When creating a piece of art work, don't we have expectations as to what sort of art project we are going to do, and how its going to turn out. How are we going to feel along the process of doing our art piece. And are we going to be happy with what we finish up with.
How will others look upon our newest piece of art work? will they like it. Will we have wasted our time with even starting this new piece?
You as with myself, have all gone through this process as artists. Are we going to live up to our own expectations? not to mention how other people are going to view it. Will they be pleased with it?
Believe it or not, we all go through these anxieties when we are doing our different art pieces. Feeling the weight of struggle on our minds, might very well be in the back of our minds - but its there.
Deciding on your next Art Work
I for one know just how illusive these feelings are, yet they are there. Once you have made a decision on your next project, you then have your self standards set in you're own mind.
Whether it be sculpture, drawing or painting, you have an idea of what you want to do. You might have have seen a picture for your next idea, or a photo you have seen. Your expectations are high from the start, and you are anxious if you are going to measure up to the challenge.
I know this full well, and I don' think that anyone is immune to these anxieties that are running through their heads.
Having an idea and wanting to do the best work you can do, is natural enough. And the start of a new art project is always one of the most exciting parts as well as one of the most harrowing.
How to tackle this problem? think of this process just like an athlete. Or someone who is about to deliver a speech. They are nervous; they have expectations of whether they are going to do ok.
So don't be too hard on yourself, do you're planning. Have your expectations right from the start. You might not achieve what you want in your work. But who said that an artist ever does.....
There was a famous saying from a great artist in "the past that a piece of art work is never finished, only stopped at one point".
Your Art Worries
Your wondering if your art work is going to come up to expectations, and with that you feel like your struggling in more than one part of the whole art process.
You are trying to achieve such enormous goals that you are concerned that your piece of art work just wont look the way you want it to. Art takes on a life of its own, you may think that you are in control. At the helm of the ship, or that's what you would like to think.
And in some ways.... yes you are the artist that is bringing this next piece of art work to life. But what ever medium you work in, will have a dramatic effect on how your finished piece of art work will look.
Whether it be watercolour, or oil paints. They each have their own properties and definitely very different applications. Clay compared to sculpting with wax. You know what you want to achieve, but you are very much swayed by the powers of the applications you are using at the time.
So its alright to have expectations and goals, worrying is not going to achieve your finished goal. Though its going to correct you, and help you stay on the lookout for straying off your path , and achieving the kind of work you envision.
Finished Piece of Art
Once you have finally completed your piece of art work to where you feel it is a finished. Do you look at it with a critics eye, trying to see where you could have done something different. Do you feel somewhat frustrated that your finished work is not exactly the way you had envisioned. Did it come up to your expectations?
I and most artists, if not all.... feel this way. And the frustrations can be annoying at times. You want to go back and change some things. That's alright, but beware of trying to overdo it, especially with painting, as you can ruin a painting if you try to drastically change a finished piece of work.
Always leave your finished art work and come back after a break. You might be surprised to see how you will look upon it and see a lovely piece of art work staring back at you.
The process is complex enough, yet we have our expectations and our fears if our art work is going to come up to the images we have in our heads. If we did not care, how else would we improve. There is no need to fear the art you do. That constant striving to achieve better, and our minds seeking finished goals to how your finished art work should look. As in everything, ambition drives us, just as our expectations to achieve the best out of our work.
Worrying about your art work is different than your expectations of achievement. You need to calm your worrying and not be so critical. Your work will, in turn develop itself in its own time. Were not going to all be strong in all different areas of art work. It is a specialists vocation, and naturally you will be better at some areas than others.
Don't expect too much of yourself, as learning to be an artist will not be forced. Don't force it, and enjoy. Its a process of time and abilities. So relax and if you make mistakes, and cant rectify them in your work, you will have learned a valuable lesson.
So by not putting such high expectations on your work, you will not be scared of your own art work. Just remember that art has its own way of working things out.
