Put It Out There!

Four simple words my supportive husband utters to me continuously. Easier said than done, I know. And he does too! He’s also an artist - a talented musician who often just smiles and graciously accepts the compliment after a drum solo that he felt totally stunk! We are so hard on ourselves and honestly, it’s completely understandable. The thing is people that are not artists do admire us for our abilities and of course art is subjective - there’s that. We all have different likes and dislikes and what one person absolutely loves, the next person quite possibly thinks completely sucks.

I don’t know about you but for me, it’s not about trying to please every person that looks at my art. I gave up on that long ago. It’s more about pleasing me. And the bar I set is high. But on what criteria do I base my opinions of my own work? Am I judging good or bad based on art I admire by other artists? As I look back on my art career and the work I put out there (and sold) before the www was at my fingertips I realize that’s exactly what I’m doing! In a world that revolves around visual overload it’s nearly impossible not to. While it’s fun to see what others are up to, I’m trying hard to keep it all in perspective and remind myself there’s an audience for just about everything.

Recently a painting of mine sold at a gallery event and as I graciously accepted the compliment from the buyer, I couldn’t help but marvel at the fact that of all the pieces he could have chosen, that one was my least favorite!

So there you go… PUT IT OUT THERE!