Show Your Work Challenge
Recently, my friend, fellow artist and former colleague Diane Dennis tagged me on FB with the prompt: “Show one image of my art, my life, my studio, or exhibition for 10 consecutive days. The purpose is to promote positivity, passion, and attention to art.” At first I was going to simply post a piece of art I made, each day. As I scrolled through the thousands of photos myself and my wife Kris took over the years, it started to dawn on me that I had a lot to share, and made me realize that I had accomplished a lot over time, and have led a relatively rich life so far. As a result, this prompt, which on the surface might appear to be a vain exercise in narcissism and self-indulgence, was instead a deep dive in self-reflection, something I’ve been doing a lot of during the past year, already. There was a time, not so long ago, when I didn’t make much art at all, and could not have imagined my work in exhibits, solo shows, selling to collectors, or even calling myself an artist, for that matter. In my younger adult life I worked in retail, fast food, custodial services, a tool factory, and substitute taught, until I was eventually employed as a full-time professional art teacher in the public schools nearly two decades ago. While grateful to have this job, it can be all-consuming, both mentally and physically. For those who think teachers don’t work hard, I offer them a day to step in our shoes. There’s a good chance they’d change their minds. That said, it took years to build an artistic practice, and carving out small increments of time here and there to get to where I currently am. Being an artist is a journey with many peaks and valleys, and I don’t believe in finally “making it”. The things that happen overnight usually burn out as quickly as they caught on fire. Life itself, and the examination of that life is the ultimate inspiration, and there will be dry spells along with times of great productivity. The key is to be curious, stay engaged, and allow for times of rest and reflection, as well as for failure.
Show Your Work Challenge
Recently, my friend, fellow artist and former colleague Diane Dennis tagged me on FB with the prompt: “Show one image of my art, my life, my studio, or exhibition for 10 consecutive days. The purpose is to promote positivity, passion, and attention to art.” At first I was going to simply post a piece of art I made, each day. As I scrolled through the thousands of photos myself and my wife Kris took over the years, it started to dawn on me that I had a lot to share, and made me realize that I had accomplished a lot over time, and have led a relatively rich life so far. As a result, this prompt, which on the surface might appear to be a vain exercise in narcissism and self-indulgence, was instead a deep dive in self-reflection, something I’ve been doing a lot of during the past year, already. There was a time, not so long ago, when I didn’t make much art at all, and could not have imagined my work in exhibits, solo shows, selling to collectors, or even calling myself an artist, for that matter. In my younger adult life I worked in retail, fast food, custodial services, a tool factory, and substitute taught, until I was eventually employed as a full-time professional art teacher in the public schools nearly two decades ago. While grateful to have this job, it can be all-consuming, both mentally and physically. For those who think teachers don’t work hard, I offer them a day to step in our shoes. There’s a good chance they’d change their minds. That said, it took years to build an artistic practice, and carving out small increments of time here and there to get to where I currently am. Being an artist is a journey with many peaks and valleys, and I don’t believe in finally “making it”. The things that happen overnight usually burn out as quickly as they caught on fire. Life itself, and the examination of that life is the ultimate inspiration, and there will be dry spells along with times of great productivity. The key is to be curious, stay engaged, and allow for times of rest and reflection, as well as for failure.