This struck a chord with me today (from Wyanne):
And then she turned to me and said, "Mom, why are we so different?" I was a little shocked and asked her what she meant. She said, "Well, we don't look alike, and we don't really like the same things."
It hit me....she was comparing her art to mine. And in her mind, it would never be as good as Mom's. I told her, that we really do look alike. It's just my funky hair that throws it off a bit. And that we were both highly creative.
I got to thinking....how often do we as artists compare ourselves to someone else? We put others on pedestals and think our art could never be as good as theirs. When in all reality...it is good! It might not look the same, or be done with the same techniques...but if it is genuinely done from the heart.....someone, somewhere will always, always think it is great. When will we learn to stop the self criticism? I do it, you do it....we all...at some time or another...compare.
But, different is good...
Yes, different is good!
And I really like what she said about, "genuinely done from the heart." The art that appeals most to me usually has a child-like naive quality. It feels open and genuine, unconstrained and natural. I try very hard to make sure that everything I create is from the heart.
And yet, I struggle all the time with "not-as-good-itis." I think we all do.
An excellent thought for the day.
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PS: I hope to have a full report for you on my secret crafty mission on Tuesday. I've been given the green light to un-secret it. :)
