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In my last post I talked about Seth Godin’s “Hierarchy of Success”. (Read about it here). This is a bold way to approach your work, even as an artist.
If you read my newsletter (sign up for that HERE), you know that I have been thinking about making a change in the focus of my work. What better time for that than the new year?
I’ve decided to make small changes to my work . . . to add a new body of work as I continue with the poured paintings I’ve become known for. After all, as artist we have complete freedom over the work we put in front of the world . . . only these days it reaches more people and is much more public!
How does the “Hierarchy of Success” fit into this? I will use Mr. Godin’s approach to help my focus my work down the right path. Maybe this can help you in your never-ending artistic creations (whether you are an artist or not!)
Next post – I’ll begin with . . . Attitude.
I am a big fan of marketing guru Seth Godin, and have been thinking about how one of his recent blog posts might apply to an artist. It’s called “The Hierarchy Of Success” and has some great thoughts about how our approach to our work can sometimes be backwards. You can check out his post here:
Here’s his list of how we should approach our work:
1. Attitude
2. Approach
3. Goals
4. Strategy
5. Tactics
6. Execution
That order is not how we usually go about reaching a goal.
Mr. Godin believes that we get it backwards . . . in his words, “We spend all our time on execution”. In his case he is talking about marketing, but what would that mean from an artist’s viewpoint?
I have thought about this subject lately as I contemplate a “shift” in my artistic focus. I will be using Mr. Godin’s inspiration as I make this change in my work.
Stay tuned to see how I take this way of thinking to help me create a completely new focus for my work.
Here’s a painting that shows how you can use a “stylish” technique for a different look with a common subject.
I’ve always enjoyed painting carousel horses, and wanted to try painting one with my pouring technique. Let me know what you think!
This was painted on 300 lb. hot press Arches watercolor paper. This is one of the papers I most like to use – you can really get some interesting effects with it.
The actual image size is 14″ high x 10″ wide.
One of the best things I ever did as an artist was develop my own style. This means having a recognizable “look” to all your artworks. This has helped my in many ways:
1. It helps when I market my art. There is a lot of artwork out there for people to look at. If you paint in different styles people will have a hard time defining your work. Then they might just pass on by.
2. Chasing my own style has actually helped me improve my work. This may come as a surprise, but focusing your work will help it improve.
3. It helps me decide what to paint. Another part of focusing my work has been this – I am drawn to subjects that lend themselves to my style. While not being tied down to one subject, limiting my subject matter has helped me to increase my talents in that area.
4. Painting is just more enjoyable, too, when I’m taking my own path.
You may think that focusing this way will hurt you because it will limit your potential. Actually, the opposite is true! You are limiting yourself and the growth of your art by being all over the place with different styles. Copying other artists, or going after the latest trend or technique, will never set you apart from the crowd.
So . . . . how do you go about developing your own style? Here are a few suggestions:
Concentrate on your stengths . . . not your weaknesses. What is your strength as an artist? Write down some of the best thinks you do. It could be a technique, and eye for design, a subject you are strong with. Then pick the strongest one – that’s what you should focus on now. One of my favorite quotes is from Marcus Buckingham’s book “The Truth About You”. He says, “You grow most in your areas of greatest strength”.
Manage your weaknesses . . . just like we all have strengths, we all have our weaknesses too as artists. Don’t spend too much of your time trying to improve in an area that you are weak in. Just manage those areas by spending enough time on them to make sure they don’t bring you down. Marcus Buckingham also says, “Working on your weaknesses will drag you down and, at best, will lead to small improvements. Instead, you should call your weaknesses what they really are, “things that weaken you”, and then you should figure out ways to manage around them”.
Set up your own show . . . don’t worry – I’m not talking about a public show. But do this – set up several pieces of your work in an area where you can review them. Then take some time to honestly look at your work with this one question in mind – what is my strength? Sometimes it can help for a friend to look at your assembled works too and help you out with this.
Concentrate on what you enjoy painting . . . this may seem pretty obvious, but some artists miss this when they choose a focus. You will probably do your best work painting what you most enjoy! And that doesn’t always just apply to the subject. I most enjoy playing around with negative shapes in a close-up format, so that’s what I concentrated on to build my style. That meant I sould use a lot of different subjects and still have it say something with my “look”. However, I have been drawn to subjects (like flowers and other close-up items) that lend themselves to this style. See how that works?
I’ve seen my work really blossom ever since I decided to go after my own style. In fact, years ago I made that my number one goal as an artist! Why don’t you try this, too? Don’t forget – you don’t always have to stay with one style or subject. You can change your focus to something else later, and watch your artwork grow again.
