic symmetry is all about.

Here is a page from my sketchbook, where I was trying to decide which format would work the best: the 12 x 16 format or the 12 x 18 format. 

You will see the first major diagonal line from upper left corner to the lower right corner, then the line from the lower left corner up to intersect at a 90-degree angle.  This is the first placement line, giving the location of one of the "eyes" of the canvas. By repeating this sequence you can find other main diagonal placement lines.

    In my thinking process, I was curious as to which rectangle - the 12 x 16 (more square) or the 12 x 18 (more rectangular) would give me the most dynamic diagonal for the major lead in.  I also knew I would have the two vertical lines for the post and the flag pole: I wanted to see where those would likely fall.  I decided on the 12 x 18 format and further developed my sketch. You can view the finished painting here.

    Another resource is this Golden Grid, from Goldennumber.net.  This also relates to the root square division lines, but shown as diagonals from a single point.   I printed out the image on regular copy paper, and then traced it on to a clear page protector.  I use it frequently as a guide to place diagonals, as is evident in this recent painting, Chokecherry Farm, which was accepted into the American Impressionist Society’s 2011 exhibition this summer.

    By far, though, the best reference for me has been the Juliette Aristides book, and I would urge you to check it out at the library or find it on the internet if you are seriously interested in the subject. I don't think this is a concept that can be fully exploited by a few downloads from the internet, so spend time trying to understand the proportions involved in placing your diagonals.  Once you do this, you’ll never be intimidated by "root-square rectangles" again.

  The next post on this subject will go into the idea of forms of composition as explained by Edgar Payne. 

    As always, if you found this article helpful please forward it to people you know who may be interested.  And please leave your comments if you would like to contribute to the conversation. 

 

The Quest for Beauty: The first in a series on simple steps to strengthen your compositions

    The Quest for Beauty: This is the first in a series of articles on simple steps and design concepts you can use to strengthen your compositions.

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    This is the perfect time for artists to renew their passion for creating art.  The current economic conditions have forced a period of slow growth - but this is actually a gift to those of us who have been working in the fine arts arena for a shorter period of time than many of the artists we are now competing against.  With less pressure we can devote the necessary time to better understand our craft and find greater satisfaction in the work we produce. 

    There are tools the artist uses to compose a composition; we know them by words such as armature, rule of thirds, golden proportion, grids, and forms of composition.  Understanding the rational behind all of them will help you strengthen your own compositions, while freeing you from the constraints of following the "rules."

    You will discover that these concepts are not all that different from one another, but some are more effective at accomplishing certain goals than others.  They all address ways the artist constructs his composition, how he divides the space within the rectangle, where the major forms are placed, and the direction and placement of the dominant, visual directional lines. These relationships lead to pleasing proportions, a feeling of harmony and a cohesive whole.

    During the Renaissance, artists often sized their canvases to conform to the golden ratio: 1 to 1.618, rounded to three decimals.  If we were to apply this ratio to most manufactured canvases today we discover this: an 8 x 10 canvas should actually be 8 x 12.9 if it conformed to the golden ratio, and one sized at 16 x 20 should actually be 16 x 25.8. 

    What this means is that we can’t depend upon the shape of our rectangle to automatically produce a proportionally pleasing space.  We must design that space for symmetry and harmony.

    The easiest division of space is the Rule of Thirds.  This is often the student’s first exploration into the idea of the grid.  It is easy to use, but it can lead to predictable placement of your points of interest and a static rather than dynamic visual feel to your composition.

    A more sophisticated idea is to turn the Rule of Thirds into a Fibonacci ratio.  We are familiar with the Fibonacci sequence found in nature: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 and on.  Each number is the sum of the previous two. 

    Applying this to composition, many artists divide their space using a ratio made up of two adjoining Fibonacci numbers, such as 3/5 or 5/8. 

    Let’s use the 3/5 ratio on a canvas that has a width of 20 inches.  First divide 20 inches by 8, the sum of the two Fibonacci numbers in your ratio.  The result is 2.5.  3 x 2.5 is 7.5 and 5 x 2.5 is 12.5, so the dynamic vertical dividing line would be placed at 7.5 inches in from one outside edge, leaving the remaining 12.5 inches to the opposite outside edge.  If your canvas has a height of 16 inches, you would again divide 16 by 8.  The result is 2.  2x3 is 6, and 2 x 5 is 10, so the horizontal line would be placed at this division point. 

 

Image from my sketchbook, and yes, my lines are not straight when they should be. 

    When you study paintings that you find visually dynamic in their design, take a moment to measure and draw out the major lines that divide the space. Identify the ratios the artist might be using.  Here is the link to an excellent article on this subject at Goldennumber.net, under Art and Applications of Phi.

