Thursday, 25. August 2011
This is part of the process, too
Once a week I write about what I have done the last seven days. It's much harder to write about my week when I have the feeling that I really have achieved nothing.
(Which is never true. This week I was very brave and called a gallery because they said earlier that they were interested in showing some of my works in an exhibition next year. And hooray! They took me in!)
This week I mainly did paid work. I didn't animate a single frame for my Orpheus film project, and I was angry and sad about the delay. I learned that time is my real currency, that time is the most precious thing I have.
I have to compromise a lot: do I want to make art and have the best time of my life all day, or do I want to make a living and have something else to eat besides pasta with tomato sauce? I often have to decide on how I want to spend the time I have.
And after a studio visit and a long talk to my neighbor Rosita who is an artist as well, I've seen some details more clearly. As a matter of fact, there is no such thing like security when you go for a life as an artist. It is a difficult way of life, but I don't want to have in a different way.
Art and creativity are the most important things in my life. That's why I decided to replace my daily routine a bit. I don't read e-mails first in the morning any more, and I stopped reading news sites all day. My day starts with a cup of coffee, and then in the studio before I do anything else.
I play with colors, I paint, I draw, I write, I experiment. I collect sketches and drawings for at least 30 Minutes each day. And that collection of ideas help me to keep my creative juices running. And that's great since it reminds daily me that art is my favorite activity in life. Yesterday it went so well that I started screen printing right after my animation workshop in the morning. I printed until I had no more paper left and it was just great.
Everything is much better now. There are four days of intense work for others/money ahead, but I'll have two and a half day reserved for animation next week. And then I'm off for a week in Italy. Perhaps I just need a holiday.
Lots of love to everyone who struggles as well!
– Jessica
Comments
Jessica Koppe wrote on Thursday, 25. August 2011 at 20:40:
Michael, you're absolutely right: sometimes I get lost in all the things I do. Today was a great day: I cleaned up my studio, I tidied up some (working) relationships, and I also set my thoughts back in order.
Sometimes things has to get really bad before everything starts to change to the good.
Shelley Noble wrote on Friday, 26. August 2011 at 01:58:
So well put, Jessica, "I learned that time is my real currency" I completely agree as you know. I especially love the way you phrased it poetically, concisely.
I say grab the expressive art time where we can and try to bring our creative expression into the paid work as much as possible.
Sometimes I envy those who work at a banal job part time for money to cover expenses and then spend the balance of their hours making their art. The danger of that approach is that they never get to the art and therefore waste all their time.
Jessica Koppe wrote on Friday, 26. August 2011 at 08:54:
I haven't much to add, Shelley.
I try to shift the weight from getting paid for "projects that take a lot of my time and creativity" to getting paid for "projects that I do because of my creativity and for which I'd love to spent my time".
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mich wrote on Thursday, 25. August 2011 at 19:35:
the image is striking… and a really beauty…
To bring in my humble opinion: you seem to confuse visible (physical) output with 'work done' a bit… is my guess… but then: just an impression…
Input, collect - and then letting things grow from time to time, evolve, giving them time to connect with each other in… the whole 'creative process' for kristsake if you want so'… erm… sorry… this blog is a marvelous collection of unique work, and you are facing exhibiting your work in a gallery… and you rock… and inspire me… and a lot of people…
I think you are on the right way and the that you are doing well and better and better in balancing things out against each other… by practicing in balancing things out… and stuff
Mumble mumble
The image you sent me got a special place in the space where I work/live.
Grand work. Yeah.