There is something amazing that happens when you become clear about what you want…
You often get it.
Sometimes it’s hard to discern this phenomenon in life. So many things are happening at once that it becomes difficult to remember why something shifts. Perhaps years later you realize that things did turn out in a way that you had hoped they would. Although difficult to sometimes see in life, this idea about intention and clarity is more easily seen in the process of making art.
One of the fundamental steps that really begins to change people’s work is when they gain a full understanding of the 6 primary principles of art. I work with a lot of people helping them to understand Value, Design, Color, Texture, Risk and Soul. This takes time but once understood, the artist is better able to produce work that is personal and most importantly, intentional.
When someone is making art, and they are no longer distracted or in fear of ruining their work because they are confident, they are then freed up to go wherever their thoughts or ideas take them. I see a quantum leap in the strength and potency when this happens. The art becomes more personal and authentic. Not surprisingly, when artwork is made with consistent clarity and intention it instantly resonates with more and more people. Not only does the artist become more excited by what they are making but so does everyone else.
I used to think that art making was just a very private endeavor. However, over the years I have learned that the viewers part in it is also tremendously helpful to the artist as another collective set of eyes. I am not speaking of making work for others or needing their approval – this is a pretty stale cul de sac no one likes to circle around for too long. I am talking about being clear and intentional with our work – consistently and over time. When this occurs, amazingly outside viewers who don’t even know you or have seen your work before will instantly be drawn to it.
There is a seduction about something (or someone – and in this case it’s both) that knows where it’s going. Or maybe it’s just that it IS going somewhere. The viewers can sense it. I believe people purchase and bring artwork into their lives for this very reason. We all want to believe that if we set our mind to it, if we have clarity around what we want in our art, and in our lives, that it will, eventually, come to pass. We all want to know that the dream is in fact real. Art teaches us that it is.
