Allow Yourself to be an Artist

The way we as a society value art, the way It is perceived an cherished isn’t absolute. Art is not perceived the same way by different cultures, and most importantly, individuals may find that they don’t value a song or a painting the same way as their peers do, and that’s ok, you may hear that “the beauty of art lays in the eyes of the beholder”, and this is in many ways true, there’s not a single art piece that wasn’t admired by someone who connected to It in some way, so first of all, we must establish that art, no matter how unpolished or flawed It may be, deserves to be made so It may rejoice people all over the world. Someone out there will feel deeply connected to your art, maybe it’ll reach the observer in a way that he wasn’t expecting to and help them feel something they forgot was there, and perhaps it might even teach them something about themselves. This is the effect that art can have in people, and it is invaluable. By no means you should restraint yourself from making art every time you feel like it.

Nietzsche used to believe that art is born from the artist’s pain, and so, he heals through the artistic process. Sigmund Freud sustained that art comes from sublimation, a defense mechanism that turns our issues into a profitable product, something that leaves a good balance in your life. Art is therapeutic, it’s a form of catharsis, art should not only be made for the delight and admiration of other people, art is positive for the artist.

So this is all perfect, art should always be made, we shouldn’t restrain from writing a poem or a short story if the inspiration hits, that’s understandable, but what happens if you’re not content with the fact that some people may not like what you’re doing? There are two things you should focus on to grow as an artist and make your art more valuable and commonly likeable:

Aesthetic Value.

Bernini sculpture of Louis XIV

Focus in the beauty of the piece, try smoothing out the edges of that sculpture, or go into a synonyms dictionary to look for words that fit better in your poem, improving It’s metrics and rhymes. As an amateur artist you’ll most definitively be unable to reach perfection, improvement will only come from practice, and if you don’t have the time and dedication to get to a Mozart level that is ok, just do an effort, It may be amateur, but if you put a lot of work It’ll show in your artpiece, people will still be amazed by the beauty of It and you’ll feel satisfied and proud with your hard work.

Emotional Value.

Beautiful Artpiece from Chiara Bautista.

A painting can be really beautiful, but it won’t have anything to connect to if it doesn’t transmit anything. Art is pure expression, so if you want to make sure that you’re making art you must pour some of yourself in what you’re making, have It as an extension of yourself. The process of inspiration is that in which the artist gets stimulated by the outer world, reflects this in his inner self and bounces It off in his art piece, this should always be a form of expression, by focusing on this the artist gets his catharsis and healing. People will come share with you what your art means to them, maybe they’ll get what you were truly feeling and you’ll share that intimate connection, maybe they’ll even get something entirely different and show you a new face of your art piece. Here lays the magic of art, this is why everyone can be an artist, It’s because every single one of us has something to share to the world, and art may not always be perfect or pretty, but It should always make you feel something.

Don’t let the inspiration go, don’t hesitate, just do it, the world and your own soul will thank you later.