Reading Response 3

Summary:

It is common to consider either voiced or hypothetical criticisms while making art. If others do not approve of the work, it can leave one lacking affirmation. It is also worrisome to risk rejection or dismissal of work. While it can be worrisome to risk lack of acceptance, it is natural to want people to like the work. While all of these aspects support fearful art-making, it is important to fall back to the idea that the heart and soul of art lies in sincerity rather than appeasement.

Art is a manifestation of what the artist puts into it. In this, art is fulfillment of the maker not the viewer. An artist and subsequently their art is always evolving. When a creative block comes, there are many possible resolutions. One of the best remedies is to remove your own limits.

Often, problems that the artist runs into are not only a personal struggle within the work, but external “every-day” struggles. One such example is the idea of censorship. Over the course of history, humans have set up certain ideas and ideals that essentially force certain characteristics. It is the artist’s job to challenge these views, add to them, or try to change them. Competition is inevitable, as society has weighed success on comparison. This can be detrimental as it can cause self-doubt, but by the same token, it can cause the artist to rise to the top.

Response:

This reading definitely rang true to many thoughts I have had. I often find myself trying to perfect my personal attitude towards making art, but there are still certain aspects that the text led me deeper into. One of these is the idea that the artist should not fear dismissal. As I have grown in my conceptual capacity, it has become easier to validate my work personally, but I find myself still falling into the fear that someone may not appreciate my effort –or worse disregard my purpose because of what I produce. I feel that I have started to see through the layers of cultural dependence and I have that my most sincere method of existence lies in creation. It is frustrating to me to think that some may dismiss this.

I think the other part of this text that impacted me most is the self-fulfillment element to art-making. I have worked up to this point to divorce my work from the expectations of others so I can tap into a more personal sincerity. As a result the content of my work is very investigative of ideas concerning sincerity and cultural expectations.