  If you would like to play around with this on-line Golden Ratio Calculator,  plug in 20 inches: it will divide the space into 12 and 8, so it is very close to using your own ratios with the Fibonacci numbers.  

    This is just one idea, though, on how to introduce visual harmony into your compositions.  I find this subject fascinating, and I have been researching it for some time, after deciding there had to more to grids than using them to up-size a drawing - which was the extent of my exposure to the idea in the educational setting.  But I've said it before - the purpose of education is to teach you how to teach yourself, and to give you the tools to become a self-directed learner. 

    The next few posts on this subject will go into ideas around dynamic symmetry, as spelled out by Jay Hambidge, and the idea of forms of composition as explained by Edgar Payne. 

    As always, if you found this article helpful please forward it to people you know who may be interested.  And please leave your comments if you would like to contribute to the conversation. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Creative Environment

    Have you thought about the role environment plays in creativity?

    I hadn’t either until recently.  But according to the social psychologists, there are plenty of reasons to consider environments, and that’s in the plural because scientists are usually not content with a single definition. 

    There’s your personal environment, the space where you create.  You might think that any space will do but not so; creativity can flourish  with stimuli, or get killed by distractions.  For me, this is easily translated to mean that if my studio is comfortable, brightly lit with plenty of space, no room for clutter and stepping over the dogs and having to move ten canvases just to get to the one that I want, then it’s pretty supportive of my creativity. 

    Since creativity is also about problem solving that not only stretches traditional rules but might even break one or two, your environment should be able to support all this risk-taking.  Which means that my space will not necessarily be shared with critics who come stomping down the hall and stand in the doorway with demanding looks on their faces and tails wagging because it is time for the afternoon walk.  It means there will be lots of book shelves for the reference library containing all the rules I intend to break, and at one time one of those table top fountains which I eventually got rid of because it was so annoying. 

    But environment extends well beyond personal space.  There is the social environment made up of other artists, critics, and the general public.  This environment can exert a powerful force for conformity without a hint of originality.  It is one we cannot control; we can control our reaction to it, but most of the time we are not aware we are reacting to conformity but to what we perceive as popular taste.  Give up that spark of inspiration and stay with something safe.  Don’t rock the boat, or the easel, or the pottery kiln. 

            There is even a macro environment, made up of the political influences prevalent in a society.  During periods of political unrest, wars and severe social uncertainty the creativity manifested in the affected population goes down.  The opposite is true, that in times of peace, calm and security, the creativity within the population goes up.  Many cultures have experienced a flourishing age of creativity after freeing themselves from an oppressive regime, ancient Greece being one example.  Not to mention the creative decline during the Dark Ages as a result of centuries of famine, struggle, invasions, turmoil and distress. 

    This is not all doom and gloom, though, for creativity can flourish between creative individuals who form connections and challenge the status quo.  That’s the beauty in creativity, that originality begins to stretch the walls surrounding it and over time what was once considered outrageous is now the new convention.  Does this mean that some artists will eventually give up if their various environments are out of sync?  Maybe.  But now you know enough about environments in the plural so maybe you won’t be one of them.   

    With that in mind, I'm passing along this article from Tim Handorf,  over at the BestCollegesOnline.com blog, titled  20 Amazing TED Talks for Art Majors  These are TED talks from world renowned artists, museum curators, philosophers, and they all look pretty fantastic.  I love TED talks but don't always have time to research the ones that might interest me, so I appreciated  receiving the link in my inbox this morning.  Thanks, Tim.  The talks are definately on my  recommended "listening" list. 

How Important Is Focus – Really?

There are thousands of posts about focus, but how important is it in the everyday progress of your artistic practice? 

The answer could depend upon your interpretation of focus, or your experiences with focus, or whether you’re like most of us and have an idea about what focus should be and that you should do it and so you come up with your own version which may or may not work so well for you.

Hypothetical case in point, based upon an actual artist and a name-changed-to-protect-future-endeavors gallery:  each of the parties are practicing focus, and given the precarious state of the economy that focus is naturally aimed at what has the greatest potential to succeed.  Artist has been focused in the same general direction, style wise, as the gallery, and begins to gather some creds in the broader arena.  Feeling emboldened, said artist tightens the focus to produce a body of work that, in artist’s experience, reaches new levels of competence.  Over the same four months the hypothetical gallery is also focused on the various bodies of excellent work hanging on their walls compared to the walls of their hypothetical excellent competitors and concludes some major direction changing is in order.  Ah…you already see where this is going.

Given the importance of focus, we never talk about the situations that can change when we aren’t looking at them.

Focus has power.  When you’re learning your craft you must focus in a general direction and not bounce aimlessly from pillar to post. Learning craft takes time and effort, not something generally achieved on the occasional weekend. 

Focus allows you to identify your strengths.  It’s not that we don’t already know what it is that makes us smile, but human curiosity as well as insecurity tends to lure us down those other paths, deep into the dark forest when we forgot to bring bread crumbs. Finding our way back an be a challenge.

