MY Voice

There has been a theme this past month in other blogs about that internal, annoyingly negative voice.  Much of it is helpful - quieting the voice, using the voice, ignoring the voice, just getting busy.  However, there are also suggestions the voice must be remnants from your parents or teachers telling you to drop art and get serious, or something to that effect.

Well, (sigh) I'm a little weary of reading that excuse - for art or anything else in life.  I'm sure it's true for others, but we're not all tortured artists - picked on and bullied by the less enlightened meanies in our lives.  I cannot think of one single person of importance in my life, or even non importance really, who ever told me to give it up.  Okay, one - my high school guidance counselor wanted me to pursue engineering, but he did not scoff when I was set on art.  In fact, the only negative comment that comes to mind is my graphic design professor telling me I needed to be more serious about developing my portfolio.  I think he sensed I was not passionate about graphic design.  It was my major because I (me, myself & only me) thought I needed to find a way to make my art pay since I (again, just me) felt I couldn't possibly be a good enough artist to make a living otherwise.  No teacher ever told me this.  Friends were supportive.  Art exhibit judges were complimentary.  The local junior college art instructors asked me to attend there.  (Seriously - not trying to brag here, just showing the lack of meanies.)  My family was completely supportive.  My parents were proud and vocal about it.  They wanted all their kids to follow whatever dreams we had.

So, where does the nagging voice come from?  The only thing I can come up with is DNA. *shaking fist*  Dang ancestors!  I believe some people are just hard-wired with a perfectionist nature and if you can't do something perfect the first time, why try?  That's what I fight.

If you're an artist, buck it up, stop blaming whoever & just get busy.  If you have an artist in your life, by all means be supportive.  But, don't feel like you have to tip toe around their fragile egos.  I find many people are too nice - complimenting regardless of what the piece really looks like.  I value my husband's opinion because I know he will be honest.  He likes to brag on me occasionally too, but he's not going to praise just to prop me up.  If I'm working on something and it doesn't feel right, he can give me perspective of what seems wrong to him.  I like that.

Now, back to work.  Time to quiet my own negative voice - to prove MYSELF wrong.