Overcoming Artistic Burnout- A Trip to the Mountains

by David Finley

 If you're feeling burned out, unproductive, and are creating one artistic dud after another, a vacation might be just what the doctor ordered.

 Artistic burnout comes on slowly so you may not notice it at first. This was very much the case with me. I felt like I was hitting a wall with my art, and my writing was suffering, too, but I kept hammering along anyway. Sure, some successes made their way through, but my trash bin testified to the growing number of failures. I badly needed a break.

 Fortunately, my wife and I had scheduled a trip to the mountains to celebrate her birthday. Our destination: Hot Springs, NC.

The view was breathtaking as we made our way up the treacherous and winding roads along the mountain side. Did I mention I have an unreasonable fear of heights?

 Despite my height phobia, we managed to make my way up the mountain anyway where our cabin awaited. As you can imagine, it was well worth the journey.

Hot Springs Cabins

 The exterior of the cabin, named the Paw Print, was simple and functional until you made it to the front porch...

 ... which was filled with tiny details like a bear wind chime, a grill, hot tub, and custom made wooden benches.

 This is a great bench to sit at as you smoke a cigar. The view from the bench is mostly trees, but there was a slight opening you could see the mountains through. It's beautiful and let me tell you, some wine or craft beer just adds to the experience.

 It's tough to tell from the pics, but all the interior wood was natural without stain or varnish. It looked like it was rubbed with mineral spirits.

 

  There was a quaint little eat in kitchen.

 And, a flat screen tv over the fire place that we never watched.

 It was private, secluded, and romantic: the perfect getaway. Even if we had stayed in the cabin the whole time grilling, reading, and soaking in the hot tub , our vacation would have been incredible. However, we decided to go sight seeing and white water rafting (I almost died! ). But that is a story for another post.

 The bad news is, we had to return home, but the good news is that my artistic burnout has been cured.

Artists: 5 Methods for Surviving Negative Criticism

by David Finley

Criticism

Everyone seems to have opinions about art. A lot of them are nice. For instance, your Aunt Mildred remembers how great your drawing of the family dog was, a friend thinks a piece you did would be perfect for his new rec room, and there's always the "I can't even draw a straight line" compliment.

However, there's the other side, where the comments are so scathing and unfiltered you never want to pick up a paint brush, write a song, or choreograph a dance again. But fear not, Scofflaws, because criticism is a normal and healthy part of the artistic process.

5 Ways to Handle Negative Criticism

1. Don't take it personally.

 Let me say that again... Don't take it personally!

 Because the process of making art is such a personal thing, it can start to feel personal when the negative feedback starts flying your way.  It is highly likely the person generously bestowing this feedback isn't doing it to personally attack you. Maybe they just want to help you improve. Maybe, the piece just doesn't agree with their taste. Maybe they, like a lot of art critics, are in love with the sound of their own voice.

 Just know it isn't about you.

2. Don't ask for feedback unless you are willing to have your work criticized. 
 
 As an artist, I love to share my work with others. It's the interaction between the viewer and my paintings and drawings that makes my piece complete. But, when you submit your work for public viewing and consideration, be prepared for honest reactions, some of which can be biting.

 I once entered a contemporary mixed media piece about my Dad's hearing loss called, "The Quiet Man" in a show featuring mostly still lifes, ocean seascapes, lighthouses, and pictures of local marine life. It made it in the show because one of the jurors loved my work. It turns out, she was the only one who did. The show and reactions of the spectators and other jurors was a humbling experience to say the least.

 When something like this happens, it's important to remember why you're making art in the first place. You are trying to engage people and say something that matters. Your voice comes with a price. So, don't put your work out there expecting only praise. You'll eventually be disappointed.

3. Accept that criticism is a necessary element in the refining process. 

 Believe it or not, criticism is a good thing. It can help you look at your work objectively and see things with fresh eyes. When it comes to your art, you are not as objective as you should be.

 The Beatles are a great example. There was a competition to out write each other within the band. When a song was weak, the other band members were quick to point it out. As a result, those guys produced amazing song after song after song. While John, Paul, George, and Ringo all went on to write excellent music in their solo careers, the consistency wasn't as strong as in their Beatle years. The criticism they gave one another was helpful, even crucial in this case.

4. Be as professional as possible and listen carefully.

 I occasionally teach art classes as a side job. As a teacher, it is important to help your students improve.

 When it comes to correcting my student's art, I have a very gentle and easy approach. However, I still have had some students who argued with me, used foul language, and one who even cried in a corner. Those students never really improved, despite being talented.

 On the other hand, there where students who accepted the feedback in a professional and courteous manner, even thanking me for my help. These students improved considerably. They took my feedback and used it as a springboard to achieve greater successes in their art.

5. Ask yourself if there is any truth in it.

Sometimes, no matter how professional or open you are, a negative comment about your work can still hurt. It's especially hard when it is a piece you love.

 Still, you owe it to your work to ask yourself if the comment deserves consideration. If the comment has merit, you should try to learn from it. However, here's some good news: Sometimes, the nasty words are not true.

Impression Sunrise, by Claude Monet

 When Claude Monet debuted "Impression Sunrise", considered to be his first official impressionist painting, it was torn apart by critics. Monet, had to ask himself if what they said was true. Monet had already made headway as a professional artist, so the temptation to conform back the more traditional painting methods had to have plagued him.

 Fortunately, he decided he would continue with this new form of painting.

*6 (Bonus)*. Move forward

While it's good to take feedback into account, it's best not obsess or dwell on it. Grant criticism its due time and then leave it behind.

