A Journey Begins With Another Step
I think many new artists come to a point in their artistic journey where they start asking themselves some very important questions. What does my art say about me? Does the observer understand what I am trying to say with my art? Where is this journey taking me? How is my voice different from artists who have influenced me? Does my work evoke an emotional response in me and the observer?
Many of these questions were the impetus for my application for the Emerging Artist Grant Program. It is time for another step in my artistic journey. Now that I’m here among these other amazingly talented artists, I can take another step toward my vision…
This year marks five years since I made my first ceramic piece. Like most people, anniversaries like 5, 10, 15, 20 years make me take a look at what I have achieved and what I still need to say. For me, this means refining form and incorporating mixed media into my work. This may be one of the biggest challenges that I have taken on as an artist, because the work I currently do will want to compete for dominance with the medium I want to incorporate. I with either be able to make each part work in harmony or I may find myself at another crossroads that leads me down a new creative path. To the artist in me, these are all incredible steps in my artistic journey.
This is where the steps in the journey will unfold. There may be successes and there may be learning experiences (sometimes called “failures”). I will show them both, because no artists has ever created only beauty on their journey. There are always “failures” along the way that teach her something she didn’t know yesterday. I hope that you join me along the way for another step.
