An article I read once noted that movies never portray the tedious side of making art. Truthfully, these famous artists pour hours into their crafts to become the best at what they do. However, because the moviemakers must show the exciting part of the artists’ lives, they emphasize the social or the emotional and cut out all of the parts showing hard work.
In truth, if you want to make your art beautiful, you have to put in all of the time and energy and commitment that it deserves. However, not everyone has 12 hours a day to devote to their craft. Us amateurs must struggle against out schedules, carving out time to create as much as possible.
There are those among us who never had to work to support themselves, Lena Dunham included. For the rest of us, it’s unfortunate to have the disadvantage of a time suck, and it’s nearly impossible to rival the amount of artistic output of people without jobs. Luckily, we don’t have to compare ourselves to others, and can simply push ourselves to the best of our more limited abilities.
As the author Cheryl Strayed once expressed, whatever your ability, you can find God in your work. As I continue working, I come to believe more and more in her wisdom. As I grow as an artist and as a person, the work takes on a life of its own. Motivation comes more easily, and the work has so much more expressive potential.
Hopefully, we can all make our marks. I have great hope for my friends and myself, and as we work together and support each other, we all find ourselves reaching new heights. Onward and upward!
domesticatedanimals 