I was fascinated by this session last week. We asked ourselves what success, and by contrast failure, looked like for artists. First we noted ideas down, then we added these to the Miro boards. I've added what I wrote in my notebook underneath each board.
I wrote: A print that worked, a sale, acceptance by community (exhibitions, groups, MA acceptance), enjoying 'work', moving forward and progressing, continually learning, creating new aims.
I wrote: Gallery wall, private view/opening, framed work, beautiful finished work being seen by others, full sketchbook, lots of work.
I wrote: Not making work, repeating the same thing, being unhappy in/with the work, no sales or exhibitions (due to lack of new work).
I wrote: blank paper, blank sketchbook, sitting still, not noticing, not expressing, not making, empty walls.
Collectively we noted success as being characterised by things like sales, exhibitions, recognition and money. There were some more subtle ideas thrown into the mix, such as pleasure, comfort and humility. There was also the notion of ones work being considered important after the artists death as the mark of success.
By contract failure included not only a lack of recognition, exhibition or sales but there was a strong theme of not feeling able to make work, giving up, not having a voice, not making and blank paper, walls and canvasses here. It seemed that we could all imagine success but we could all really feel failure.
The ideas of the internal and external forces is a fascinating one. I have since been reading a lot about Cézanne and how even towards the end of his life when he was considered a 'successful' artist he himself seemed in constant turmoil that he might not be able to achieve his vision. I wonder whether he felt himself successful? Did this feeling ebb and flow with the work?
Picasso called Cézanne 'the father of us all' and continued what his hero has started. Yet many commentators state that Picasso's best work was produced during the cubist movement, prior to WW1 which was at the beginning of his career. Does that mean he had early success and then failed? I hardly think Picasso is looked upon as a failure!
I am beginning to realise that success and failure could be relative terms and may mean different things on different days and to different works.
Jonathan introduced two thoughts to us:
Daily work - the hours of small tasks add up
Volume, not perfection - perfectionism undermines growth by preventing you from reaching the next lesson
its all pointing to the making being the key to everything... even if the making is quick, small, rushed and doesn't work it's making, and the making is key.
Link to Miro board: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVMB-ownQ=/