EVERY DECISION IS A RISK WORTH TAKING
Trying to get more and more emotional with my work. These file folder drawings are allowing me to take risks with my work that I might not otherwise take. Love that! “Untitled File Folder Drawing”, 18”x 12”, charcoal, acrylic and spray paint on file folder. © 2020 David Limrite
“Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little. The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark.”
Agnes De Mille
Every Decision Is A Risk Worth Taking
What keeps you from creating?
For many artists that I know and have worked with, it is indecision. More accurately, it is fear of making decisions. It is fear of the unknown outcome. Will it work? Will I like it?
Some of the most difficult and challenging decisions an artist has to make are:
1. What do I want to make?
2. What do I want my work to look like?
3. What medium, tools and techniques do I want to use?
4. What kind of artist do I want to be?
These are indeed big decisions, and require courage to make. And, despite the fear involved in making these decisions, we all must make these kinds of choices if we intend to be artists and make our art.
And, if you think about it, every color mixture, every brush stroke, every shape and every line we make is a decision that also has to be made.
When it comes to actually making a painting (or whatever it is that you create), all of these decisions are risky. Every brush stroke is a risk. And, painters make thousands of brush strokes with every painting.
So… when I am feeling fearful, I remind myself how many decisions I have made as an artist over the years. Millions of brush strokes. Millions of lines. Millions of shapes. When I think about this, I am also reminded of how many millions of risks I have taken in creating my art, as well.
This thought emboldens me. It makes me feel empowered. And, the fear of making the next decision doesn’t seem so daunting or debilitating anymore.
So… I boldly and confidently make that next brush stroke, that next line or that next shape. And the next one. And the next one. And the next one.
Think about all of the decision making and risk taking you have already engaged in while creating your art. The next decision (brush stroke or whatever) does not seem so scary now, does it? And, maybe the next bigger or more important decision you make like, “What kind of artist do I want to be?”, won’t seem so difficult or scary to make either.
Remember that every decision is just a guess.
We choose to make a certain kind of brush stroke. The kind of brush stroke that, in this moment, seems like the right one to make in order to help us say what we want to say. We make it. We assess it. We learn from it. We adjust, and make the next one.
Our decisions do not have to be correct. They just have to move us forward.
Re-read the above quote by Agnes De Mille and then go create something. And, courageously make all the decisions you need to make in order to create it.
Best,
David
Quotes from the Create Anyway Collective (12-week program, currently in progress):
"I was up early enough today to go paint... I am so excited! I found myself thinking about the balance in creating art between being slow, meticulous, precise and being free, wildly creative and acting with abandon."
~ Participating CAC Artist" I have to say that you [Jordan] are one of the best active listeners I have experienced. You really hear what people say and have a gift of saying it back to them so they feel heard & understood."
~ Participating CAC Artist, regarding a Coaching Session" Good to hear so many different artists bringing up what is holding them back and how you both allow them to see a way through that helps the individual to move on. The course is so useful and feels so supportive as if you have someone encouraging you all the time."
~ Participating CAC ArtistTo learn more about the Create Anyway Collective or to get on the Wait List for the next CAC program, click here.