Art & Fear, Observations on the perils (and rewards) of Artmaking

Art and Fear

Artists don't get down to work until the pain of working is exceeded by the pain of not working" - Stephan DeStaebler

Vision and Execution

Vision is always ahead of execution - and it should be. Vision, Uncertainty, and Knowledge of Materials are inevitabilities that all artists must acknowledge and learn from: vision is always ahead of execution, knowledge of materials is your contact with reality, and uncertainty is a virtue.

Imagination

Imagination is in control when you begin making an object. The artwork's potential is never higher that in that magic moment. But as the piece grows, technique and craft take over, and imagination becomes a less useful tool. A piece grows by becoming specific. The development of an imagined piece into an actual piece is a progression of decreasing possibilities. Your imagination is free to race a hundred works ahead, conceiving pieces you could and perhaps should and may one day will execute - but not today, not in the piece at hand. All you can work on today is directly in front of you. Your job is to develop an imagination of the possible. Charles Eames: 1% goes into conceiving a piece and 99% into holding onto it the project runs its course. A finished piece is, in effect, a test of correspondence between imagination and execution.

Materials

What counts in making art is the actual fit between the contents of your head and the qualities of your materials. The knowledge you need to make that fit comes from noticing what really happens as you work - the way the materials respond, and the way that response (and resistance) suggest new ideas to you. It's those real and ordinary changes that matter. Art is about carrying things out, and materials are what can be carried out. Because they are real, they are reliable.

Uncertainty

All that you do will inevitably be flavored with uncertainty - uncertainty about what you have to say, about whether the materials are right, about whether the piece shlould be long or short, indeed about whether you'll ever be satisfied with anything you make. It is the normal state of affairs. In making art you need to give yourself room to respond authentically, both to your subject matter and to your materials. Art happens between you and something - a subject, an idea, a technique - and both you and that something need to be free to move. Control is not the answer.

What's really needed is nothing more than a broad sense of what you are looking for, some strategy for how to find it, and an overriding willingness to embrace mistakes and surprises along the way. Making art doesn't mix well with predictability. Uncertainty is the essential, inevitable and all-pervasive companion to your desire to make art. And tolerance for uncertainty is the prerequisite to succeeding.

Fears about yourself

When you act out of fear - your fears will come true.

Fears about artmaking fall into two families: fears about yourself, and fears about your reception by others. In a general way, fears about yourself prevent you from doing your best work, while fears about your reception by others prevent you from doing your own work. Both families surface in many forms, some of which you may find all too familiar.

Pretending

The fear that you're only pretending to do art is the consequence of doubting your own artistic credentials. It causes you to undervalue your work. In moments of weakness, hte myth of the extraordinary provides the excuse for an artist to quit trying to make art. If becoming self-conscious about artmaking, try to work spontaneously. While you may feel your're just pretending that your're an artist, there is no way to pretend your're making art. You make good work by making lots of work that isn't very good, and gradually weeding out the parts that aren't good, the parts that aren't yours. Feedback. Most direct route to learning about your own vision.

Talent

Talent is "what comes easily". Talent my get someone off the starting blocks faster, but without a sense of direction or a goal to strive for, it won't won't for much. Artists get better by sharpening their skills or by acquiring new ones; they get better by learning to work and by learning from their work. They commit themselves to the work of their heart and act upon that commitment.