Money is like s**t - if you pile it up it stinks, but if you spread it around you can grow things. (Paraphrased from Question 7 by Richard Flanagan).
I love this analogy. Making your money work for good, for the benefit of others, is so much more fun - and rewarding - than just piling it up. Sure, we need a certain amount to live on, but really, how much is enough? My own experience is that when we use our money to help others, there is still enough.
Is common courtesy too hard?
It seems like it might be for some people. I sent in two expressions of interest for exhibiting possibilities and received absolutely nothing in reply. Not even an email saying that my interest had been noted and they'd get back to anyone who was successful. These are people that are asking for artists to contact them, not people that I'm cold-calling. You would think it would be possible to at least acknowledge receipt of an email. I don't mind not making it into an exhibit - that's all part of the life of an artist - but the lack of response is disheartening and rude.
So please, if you're dealing with artists - or anyone! - at least acknowledge emails. I don't need my ego stroked, but common courtesy would be nice.
So last week was incredibly busy with all the Easter services going on, plus the creative prep for them. I set up my blog posts for the week and let everything upload automatically, so my apologies for not visiting anyone's blog or replying to comments last week. I just needed to get on with doing my own stuff.
And this is one of the things that I did. It's on a plastic vinyl material that someone gave me a big roll of. I taped off the edges, gessoed it, and let loose with a brayer to start with, which is why there are some great textures that you can see in the close-ups below.
I find myself doing lots of stripes at the moment, and particularly like the ones at the top of this piece where I dragged a mark-making tool through the black and into the pink and made an accidental notan.
What new thing are you doing in your art at the moment?
Sometimes you just want to do something simple. No complications, no build up of layers, no difficult tasks. White space gives us a place for the eye to rest, and we need to do that in everyday life as well.
So what is your 'white space'?
I'm reading Adam Grant's Hidden Potential: The science of achieving greater things. He gives a useful definition of the differences of critics, cheerleaders, and coaches. We all have them, but it's good to know which someone is when they give you feedback.
Critic - sees your weaknesses and attacks your worst self.
Cheerleader - sees your strengths and celebrates your best self.
Coach - sees your potential and helps you become a better version of yourself.
It makes a difference to how you receive feedback - and what kind of feedback is given - if you know what sort of person they are in your life. Coaches have a balanced and encouraging function, so listen to them and try to be one for others.
I find myself drawn to palettes that mostly have a red, a blue, and a yellow. Although the middle band of this piece looks black, it contains a lot of Payne's grey, which isn't so evident in the photos.
Do you find your artworks have recurring palettes or themes?
The smallest acts can make the biggest impact.
When someone needs some help, a little kindness, just to know that they are seen, the smallest things can have a big impact. Don't think that the tiny act you can do, that thought that occurs to you, are too small. Small deeds are often the most thoughtful.
So when someone you know is moving house, they may not need help with moving boxes, but you could take them some food. You can drop it off and then get out of their way, because let's face it, sometimes you just need the space when you're doing a big job.
That new mum you know - take her some bath salts, because everyone buys for the baby, but mum and dad need caring for, too. Someone did that for me, and I remember it all these years later, but I can't remember most of the gifts that were given for the baby.
That couple who are going through a tough time financially - drop off a gift card for the supermarket. It's quick and easy to do, they get to make their own choices, and it avoids the discomfort that can sometimes come from receiving a food parcel.
'Failure can mess with your head. That's primarily because it is only ever in your head.' Questlove.
I have now finished reading Creative Quest. I liked this quote because it is so true. How do you measure success? What do you count as a failure?
How often do you carry a 'failure' round in your head for ages, whereas a 'success' is quickly forgotten? We tend to dwell on things we consider as failures, and that's when it messes with your head. How about instead of dwelling on it, we look for the lesson to be learned. If we learn something, is it really a failure?
