DO YOU HAVE YOUR GREEN ON?!?! (NO THIS IS NOT MY QUESTION TODAY!!)happy happy wednesday....happy happy st. patrick's day!!!
first off i want to thank everyone for participating in last week's say whaaaaaaaaat wednesday about...
"what is up with people walking their dog and not cleaning up after it??"
i loved Elizabeth's "i glare loudly"....too funny!!! and Chrissy...you are all good since you picked it up with a stick and took care of it!!!
so today is a bit more serious....today i would love to know this....
"HOW DO YOU HANDLE THOSE LITTLE GREMLINS THAT CREEP INTO YOUR BRAIN AND SAY SOMETHING LIKE "WHO ARE YOU TO THINK YOU ARE AN ARTIST?? OR A WRITER?? ETC... ETC... HOW DO YOU NOT COMPARE YOUR WORK TO OTHERS??"
truthfully, i have been dealing with that a bit lately....i will go on other blogs and look at the A-M-A-Z-I-N-G artwork and think to myself "who am i kidding???" or "wow! their work is so detailed and gor-juss....mine is like a little kids." so i would love to know how others handle something similar...how do you handle those stinkin gremlins that creep about???
i am hopeful i am not alone in this!!!
so...this is what came from those feelings...
she is my reminder....my sweet heartwingsister that is all of our reminder...our reminder of our "enoughness"
i hope you all know just how enough you truly are!!!
sending love and many many cheers to you Irish Lassies out there!!
xxooxxoo
Well, this is something I surely deal with a lot, too. I know it's kind of normal, but it gets in the way sometimes and can bring me down. I know exactly what you are talking about. I think you dealt with it in a very cool way by making a drawing! You know, one the most helpful words of wisdom I got from Marisa Haedicke of Creative Thursday on this very subject was for me to look at what that other artist is doing and instead of comparing my work to theirs, just try to be grateful for what they are showing us. They are showing us what is possible out there, or showing something extraordinarily beautiful. Also, she said it's good to remind yourself that some artists have been at it for YEARS. So, it wouldn't be fair to compare yourself to those people because you haven't been honing your work for that long. Those two ideas have helped me a lot in the past few months.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love the sentiment of your artwork, that "I am Enough" . . . just as I am right this very minute. That is wonderful!!
I solve it by knowing that I create what I like and feel..and if I wanted to do something else ..I would...!.I can look at others work and enjoy it..and notice the nuances that make theirs special and extraordinary, and love it for that..then I can look at my own little creations and know that is what I want to do, extraordinary or not..i guess it just fills my personal need...And friend, You Are So Enough, plus more..!!
ReplyDeleteAbout 6 months ago I decided to stop looking at my art through my own critizising eyes and look at if as if it were someone elses work, I love everything so much more now and that makes me feel more confident about putting it out there to sell to the world ;)
ReplyDeleteHugs
Micki x
hey girl. I struggle with this too. It is soooo hard not to compare ourselves. You should read(if you haven't already) andrea's post about worthiness. In it she says that just the striving to be brilliant or fabulous with block you up every time. For me, when I am feeling inadequate or not talented enough, I sit down and ask myself, why do I want to do art. Is is for me? or am I trying to create something that someone else will like? the answer is always that I want to do it for me (but I still want other's to like it) echk. It's hard. Just find your breath and repeat after me. I AM ENOUGH. i am enough. i. am. enough. Because you know what.....IT IS SO TRUE. I just wrote a little post about feeling worthy too. It's a journey, it's a rough ride but yet it is also magical and when you keep on pushing through, you come out on the other side with a big ass smile and feel like shouting out to the world. I AM ENOUGH. Not that I've gotten there yet either, but I imagine that is what it might feel like. Love you sweetie. you are enough, you always have been and always will be.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I can soooo relate. I mean I almost didn't start blogging for this very reason. I was doing so much blog-hopping and EVERY TIME would end up feeling that there was no way I could do that, or be that interesting, or original, or... yada, yada, yada. So for me, I just don't do it as much any more.
