Share the Love
My work is always in a cycle. It never fails, I feel like I have made a leap in my skills, I do a few drawings/paintings that I love, then... I get stuck into the creative quagmire of suckiness.
You know what I speak of, don't you, O fellow creatives?
The WOW! Things are great, I'm improving, people really like me phase is first. Then you attempt to draw something or see some awesome illustration and you start to feel just a bit sucky. Then you realize that this illustration dream is so far off, just some tiny speck on the horizon. You start to wonder how you can ever compete with the big dogs and all of these other awesomely talented people (and there are tons, literally tons of people who are leaps and bounds ahead of myself and what I could ever hope to create) Then you surf some more, look at more work and it goes one of two ways. The crap, I'm intimated phase is one where you don't create anything for a few days. Or you do the wow, their work is so awesome! I want to join them in this creation of art and you feel inspired and renewed and vow to make your work better and better.
I usually go through all of the phases. I was feeling a bit sucky because I didn't place in the latest SCBWI contest (I'm pretty sure I entered it :)) The hubby warns me not to participate in the contests because I usually just end up feeling like crap when someone deems my work to be uber crappy, not even worthy of an honorable mention. So I felt like crud for a day or two, then I surfed and surfed and came upon
Illustration Mundo which is a really cool free site for illustrators. So, I joined and then looked at all of the other talented artists.
This is where I realized that my work is the complete opposite of their super shiny, complicated, sophisticated talent. This made me feel a bit crappy until I just accepted that my work is different and seems to be appropriate for the field I want to enter. (I bow to the Children's illustration powers that be here) and I should use this work to inspire me to try harder, create more and push, darn it, push.
So, here is the super-duber talented Steve Hamann, whose work I drool over and feel a tiny bit insignificant next to. But who I will use for inspiration as to how I can improve my work so that one day; someone will droll over my work and use it for inspiration to keep drawing and pushing themselves.
You know what I speak of, don't you, O fellow creatives?
The WOW! Things are great, I'm improving, people really like me phase is first. Then you attempt to draw something or see some awesome illustration and you start to feel just a bit sucky. Then you realize that this illustration dream is so far off, just some tiny speck on the horizon. You start to wonder how you can ever compete with the big dogs and all of these other awesomely talented people (and there are tons, literally tons of people who are leaps and bounds ahead of myself and what I could ever hope to create) Then you surf some more, look at more work and it goes one of two ways. The crap, I'm intimated phase is one where you don't create anything for a few days. Or you do the wow, their work is so awesome! I want to join them in this creation of art and you feel inspired and renewed and vow to make your work better and better.
I usually go through all of the phases. I was feeling a bit sucky because I didn't place in the latest SCBWI contest (I'm pretty sure I entered it :)) The hubby warns me not to participate in the contests because I usually just end up feeling like crap when someone deems my work to be uber crappy, not even worthy of an honorable mention. So I felt like crud for a day or two, then I surfed and surfed and came upon
Illustration Mundo which is a really cool free site for illustrators. So, I joined and then looked at all of the other talented artists.
This is where I realized that my work is the complete opposite of their super shiny, complicated, sophisticated talent. This made me feel a bit crappy until I just accepted that my work is different and seems to be appropriate for the field I want to enter. (I bow to the Children's illustration powers that be here) and I should use this work to inspire me to try harder, create more and push, darn it, push.
So, here is the super-duber talented Steve Hamann, whose work I drool over and feel a tiny bit insignificant next to. But who I will use for inspiration as to how I can improve my work so that one day; someone will droll over my work and use it for inspiration to keep drawing and pushing themselves.
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9 Comments:
Geez- Will you GET OUT of my head already???? (haha) *sigh* Courtney, you've just posted what I've been thinking for the last week! Except the artists that I drool over(and shiver with the ferocity of talent) are Mary-Louise Gay , Amanda Morley or David Barneda.
Dee, great artists! I've already looked at an dloved their work, just didn't know the names. ;)
I feel the same way- I too didn't place in that darn contest- and my illustration was freakin' good (I'm sure yours was too). The judges seem to be in to a certain look that neither you nor I possess- the digital "everyone looks the same" sort of look. The fact that your work is not digital- looking is what I love about it--look at all award-winning picture books- they are all unique and none of them look like anybody else's work. I never agree with the winning entries. Just know that I look at your work and then feel a bit more crappy about mine : )
don't feel crappy about your work rebecca! your drawings that I have seen, I love. :P
haha! I agree about those contests. I haven't even placed! Plus, have you seen the latest topic? I was going crazy trying to come up with something do-able. My work also looks very hand done. I'm hoping someone in the industry remembers that some of the classics were done by hand!
Oh gosh now why is it we are all feeling the same. I was questinong my style and as for digital. Well I can't even begin to compete here.All I know Courtney, is that the first time i saw your work I fell in love with it. And your sense of humor is the best.
I am SO in the same boat!! Sometimes I just put the blinders on when I am feeling creatively sucky and just try to paint anyway. The thing about your art is that it's so clever and unique and I would hate for you to "conform" to win some contest. The right opportunities will come that are right for you. That's what I try to tell myself anyway! I love your stuff!!!
Don't really have any artistic talent myself, but thought I'd jump into the conversation anyway :)
Personally, I have never liked these contests that you [Courtney] enter - you're putting your hopes and dreams in the hands of some random people who will pick the winner depending on what side of the bed they woke up that day. Itӳ like when we were in college; I could never understand how the professors gave out grades in your classes. Art is so arbitrary, how can you say one thing looks better than another ֠it really depends on who you ask.
Being a self-professed nerd and techie geek, I must say I like the "clean and smooth" digital works, but it gets old - really fast. Everything looks the same to me. Not to say those artists aren't exceptionally talented, but there is something to be said for creating something with your hand and a pencil (or paintbrush, marker, or whatever).
I think it's a unique look that will catch the eyes of many parents. IMHO ֠the illustrations in childrenӳ books are about 40% for the kids and 60% for the parents anyway. WeӲe the ones whoӲe picking them out (especially when the little ones are very little) from a wide selection, based solely on their visual appeal.
Hurray for being "unique" :)
Dee - I was also thrown by the new topic, that added to my feelings of crapalicious-ness and made it easy for me to not participate in the current contest. I think they (the illustration powers that be) recognise the value of hand-done, at least I hope they do. ;)
toni - Thanks for the compliments, I find myself getting frustrated and then feeling stupid for getting frustrated. I feel like I'm not making any progress but then feel like I'm too impatient. I am the queen of second guessing. :)
tfrizzy - Thanks, you know I love your work, very unique and cool. You are a testament to the fact that hand-completed works are still appreciated since you placed first in the summer contest. ;)
Saurabh - (aka the hubby) you're right, parents do pick the books. I once read that you should create what you like first and not try to create just for the kids.
On the digital note: Some of my favorite artists are digitally inclined, Elizabeth Dulemba, Steve Mack, Paula Becker and others whose names I can't remember. I think that it is as valid as any other medium and will probaly try it one day. I try to make my illustrations unique and think that is what makes the great ones so awesome, no matter how they do it. ;)
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