Okay, today has found me in a reflective mood. Sitting at my desk, revising a few sketches for an upcoming two book series, I glanced over at a note thats been sitting here from a first grader awaiting my answers.
This isn't an unusual note, I'm asked all the time if I work when my muse hits me or only work on certain days. Art is a tough thing to explain. I can't imagine myself without making art. I guess I can say I do it for very selfish, self fulfilling reasons initially. Alone in my studio, happily creating three dimensional worlds that have never existed yet on my two dimensional pieces of paper. Allowing my mind to joyfully scribble, erase, go back in , add details as they pop in my head, jazz music playing and a snoring dog or two in the background.
With that being said, there is also the part of the equation where this is my lively hood and my purpose to come into my studio everyday. It is a full time job, lucky me! And as a result, I have deadlines and commitments to clients and an agent which means I need to work even at times when my mind isn't as sharp as I would like or the muse isn't there!
The strange part of this is I never really think of the impact of the art once it enters the word. It seems as though if I make a piece of art that day that fulfills me and all artistic skills are firing, then I am happy. I've created something.
Then I get a letter like the one sitting here next to me as I write this blog. It always catches me a bit off guard. Someone is looking at what may have been rolling around in my brain that day. They either like it or they don't ( Yes, there are haters-part of the job!) When I get a response, a review, a letter, a picture (like the one posted above, a very cute Katie Woo Book Club) it seems to put it in perspective of the larger picture. I am so very lucky to create for me and to have the emotion and joy tears and angst all represented in my art flowing through to the next person who sees it. Very cool and very deep in a way I will never be able to explain.
It is interesting how there's something that we get from creating but then something equally magical happens when we get to see how it touches others.
ReplyDelete