ReplyDeleteIt's also a HUGE Time-hog and I don't need that. I have too much that I want to do! So I do it and yes, I still struggle with the comparison thing, but I am definitely getting better. And all these reminders of "I am Enough" - they do help!! So thank you and thanks for asking, dear Kolleen!!
i think we all compare ourselves to others. everyone out there has different taste. your art may not appeal to everyone and neither will the more detailed or what you call "better" art, but it will appeal to someone. it will speak to someone and say something they need to hear. think about a simple sweet lullaby compared to a complicated classical music piece...they are very different but they are equally enjoyed depending on the circumstance and the person listening to the music.
ReplyDeletecreate what is in your heart, say what is on your mind and put it out to the world. several of your pieces speak to me...i have one hanging in my studio to prove it.
oh i do go through those doubts too, most of the time those doubts make me freeze until i take a step, and put something out there. then wonderful souls like you come along and encourage me to write or paint. so to answer your question...what do i do when those gremlins of doubt creep in...i take a step and i find you there.
You are the only one who can say what you can say in exactly the way you can. And "say" can refer to anything - including painting. You have your right people - the people who will fall in love with your work. Other people have theirs. You are enough, my dear, and you are fabulous. xoxo
ReplyDeletehahaha .. now, how do I handle those gremlins for myself .. not sure. I am figuring it out as I go along. But this post, by a fabulously wise soul, does help:
http://soulsleuthing.com/2009/12/the-human-filter/
You most are def not alone in this. I think every artist suffers through this all through out life. As human beings we seemed ingrained to compare are selves to everyone else. And really that is something we have to learn to stop doing. But it is so hard.
ReplyDeleteWhat I have found through writing is that I need to write strictly for myself. I cannot worry about who is going to read it. What they are going to think. What their reaction is going to be. Or if it will even be good at all. I just need to do it, because I enjoy it. Doing it for the sheer enjoyment of myself I can see looking back that I have remained true to my heart and soul. I am not trying to impress anyone or have anyone like my work....I am simply creating. When doing this it comes from the heart. And anything that comes from the heart shines. It is impossible for it not to.
Those gremlins always creep up, of course they do. So let me tell you a little secret. I have this notebook of self love. And it may sound silly but it encourages me to keep putting one foot in front of the other. When someone sends me words of encouragment or says something so incredibly kind about me I jot it down in this notebook. When these gremlins try to attack I take that notebook out and read through the incredible words that others have said about me. I remind myself that I am not the pathetic person that this gremlin is trying to make me out to be. I am enough, what I create is enough, and I am worthy of living this beautiful life. It puts that pep back into my step and reminds me of how connected we are to one another. I have quotes that you have spoken about me written in there and they make my heart sing. Thank you for this.
Naughty naughty gremlins! Remember dont water them (so they grow) and feed them (so they get stronger)....the way i see this (and I have to smack my gremlin very often, yeah i mean full on kickboxing punch) is that I create because it makes me jump in the air happy, im not sitting on my butt "wishing my life was different and not doing anything about it". I'm sure you feel the same. Everyone is talented and everyone has different tastes and styles (boy how boring would the world be if we were all the same)I think the fact that you and many of us are putting ourselves out there, connecting with other lovely creative people, we are sharing, learning and of course there is always the element of comparing...but we are all unique and gorgeous and don't forget that. Its scary out there, but you are so brave by having a blog, putting your art & thoughts out there and that's pretty darn cool isnt it? WOW. Love ya creative sista xx
ReplyDeleteKolleen, Here is my take on this subject, and I think I just might be right on this one! :) I have decided that being an artist is not about what we produce. Its about the way we look at the world, the way things touch us and inspire us to create and leave our mark on the world. Who are we to judge what is art anyway, right! Being an artist is just who we are. It's the need inside of us to create. It's the way we look at a field of grass that the sun is shining on and say to ourselves, "wow! that is the most beautiful color of green I've ever seen!" It's the urge inside of us to interpret what we feel or see in our own unique way. But its not the product at all, its just the feeling in our soul and our hearts. Not everyone is like this. I think those of us that are like this are called artists. xo Not in a pretencious way either-its just a part of our personality. :)
ReplyDeleteHey, I know I've already had my say here, but I just have to add: what a fabulous and timely and inspirational experience to read all of these amazing and well-thought-out responses!! Like I said on my blog recently, it's only half about posting and the other half about joining all of these great converstions happening out there in blog-land. Thanks for posing such a stimulating question for us!!! Love it and love you!!!
