Motivation
 

I definitely find different things motivating me this year than I did three years ago when I started out exploring oil portraiture as a possible career.

Back then it was the joy of painting again (like play!) after not having picked up a brush for seven years. There was also the novelty of doing this kind of work as a whole.

Now things have changed and the reasons I go into the studio each day are different than they used to be. I now have serious business goals that I track monthly and quarterly, like production schedules and profitability objectives, so it's not like play or a novelty any more.

Now I paint for the challenges I set for myself, both from a business perspective (the production and profitability stuff) and for the ever higher quality goals I have set for the paintings I produce.

And I also paint because, after working at this an average of 30 hours every week for the past three years, there's still nothing I'd rather be doing. Nothing beats that buttery feel of perfectly mixed paint under a soft sable brush, in a beautiful color, defining a form "just so". And nothing beats that moment when a likeness jumps out at you and you feel, "ah, now it's him!"

How about everyone else? What makes you go to the easel every day?

Happy Puget Sound Evening!

Great post Michele.

I go to my studio everyday now because of three different necessities. The practical one is, of course, I actually now have "paying" commissions that will help meet my personal expenses. This has become especially poignant since my heart attack and a subsequent "lay off" at the sign shop I work at.

Secondly, there are just so darn many new things with regard to technique I am just dying to try out on a handful of new projects.

Lastly, and the main reason is......I simply have finally completely surrendered to the seduction of my first love......drawing. From my earliest recollections as a child to my present age, every single time I put an instrument of drawing in my hands, be it pencil, brush, or crayon......Time completely becomes vapor.

Who else here has started to "just put in an hour or so" on something at 8 or 9 pm and the next thing you realize is the sound of birds outside your window chirping away looking for their breakfasts?

-Geary

Wow Geary, I hear you!

I just realized its 4 AM here in my studio (deadline tomorrow on a portrait), and I am quitting and going to bed! So far no bird chirping yet.

Flow
 

Well, here's a subject close to my heart. Anyone interested in reading about research into the concept of "losing yourself in your work" should read "Flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, found here on this Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846

The author maintains that flow is a narrow channel between anxiety and boredom and that optimal existence happens in this space. In fact, most of human activities involve a fruitless seeking of happiness when what we really want is 'flow'.

Speaking for myself, I find that a lot of the puttering around that I do is to prepare myself to get to this 'flow' point of the day. I think that getting in this state of flow is what really draws artists to their work, not the prospect of fame or money - it's the (extremely addictive) thrill of connection with the work process. It really has nothing to do with how "good" the work is as an end product. The idea is to lose yourself in the process of painting, and that is what will keep you coming back to your easel until you actually do get "good".

I find this stuff fascinating.

I agree! All those endorphins we get when we're in a "flow" state are addictive, aren't they?

To me painting just feels right, I know I'm in the right place. It's a connection deep within, and rather difficult to put into words. Possibly words aren't sufficent enough to describe my experience with painting, or my love for it.

I'm in competition with no one but myself when I paint. I challenge myself to improve, to try new ideas and concepts. The work of other artists past and present provide me with the fuel and inspiration to keep moving forward.

The goals that I have set for myself are quite difficult to accomplish and hard to achieve, but thats what I like about painting portraits and creating fine art. It's the difficulty, the hard that makes it good and worthwhile. If it was easy I would probably put down my brushes and quit.

To be able to work at something you love and get paid for your service is a blessing. The icing on the cake is when a client is totaly satisfied with the finished portrait, and you have given them something of value and signifigance.

There are many activities which absorb me but none which results in such a wonderful product as painting. When my studio was upstairs in our son's old bedroom I could wander past, go in to take a quick look at the current work, and find myself many hours later, painting away. Now that my studio is across the driveway I have to make a more conscious effort to fight inertia and get over there. It's so easy to be sidetracked by the computer, a good book, or even housework. I do not have a strict schedule for myself because days are often taken up with meetings or other obligations. Recently I had three commissions going at once - a first for me - so I needed to make time to put in more hours than usual. It was a very good feeling to be so immersed in the creative process.

