Dear Aspiring Artist,
Don’t shy away from the struggle. I am here to tell you art is more than your struggles, and you are more than your failures. There is beauty in the hard work. You have to make bad art to make good art.
So what if the first try isn’t perfect? In your imperfections is room to grow. Do not be afraid to try, to make bad art and fall down. The only way to become better is to move past your fear of failing. That is a very human thing, to learn from your mistakes and most importantly, to grow. People do not want to watch or see perfection. People want to know that we all struggle. Next time you “fail,” think about why you make what you make. Think about the role your art has to play in the lives of others.
Art is a form of communication. Art is an outpouring of one’s self to share with the world. As artists, I think we need to remember why we do what we do. I hate to break it to you, but as artists, we have to keep our audiences in mind. We do have to care what other people think. We can’t be selfish. We make art to portray the beauty in the world. We do it to share and connect with other human beings. It is not all about us. Singer/song writer Justin McRoberts says, “Make what you make because you simply love making it, but make it public because you love others.” Art is much more than a relationship between me, myself and I. Whether it be through writing, dancing, singing, painting or making movies, artists all have something they want to contribute to the world.
Art happens when you show a love for your audience. Think about your favorite painting or song: Why does this one thing resonate with you? As the viewer, you are able to connect with it on a human level. You can see the passion of each stroke, the care the painter put into each flick of the brush. Each line may not be exact, but that’s how you know it was made by a human. The imperfections are part of the art. People connect with the person that makes the art. What makes paintings so beautiful is the artist behind it; the human that was able to expose themselves in such a way. The same goes for dancing, writing, singing and any other sort of art form you can think of. Art is more than self-expression.
News flash: You are a person first. I think a lot of people put their entire identity into their work. For example, If you asked me who I am I would say, I am a dancer and a writer. In reality, I am much more than those labels. Artists, and I might add all people, grapple with this idea because we tend to put our whole selves into what we do. When that happens and we fail in one aspect of life, especially in art, we feel as if we failed as people. When you begin to see yourself as only one thing, your failures become bigger than they are. I’ve seen a lot of classmates wrestle with this. I myself have fought this battle. Failures are no more than stepping stones. Within failure there is only room to move forward. I am away at college pursuing my dream of dancing. Every day I am working at a goal. I fall, I make mistakes, I fail almost every day. At times I do not feel like getting back up, but I do. I move forward. It is all part of the process. What makes a true artist is the work. The whole process is art. So, go make your art and do not be afraid to struggle.
