Dear Artist : Nailing Down Intimacy with Your Own Work
One Monday night, I was able to catch up with a close friend of mine who I really admired so much.
This person introduced me to watercolor and it led to my new found love with illustration and painting during my first few years trying my hand at art. At that time, I was still an infatuated teenager who put someone on a pedestal and focused all my attention (Maybe it was young love? Lol.).
I poured out my time and efforts to paintings and illustrating - that made me feel good - was able to make art alongside this person, a bonus. Long story short, it didn't end as to how I wanted it to be - we never got together (HA!).
Looking back, I can't imagine that I've been through all those but I'm sure that those events led to my desire to nail down details and be intimately involved with my work. In those moments of coming of age, I learned something valuable to me that I will bring throughout my art practice --- looking on the inside, being intimate with your thoughts and feelings, and making peace with them by making work.
Merriam-Webster defines it below that are relevant to this post:
Intimacy: definition of intimate
1 a: marked by a warm friendship developing through long association intimate friends
1 b: suggesting informal warmth or privacy
It took a couple of years for me to track down the pattern in my process and framework to base my decisions and actions on.
“I’m constantly learning the reasons for my train of thoughts.”
That was the mindset I’ve been challenging for my projects from the past 2 months.
Now that the projects sucked the emotional energy in me and fished out of my inspiration well. I have been craving to fill the pond (e.g. filling myself up with new inspirations, references, and experiences) which fuels the idea and framework of INTIMACY in YOUR ART.
I made a list on how I personally create art that is intentional and close to my heart:
1.) EXPERIENCE LIFE using your SENSES.
You got to make sure you involve yourself in the present. One way of doing this is by using your 5 SENSES. Being aware of having senses (taste, smell, sight, hearing, touch) and actively switching the focus of your senses which makes you:
a.) appreciate the present time you are in,
b.) ingrains this memory in your brain (good or bad, celebration or a lesson, we can move forward with it)
What to try:
Awaken your sense of hearing by listening to a song while working - MUSIC-INSPIRED ART. This is a way of marinating yourself in a piece of other work and getting a certain flavor you want from it + adding your own feeling or awareness, combined, results in translating a new combination of taste in a new piece of work.
Prompt:
Choose a song that relates strongly to how you relate to the concept of love. Play it on loop (or listen to a playlist) while actively making the piece of work.
2.) CREATE with no EXPECTATIONS of it being great.
In the early days of my creative journey, it was so important to know when to LEARN THE RULES (technical part) and HAVE FUN (forget or break rules). This is the ebb and flow of educating yourself and applying it.
What to try:
Practice dedicating X number of hours to pace yourself in something that you want to learn. Break down the materials, time, mindset, and environment you need. After putting in the time to learn the technical parts, dedicate at least an hour to explore and APPLY the concepts you've learned.
Prompt:
Get an art piece. Assess the work and select ONE characteristic (can be texture, color, etc.). Study how the technique can be replicated. Create a small art piece featuring that one characteristic with your own choice of subject.
3.) OWN something and make it YOURS.
When I was a child, I created and defined my comfort zone and what spoke to me - no censor, no filters. When I get a physical item, I cherish it - adorn, customize some parts of it, use the heck out of that, and simply display it in a joyful manner that reaffirms me of myself.
What to try:
Adorn your own belongings to your own liking. It doesn’t matter if it’s a piece from a thrift store or a designer piece you are willing to do D-I-Y on. What matters is that you add your own taste and flare to the item - it could be how you fold or style it, embroider on it, and match it with another specific piece from your wardrobe. It can also apply to your bag (bag charms), gaming consoles, wallet, necklace (pendants), eyeglasses.
Prompt:
Grab your favorite gaming console (ex. Nintendo Switch, an easy favorite) and add attractive stickers at the back. These stickers can evoke delight in you! You'll definitely enjoy playing more because visual cues reflect YOU more.
When I was younger, I was more curious and hungry for answers. I allow a day to immerse myself in answering that one question plastered on my mind while excavating the answer through art. I used to tag along my black book with me wherever I go. It seemed like it was "My sketchbook vs. The world." I was so confident in keeping my merit and translated progress in tangible forms. I was obsessed and attached to the idea that these are mine. As kids, we tend to try to mark our own territories. It appeared as an unapologetic approach in knowing what you want. They all boil down to our idea of intimacy.
Enter the world of introspection and ask these:
How do you treat the details of your work?
Are you in the moment when creating your work?
Do you start making work that is initially based on your own thoughts and feelings?
Do you respect the gap between where you are and where you want to be by showing up, enjoying, and doing the work?
What are your answers to these questions?
