When artists are struggling with an identity crisis and what can we do?
Identity in Art
You might be thinking I'm crazy, but I want to tell you about how I found peace within myself and my art through some really hard times in my life. I know you know what I mean when I say that the world is crazy. When everything is falling apart and seems to be spiraling out of control both in our personal lives and globally- I turn to my art to make it melt away. However I haven't always been this way, and if I'm honest there are some days I still fall into the traps of the world, getting caught up in the unnecessary anxieties that I have no control over. So within this blog I'm going to share hope and tools to help you grasp your identity through your art style.
What is Identity and Why is it Important?
Identity can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. I'm more of a simple person that likes to add a few variation sprinkles, but still keeping it as simple as possible. I would sum up identity as WHO you are with some sprinkles or WHAT you stand for as a person. Each artist has their very own style- which is a direct link to our identity. HOW? Well, as an artist we learn how to see things differently through how we are taught, our circumstances and our peers. Any of these variables can have an impact on who we are as a person and mold our identities- which directly morphs our perceptions on the world around us. This is why you have artists who can see such great details in a subject and other artists who see more of loose details in subjects. Both artists have the opposite identities that shine through in their own styles of art, and both are valid and great artistic styles.
WHY is it important. Just like anything else in the art world, your art speaks differently to different people. There's also a greater why that may not be as obvious. People need various art styles to be reached. By that I mean- you may not know you are reaching someone who has had a really hard life, and YOUR art has made them feel hope. Maybe you create something a bit more edgy that reaches someone who has been sheltered from the woes of the world- and makes them think or even better, ACT. Our identity is extremely important when reaching hearts and minds of those who may not understand words as well as they do colors or images. So embrace your style and make it a conscious decision to bolden that aspect of your identity.
Finding Peace in my Identity as an Artist
Do you know what we do as artists that can quite possibly harm our own identity? Comparison. So many times I have compared myself to other artists and found my brain beating me up inside, trying to change who I am. That's not saying that we should settle for what we have and not keep making goals to work towards. Goals are good- Comparison shaming is not. It's not helpful and it its definitely not truth. Have you ever found yourself Shaming yourself with internal talk because you saw someone who maybe created a beautiful piece or work and you're a bit jealous? I will be the first to stand up and say I HAVE BEEN THERE! The way it stops you from creating your own unique work, makes you feel worthless and quite possibly feelings of failure telling you to give up- is just not a good way to be sitting in that creative mind you possess. As people who are creative any type of negative thoughts can hinder our creativity- I personally will find myself dodging working at my art desk to do small tasks around the house AVOIDING being creative! Sound like you? You are not alone! We all have our fallbacks and tend to slump when things get tough or our self talk is negative and out of control!
So how do you find peace? There are a few things that I do to help my mind and body come back to reality.
Make fallback tasks a lesser priority.
As a mother of three I do not have a whole lot of time within my day. These tasks would be things that I would categorize as "things I can complete when kids are home". Things like dishes, laundry, cooking or cleaning. These are all things that get in the way of my creativity. These are also things that can weigh heavily on my mind and feel of bigger importance than they really are.
Be intentional with your time.
I found this to be one of the biggest challenges of my day. Being intentional and disciplined withy our time will ensure you have internal peace. Sounds strange, but it's true. When you can sit at your desk and say "this is where I want to be" and put those blinders on to everything else. It's hard at first, but once you get used to it- it's so much better! You may not have a studio where you can put blinders on either- this I fully understand. I work out of my kitchen so the dishes piled drives me crazy and is extra hard when trying to create! But IT CAN BE DONE!
Find Time to Exercise or Experiment
I find that these two things can be extremely helpful if you have artist block or if you have a negative perception happening in your life. I set aside two night s a week to intentionally work out. This has caused me to be able to take time off from my desk and work on my own self physically which also helps me mentally.
Experimenting with different mediums without any deadlines or clients to please is another way to bring your creativity to a new level. This can help you discover new techniques or maybe a new love for a different style of art.
Fill Your Mind with Positive Messages
Have you ever found yourself in a conversation with someone who is negative and they just suck the life out of you? You feel exhausted just being around them? Don't let it be you! Your mind will tell you every negative lie on the planet, being self critical and even to a point of self hatred- Don't get stuck in an exhausting conversation with your inner self! Below I have attached 75 positive Artist Affirmations that you can print out and hang on your wall- so when you hear that voice spring up you can squash it with these truths!
75 Positive Artist Affirmations
Being an artist can be hard enough, let's make a positive impact on those around us and be a bit more graceful to ourselves. Sometimes being kind to strangers is easier than being kind to ourselves. Lets change that!
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