So, generally, focus is good, even necessary.

But focus can get in the way when we aren’t paying attention to something that is changing, and then find ourselves shocked at the new environment. 

Not for the reasons you might suspect.  But because shock tends to make us temporarily lose our focus, our real focus, and we start thrashing around and thinking everything is changing and we have to change with it. 

Which is probably not the case.

As Seth Godin said in a recent post, "If it’s important today, it will be important tomorrow."

So now it’s back to you.  Think of this post as an open thread and leave your comments and experiences with focus.

 

And another OMG exciting moment:

 

Summer Storm Coming, 12" x 18", oil on linen

©2011 SFSmith

Accepted into the 2011 American Women Artists National Exhibition

October 14 - November 3, 2011

Huff Harrington Fine Art, Atlanta, GA

Uh...yeah, I'm smiling.

6 Ideas To Help You Rethink Creative Resourcefulness

The question we've all been asking is how to prosper in these tough financial times.  The last two Sunday Salons featured artists who are facing challenges and finding success on their own terms. What are they doing that could be incorporated into resourceful creative thinking?

Because I'm so familiar with my own belief system, I don't always recognize options that might benefit me. It's a habit I want to break.  So I went looking around the internet to discover the best ideas on creative resourcefulness I could find - and most came from the major business blogs.

• From Brian Clark at Copyblogger I found this quote from the article Do You Recognize These 10 Mental Blocks to Creative Thinking?

 Trying too hard to find the “right” answer

"One of the worst aspects of formal education is the focus on the correct answer to a particular question or problem. While this approach helps us function in society, it hurts creative thinking because real-life issues are ambiguous. There’s often more than one “correct” answer, and the second one you come up with might be better than the first."

•  From business blogger Vanessa Summers I learned about CANI, in her article 7 Tips To Being More Resourceful on Entpreneur.com

CANI

"My hubby and life partner Andor and I have lived by this Japanese saying ever since we first met: Constant And Never-Ending Improvement. Extraordinarily successful entrepreneurs are always seeking to learn and grow.

They understand that if they are constantly nourishing their mind, they are automatically upgrading themselves and giving themselves a competitive edge. You know the saying “knowledge is power.” It’s true. It has been significant and inspiring for me to watch the rate of growth of close business colleagues who understand and embrace CANI."

• From S. Anthony Iannarino: The Sales Blog I found this article, the fifth in a series he wrote on the foundational attributes of sales effectiveness titled Resourcefulness: The Ability To Find A Way 

 Resourcefulness is the ability to find a way to achieve your goal or to make one

 "Resourcefulness follows the first attribute, self-discipline. Self-Discipline is the ability to keep the commitments one makes to oneself and includes the ability to take actions that are in your long-term best interests. Self-discipline is not simply the ability to control one’s actions and behaviors; it is also the ability to control one’s beliefs. This includes the belief that you can find a way or that you can make one."

• And from John Baldoni , writing for The Harvard Business Review, the first of two excellent articles: The Importance of Resourcefulness 

Redefine the Possible

"You must first start with an open mind. "Redefine the possible." This line is attributed to Nandan Nilekani, a co-founder of InfoSys, India's $2 billion IT services company. According to The Economist, Nilekani used this statement to encourage fellow Indians to realize how they could leverage their talents and resources to empower themselves to fulfill their goals. Being open minded about new possibilities is critical to putting resourcefulness into action. The leader who steps up and says "yes we can do this" is one who can push colleagues to do things that some might consider impractical."

• Also from John Baldoni and his article How To Encourage Small Innovations:      

Implement locally

"Since most small innovations are limited to a department or a function, put them into action as soon as possible. If the idea does not work as expected, don't abandon it immediately — see if you can tweak it. Implementation itself can be creative and sometimes it takes several tries to make innovative ideas work as expected, or beyond expectations."

• Finally from Buon Vaggio, written by Barbara Winters on her Thoughts on the Joyfully Jobless Journey Blog, this suggestion on Portfolio Building, Italian Style:

During the Renaissance, there was a cultural expectation that the well-lived life was about exploring and exploiting these many selves.

"What started out as a quest to relieve my boredom, became much more than an amusement. Building a portfolio of profit centers was not only interesting, it also gave me flexibility, numerous options and was as good for my imagination as it was for my pocketbook.

The real reward of this portfolio approach became clearer when I came across a quote from James Dickey. He said, “There are so many  selves in everybody and to explore and exploit just one is wrong, dead wrong, for the creative process.”

Sometimes a fresh look at information we've heard before can be the catylist we need to open our eyes to the possibilities around us.  At the very least, its a good shot of optimism.

My thanks to the authors of the blogs quoted and linked to in this article for their insights and wisdom.