ReplyDeletehello!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for you message on my little corner of the world! and i freakin love your green st. patty's day socks! I wish i had a pair like that. *note to self - must go on search*
I really like your drawing - and it reminded me of something i am starting to become a part of... this photography that i follow has started something of her own called I Am Enough, and it is a collection of women (the kind that always seem to be so-overly enthused-about-self-improvement-that-it's-draining) and it's all about finally realizing that we, as women, are enough. Just the way we are. The website is http://www.traceyclark.com/iamenough/ if you are interested. I think that there will end up being a really GREAT community of women there.
Anyhoo... I have been dealing with my little gremlins by spending less time looking at the spaces of those that inspire me, and forcing myself to come up with inspiration on my own [hence cutting back on my media exposure]. And i've found that this allows me to come up with ideas that are solely my own, and not based on/copied on/inspired by others.
Which is something pretty darn well worth being proud of.
Thanks for posing this question, and bringing a group of your readers together, if only for a moment!
WOW!
ReplyDeleteseriously k?
did you see all those AMAZING comments?
you have the most WISE readers.
i can.t even come close.
so
i wont even try.
i.ll give you my two cents worth when we have our appointment together.
SOON RIGHT?
very
very
soon.
you are the best and i love you all the way to the moon and back a zillion times!
happy thursday.
c
Hi sweet Kolleen, I know what you mean, I think that happens to everyone. I'm usually very perfectionist with my own work too. There are so many wonderful people doing amazing things that I feel that each and everyone is so especial, each work is unique, but I try no to compare my work with them because I think everyone is very different, what I think is that every work is beautiful and unique and there's no way to compare each other because they came from different individuals and that's what makes them so especial, the individuality and love you put in every work :)
ReplyDeleteYour blog is so inspiring darling, thanks for sharing your thoughs and I love your little heartwingsister! She looks adorable :)
xoxo
Giovanna
www.bohomarket.blogspot.com
your heartwingsister is very wise.
ReplyDelete& pretty.
xoxox
Ohmygoodness. (sigh) I have been feeling the same way a LOT lately. And I have noticed that two other bloggers have written about this recently. Then I see yours today and all the fabulous comments. Suddenly I feel so NORMAL. Like this is universal- this feeling of not being enough or that other people have something I do not. When I compare myself to others I always come out as less than. Thank you for sharing on this. I might write about it on my blog too... I love your new painting- I am enough :) Sending love to you sweet Kolleen.
ReplyDeletei struggle with this every FRIGGIN day. i commend you for putting it out there. (and I'm loving your sound track...) xoxo
ReplyDeleteKolleen~ Thanks so much for stopping by and suggesting that I read some of these comments! You are soooo right.... they are sooo right! Thank you for this boost of inspiration, understanding, and motivation to create what I see and feel! I really needed this! Throughout the day there were reminders of why we shouldn't beat ourselves up, compare to others, or allow those little gremlins to bother us.
ReplyDeleteThank you!!
Oh Kolleen you know I love ya and your fun blog. I have a surprise for you at my blog, it is on my latest post. Hope you wont hate me.
ReplyDeleteLove ya, Debbie
Thanks for posting this!
ReplyDeleteIt's so funny, I was just bouncing around to a bunch of different blogs today and was thinking the same thoughts you posted! I am glad I surfed around a little more and found your post, it's made my whole day now, especially the sign you made yourself. In another funny coincidence, I just made a positive message sign for myself the other night that says, "All is Well." I don't think I need to do any more blog surfing today, I just want to take in this post and everyone's comments about it. This was exactly what I needed to read today.
Thanks again for turning my day around!
-Kristen