“Afraid is a country where they issue us passports at birth and hope we never seek citizenship in any other country. The face of afraid keeps changing constantly, and I can count on that change.
Audre Lorde, 18 February 1984 diary entry, A Burst of Light and Other Essays, via Brainpickings
Uncertainty is a certainty of life.
Uncertainty is a certainty of art.
Being afraid to try, being afraid of failure, being afraid of letting ourselves down is so much easier than hoping for success, hoping for discovery, hoping to enjoy the process of learning. Choose hope over fear, and find like-minded people rather than naysayers.
I agree that many people are put off painting and drawing by the fear of failure but if you get past that what happens? Perhaps I am a little odd (Perhaps???!!) but I fear success much more than failure. If a painting is disastrous I usually know why and can throw it away, if poor I can improve it. If it’s good I can take the good bits and use them in the next picture. If it is very good ( not a common occurrence) I have nowhere to go. The next painting is likely to be worse and then fear of failure kicks in and can stop me painting for days or even longer ( a change of medium often helps). The thought of being a successful or very successful artist, darling of social media, with galleries clammering for the next works, clients demanding portraits of pets only a mother could love, magazine interviews on which colours, paints, surfaces etc. are best just fills me with horror. Fortunately none of this is going to happen so I can just enjoy painting as a hobby.
Love this Marion. I’m printing it out and posting in my studio. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Aprille! The quote resonated strongly in me when I read it. I’m beginning to think that “embrace the uncertainty” might be the title of my how-to paint book.