Ten Reasons to Make Art
Digital Variation on an Original Acrylic Painting
Sometimes I make art seemingly for no reason at all. But if I needed a reason, one of these ten might immediately come to mind:
10. Because I can make art and avoid the non-fun things I probably should be doing, with the convenient excuse that art is my job.
9. I need a gift for someone special.
8. It’s low in calories.
7. It’s an anti-depressant.
6. Making art keeps me out of trouble.
5. It allows me to call myself an artist, and then I can dress funny and no one minds.
4. It allows me to hang out with all kinds of cool and interesting people who also dress funny.
3. Making more art makes me a better artist.
2. Because it’s an addiction.
And Reason Number One: Making Art is What I Do.
The bottom line is that I can’t stop making art — not for even a day. It’s almost as necessary as breathing.
Are your reasons some of the same ones as mine, or are they different? Notice that I didn’t include “To make money” even though I do a lot of marketing, which in turn helps me to sell the art that I make. But truthfully, I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t love it so much.
Fortunately — and this is the best part — I just got a commission for a dozen 16″ panels to be finished and shipped in two weeks! It seems this is the way my world works. Never a dull moment!
Applause! Amen!
Spoken like a true artist!!
A dozen of them? Cool! Now THAT would inspire 😉
Yes, Karen — nothing like a big deadline to provide needed inspiration! Gulp.
Hi Martha,
I enjoyed this post. My big reason is the same as your #1. Art is like oxygen for me. I must make art or I get cranky and restless.
Yes, Jane! It’s exactly like that for me too.
Great post! Your reasons for making art are the same as mine for gardening – I couldn’t survive without. I looked up your state on Wikipedia and see that your state flower is the camellia, which is my favourite. I have 16 in a modest suburban garden and will love every time I look at them seeing a connection between my favourite flower and my favourite blogger and artist!
Sandra, I admire people who garden and wish I had a green thumb. My mother could make anything grow. Maybe now that I have my little house in the country I can at least have a few flowers. I love camellias. They seem daunting to me, finicky about soil conditions, etc. Is that the case?
Excellent List!
Makes me want to run to my studio…
Isn’t it amazing how putting paint on a surface can feed your soul?
And allow your heart rate to change?
And give you a feeling that nothing else can?
I haven’t gotten to the point where I can share my personal Renaissance with people around me, but online folks are awesomely supportive.
Hope your new studio space is becoming all you want it to be!
Congrats on the commission!
Whee.
So true, DJ! You will share your art with the world when the time feels right. I can’t imagine that the people around you won’t be just as supportive.
The perfect studio space will have to wait a little longer until my rush project is over. I almost see that as an art project in itself. For now I am happy just to have all that extra room to work, but there’s still a lot of organizing to do.
Me too! My husband’s learned this the hard way!
Congrats on the commission!
Yes, Candy. Mine too. I think he secretly likes it that way.