Last month, the Same New blog turned a year old. I started in hopes of maintaining something part visual art portfolio, part inspirational magic and self help.
I wanted to develop the habit of documenting my work, documenting inspiration.
I wanted to grow and stay accountable by and sharing my work with others.
As it turns out, expectations and reality are very different. The compulsion to have profound and perfectly regimened blog of inspired posts became an impossible burden, leaving no room for mistakes.
I think part of this problem comes from seeing all the neatly packaged creations on blogs, pinterest pages, etsy stores, and portfolios all around me .. without seeing the sweat and mistakes poured into it...all the time and effort that occurred between the beginning to final result. In reality, the birthing process of artistic projects does not unfold neatly, or in a straight line. It does not always come easy. The process will zig, zag, stop, start, and hit bumps along the way. And it requires hard work and effort, not just when you are feeling inspired or "ready." It requires you to show up, and to show your work to people who will tell you what you need to hear. This is all fuel for the journey. This is where magic is born...
A good artists' process isn't effortless or individualistic. Or easy.
I acknowledge my perfectionism and the desire to have something profound every time I post…I seek to let go of perfectionist tendencies and face the struggle rather than retreating.
So as I look ahead, the aim for Same New is to be more visual in content - documenting artwork and process. I hope to take more risks, inevitably make more mistakes, and step out and share my artistic journey, including the initial sketches and mistakes. To me, those are just as important.
The tangential ponderings will take place here on this blog, where I can write, write, and write some more to my heart's content, without the nagging feeling I have to edit it down or replace it with imagery; where I can practice the art of writing.
