One of my favorite artists is David Zinn.
Zinn is a well known illustrator, often seen making imaginative street art with chalk in Ann Arbor.
Zinn said in an interview with Create Michigan, “I started doing it as an excuse to be outside on a nice day, but still be doing art so it wasn’t completely irresponsible…”
There are so many great quotes in that interview, and I encourage you to watch all eight minutes of it. My favorite topic is how Zinn embraces–enjoys!–the fact that weather will wash away his art in time: “It makes me comfortable, whatever I don’t like about my art, it doesn’t matter, because tomorrow I will draw something else!”
I think this is one reason I enjoy performing live more than recording. I get so nervous about the “foreverness” to recording a song, which is quite egotistical. (Is anything really forever?)
Imagine the endless possibilities if more of us embrace this freedom of the temporary nature of art.
One of David Zinn’s pieces that have lasted longer than others, in the Blue Tractor Brewery’s basement bar, mash!
[Blog] Writer’s Block: Oh no! I’m stuck! (How do we get unstuck?)
OK, the best way to beat writer’s block is to force ourselves to work every day, and ignore feeling bad when we create mediocre stuff for awhile; the great stuff will arrive.
However, the same ways we got initially inspired when we began learning our craft helps us get unstuck when we are masters.
If you haven’t written a song in weeks, months, years–go learn some songs! (The Beatles or Brian Wilson’s tunes always work for me.) Or as a guitarist, retune your guitar into an opening tuning and explore for hours. Feeling adventurous? try picking up a new instrument or medium you haven’t played or used before today! Walk through a museum; pick up a book; attend a play; take a cooking class. Or simply, go get coffee with other creators who inspire you.
The artistic process is a phoenix. When it burns out, it will regenerate itself, if we surround ourselves with art, and work.
Artwork for “Burning Bright” by Caitlin Kronk
The first, second, and third sign your art is good
You never 100% know when your art* is going to resonate with someone.
You might have a hunch, you can make predictions; but every time you share work, you will be surprised.
That scene that really loves a songwriter that influences you? They might yawn. You get to open for said artist? They might talk during your set. Happens all the time! (Some people call this paying your dues.)
But then, after you finish your last song, and stand in the back of the venue, there might be one, shy person who walks up to you and whispers, “Your song changed my life.”
One person makes all the difference.
That’s why you should release your work. The first sign that our art is good is it changed us when we made it. The second sign is one person comes up to us and says it changed them. The third sign is unpredictable, for the masses and the media embrace art for different reasons.
Always aim for changing yourself, and one person; then work on another piece, and do it again.
* * *
*Teaching is an art, and a lesson plan is often the same way!
Natalie guest lecturing at WMU talking about her first book, Swedish Lessons.
For 19 days, ArtPrize makes the streets of Grand Rapids resemble Time Square, a wonderful celebration in my state!
As of today, 37000+ votes have been submitted for the art competition. When the final votes are counted for the 1550 entires of art, there will be few winners; but art isn’t an action of competition, it’s an action of completion.
You can’t control how excited others are about your art. You can be excited about working on your art.
Go visit Grand Rapids, go cast a vote; but also, go work on some art.
Make time for those who get it; avoid arguments with those who don’t…
Jessica Hopper gave a great keynote this month, and one of my favorite moments was during the Q & A. Hooper was asked about addressing people who criticize her themes of feminism:
Did you watch to the end of that section? Hopper says, “But I also don’t have a ton of time to try to explain it to people who don’t get it.”
This might seem like the wrong attitude on the surface. We are supposed to stand for change, engage in debate, right?
In reality, I think all of us need to accept that there are some people who aren’t going to listen and aren’t worth the energy trying to convince. You know the type of conversations that are wastes of time, the type of discussions on the Internet that are asinine.
We need to find the openminded, the curious, the empathetic, the interested, the educated debater; we don’t need to engage the folks seeking an argument, a screaming match, an opportunity to bully.
Making time for people who “get it” doesn’t mean only talking with people who agree with you; it’s about finding the people who listen, be thoughtful.
It’s also an opportunity for us to be someone who “gets it.”
PS: Get Jessica Hopper’s book:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0983186332
Brian and Nick from FLA and I enjoying lunch and spring’s weather before our Ann Arbor show. They are folks who get it.