 You have new horizons to explore, new art to make, and new expressions to share. You can't do that when you are shackled to something bad someone said about a painting you did ten years ago.

 Thanks for reading!

Dave, Grand Poobah of all Scofflaws

Finding Your Purpose in Life- 5 Helpful Tips

by David Finley

  What is your purpose? Have you ever been confused about what you should be doing with your life? Maybe you feel adrift in a large ocean of questions.

 It's a very lonely feeling. But, trust me when I say you're not alone. There's a lot of pressure to figure everything out early on, but we all face it. Just talk to any kid about to graduate high school or the college sophomore that needs to declare her major.

 To clarify, when I talk about purpose, I'm addressing career and life goals. In my own experience, I have dealt with the question of life purpose on and off my whole adult life.

 While I always knew deep down what I really wanted, I was afraid of making the wrong choice. Recently, I decided it was worth shooting for my artistic and creative dreams despite the chance I might fail.

 My passion is and always has been art. As a kid I knew it, but somehow once I entered adulthood I let a lot of doubt seep in. Happily, I have it sorted out now.

 So how do you figure it out? I'm no expert, but I thought I would include some things I've learned on my own journey. Hopefully, it will help you as you pursue your own.

Finding Your Purpose in Life (In 5 Helpful Tips)

1. What are you interested in?

This seems obvious, but it is often overlooked. What interests you the most? Can you watch the History Channel for hours? Do you experiment with new ingredients trying to perfect new recipes? Maybe you've thought of an invention that will change the way people watch television.

 Our passions guide us. They are a blueprint of possibilities. In my article, What Really Matters in Life- I posed this question, "What is that thing you can spend six hours doing and it feels like six minutes?" If time seems to fly by at lightening speed when you're making cookies for your church bake sale, maybe you should consider baking for a living.

2. Don't be Afraid to stand out.

 We often don't pursue things because no one else has. It's uncharted waters, and there seem to be sharks out there. If your passion is unconventional, maybe you should try it anyway. Failure may be all but certain, yet that passion will still continue to press if you don't act on it, eventually settling into a big pool of regret.

 Standing out does invite criticism. It also invites a whole lot of well meaning advice that would encourage you not to move forward. As you cross into uncharted territory it will most certainly make others, both friend and foe alike, uncomfortable.

 There was no such thing as a full length animated movie before Walt Disney made Snow White. Disney sunk a ridiculous amount of money into making the film when almost everyone out there said it would never be a success. If it had failed, it most likely would have spelled the end for the Disney studio. Fortunately, it was very successful. Yet, Disney didn't stop there. He continued to take incredible risks on creative projects, eventually opening the first theme park, Disneyland.

 It's an incredible and inspirational story, but it never would have happened if Walt Disney had been afraid to stand out.

3. Don't wait for a sign.

  Signs from the heavens don't usually direct us toward our path. I'm not saying it has never happened, but typically conventional wisdom guides us a bit more. Often, the answer is a bit more mundane. 

 When I was four, I could sit for hours and watch my Dad draw at his art desk. He was my hero. I remember sitting at his desk at home when he was away at work, turning the lightbox on his drafting table on and off, and also slicing my fingers on a pair of scissors when I was eight, but that is a different story.  Eventually, I found myself drawing all the time hoping that one day I would be as good as my Dad.

 No star fell from heaven. No divine voice told me what I was supposed to do, and recently I came to terms with that being okay. Truth be told, it was the misery of not pursuing my passion in art that lead me to the certainty I have now.

4. Stop putting so much pressure on yourself. There is no deadline.

 Putting pressure on ourselves is a form of perfectionism, and as I wrote earlier this week, perfectionism is a dangerous obstacle when it comes to pursuing dreams. Things don't have to be perfect before you start doing them. You also don't need to be an expert before you start either. 

 Set realistic goals for yourself. If you want to be a chef, be a chef. Know that you are a successful chef when you cook for others to purchase and enjoy. Success doesn't have to be a show on the food network, with three cookbooks on the National Bestseller list.

 I placed all kinds of pressure on myself to succeed at very high levels. I've been published in magazines, books, and had my art hang in galleries, yet I still had the feeling that I hadn't made it yet. The result was a constant feeling of defeat and failure. More recently, I've just decided that as long as the majority of my workday is filled with art and writing, and our living expenses are met, then I am living out my purpose. I have made it.

 Also, despite what anyone else says, there is no deadline on any of this.

5. The right way presents itself through action.

 If the path you choose isn't the right one, the right way usually presents itself as you move forward with your choice. When you sit and wait, the path remains obscure, and might never actually materialize. Taking action, even the wrong action can help you determine your path, or at the very least, show you what you don't want your path to be.

 Both of my Grandfathers were Christian pastors. Despite my passions, I wrestled with whether I too had that same calling on my life. I pondered whether I should give up my passion for art to pursue a higher, more divine calling. 

 While I never did attend seminary, I was employed at a ministry for a number of years. During my time working in the ministry, I fantasized and dreamed about a life pursuing art instead. Now, I can look back without regret knowing that pursuing art was the right choice. So, even the wrong path taught me about what I really wanted to do, and the question about whether I should follow in the footsteps of my Grandfathers was finally put to rest.

Finding Your Purpose

  

 Let me encourage you as you search for your passions and chase your dreams that so much of the richness of life is in the pursuit, and not just the goal. Searching for your purpose can be difficult and confusing, yet it is a journey filled with lessons, adventure, and a richer life.

 So as you navigate the waters of life, I hope all of you will find what you are looking for.

 Thanks for reading, Scofflaws!

-Dave