If you want more of my thoughts on this, I have a free package on “Finding Your Own Style” here on my website:
http://www.learnwatercolors.com/webcast_style-order.htm
For more information about going with your strengths, check out Marcus Buckingham’s website: http://www.tmbc.com
Here’s my latest sunflower painting. This is a small painting that I had a lot of fun with.
I poured bright yellows, golds and greens and then brushed in the darks.
Hope you enjoy this as much as I did painting it!
This was painted on 300 lb. Arches watercolor paper. I love the rough texture of this heavy paper.
The image size is 6 1/2″ x 6 1/2″.
It’s pretty well known in the business world that speaking and writing are great ways to build your business or enhance your image. So what does that have to do with being an artist? Everything!
As artists we need to learn how to present ourselves and our work in ways that help people understand what we are all about. I have found that learning these skills has helped me present my art to the world.
So how do you get started? It’s easy . . .
You just start. Speaking. Writing. It’s that easy . . . and that hard.
Why is it that whenever something is important it is more difficult to get started? Many would-be writers or speakers get sidetracked before they even begin. Which is a shame – they will never know what these skills could have done for their life or business. Don’t let that be you!
You start small with both speaking and writing. Let’s look at them separately.
The best way to get started with speaking is to join your local Toastmasters club. Toastmasters International has been helping people learn speaking skills for 85 years. It’s how I learned the basics of public speaking, and I recommend it to everyone I meet. There are 11,000 clubs in 90 countries, so I am sure there is at least one club in your area. Go to www.toastmasters.org . . . enter your zip code in their search engine and you will see a list of the clubs in your neck of woods. Go for it – there is no better way to get started speaking.
What about writing? The best way to get started is to just begin writing about your favorite subject. It doesn’t have to be for publication or for anyone else to see – just sit down at the computer and key in your thoughts about any subject. Let the creative thoughts flow. Don’t worry about editing your work at this point. Just have fun with your favorite subject. Enjoy the process. At its essence that’s what writing is all about.
I hope I have inspired you to begin speaking and writing. Once you see how rewarding both of these are, you will want to learn more. And then you will continue to grow.
How does an artist really make a piece of art? What goes through his or her mind? What kind of preparation is required? These are questions that I am asked, as people wonder how a piece of art is actually created.
The creative process varies in great measure from artist to artist – I guess that’s why there are millions of artists around the world doing their own thing. All in their own way. That’s what makes art exciting – you have a chance to create something different any time you begin!
I can only give you some insights into how I create my art. I work in watermedia. This means anything that is water-based (versus oil-based mediums). For me that includes watercolors, acrylics, gouache and sometimes collage. These mediums are luminous, versatile and easy to set up and clean up.
I work in many different ways – from pouring the paint on in a very free-flowing manner, to drybrush techniques that are very detailed. I try to begin each painting with a solid plan, or “intent” for that painting. It works best for me to have some idea where I am going with each piece, although that might vary from painting to painting. This is especially useful in watercolor. In this medium you don’t get many chances to correct mistakes, so a good bit of planning can really help bring about a successful painting.
If you want to see how I paint a very free-flowing watercolor painting, stop by my teaching site www.learnwatercolors.com. I have some great resources there about painting in watercolor using a pouring method I’ve developed over the years.
In my acrylic and mixed medium paintings I am more apt to let things happen as they may and adjust them later. Since acrylic is a more opaque medium it is easy to come back and add paint to change an area, or even go down a different path. With this medium I have fun and try to be more daring with my subject and the entire painting process.
Having two somewhat different ways to paint allows me to free up my creativity into arenas that I might not otherwise get into. This helps my paintings stay fresh and keeps me out of a painting rut – an area every artist tries to avoid. I am always looking to open up new avenues in my painting adventure. That’s what keeps me coming back to paint every day.
Hello and welcome to my new blog, where I will be talking about a lot of things that are important to me. Things like . . .
My work as a watermedia artist.
Marketing my artwork.
Building my small business.
My spiritual path.
Speaking and Writing – two of my passions.
And many other things. I will be featuring some of my artwork on this site, and talking about how I make it and get the word out about it.
We are all on a different path. Maybe something I say will help you in your art or business or spiritual path.
Stay tuned for more.
Stephen Blackburn is a watermedia artist from Mishawaka, Indiana, USA. He is widely known for his free-flowing paintings and teaches workshops in many areas around the country.