I agree with Henry - to be able to be paid to do something you love is a privilege indeed!

Time is my motivator
 

I am still so new at this that every drawing is a revelation for me. Many times as the drawing is developing, my mind is in awe. "Is it really me creating this??!" I, too, have the experience of complete wonder and total surge of joy when the person rises out of the paper, right before my eyes. The drawing catches that twinkle in the eye, or the softness of personality, the soft curve of her neck, the pride in his shoulders, etc.

However, cast next to the sunshine of this joy is the shadow colored with envy and sadness. At 48 I have lost so many years. It is often hard to read of other's lives, those my age and much younger, who have had formal training, and years of working on their craft.

So, TIME is my great motivator. I want the chance, yet in my life, to live at doing art full time, perhaps even support myself with my art (or find a rich patron to support me so I can do my art!! As in the days of yore!!) I suffer from arthritis and worry that my TIME is so limited, yet I have to work to support myself, with little left over for pursuit of my first love!

But, mostly, I am grateful and thankful to my Creator, for yet the chance to develop His gift.

I just finished reading a novel in which one of the characters is a jazz musician, who played with ferocious intensity. The reason for this is that he came to music so late in his life. His motto was "Never stop making up for lost time."

Thanks, Michele,

I love it! Might print it large and post in my studio!! By the way, thank you for mentioning the Frye Museum in Seattle. We visited it last Friday on our 1/2 day in the city and I was so impressed with the collection. Even the kids enjoyed many of the paintings and especially the illustrations in the first section of the museum.

I was suprised to see the two Bouguereau's, one at the peak of his career and the other at the end of his life. The last piece was almost impressionistic because he was so impaired by his eyesight and I would imagine control of the paintbrush and mediums. But still an amazing painting. I spent quite awhile studying them both.

I guess the desire, the drive to create art lasts until the end of our life. I was in a gallery in Key West last year was taken with some ceramic tile mosaics. They were figures painted over a series of tiles and just so beautiful and expressive. In this extensive gallery, the piece also caught my friend, Jack's eye. We learned the work was by a local artist. She has lived in the Keys for many many years, inependantly. She was in her late 80's!!!

One of my art instructors brought in a slide of an exquisite portrait. He told us that this gentleman's work keeps improving, year after year, but he had recently experienced a true leap in quality of work. He is 88 years old!

There's hope for me!!! :)

Glad you liked the Frye. Sorry I wasn't able to join you that day. Aren't those Bouguereau's great!

OH....MY......GOSH!

You guys! My wife and I JUST returned from downtown Seattle where we spent 2 hours at the FRYE museum!! :D :o :thumbsup: How cool is this? I think I hear the theme song from The Twilight Zone!

I've only visited the museum like 6 times in the 6 years we've lived here. When we lived in San Francisco we went all the time to the Palace of the Legion of Honor where a Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer and William Bouguereau all have little tear stains on the floor in front of them where I stood a few times.

The Sheperdess......wow! I took my glasses off and got to within 2 inches of the brush strokes all over that piece. Holy mackerel.....what a smooth technique that was applied on what looked like the finest linen I've ever seen! Those soft, muted olive undertones, the cool blue middle tones, the perfectly blended dashes of orange hues in exactly the right spots.........just takes your breath away.

Then, like you mentioned Patricia, "In The Woods" (two sisters) in his 70s at the end of his life, with atherosclerosis and diabetes impeding his limbs.....and cataracts in his eyes, barely able to see what he was doing......oh, my. What can you say? Such a genuine lover of the figurative art and the best draftsman at his craft that's ever existed. He's now becoming my newest hero......right beside Rembrandt and Rubens.

Now THIS.....is motivation! Whew......'scuse me.....I have to go paint something.

-Gear

Sigh!
 

Ditto to all your remarks. I am home in Cleveland where it is cold and raining and will turn to six inches of snow by morning. But tomorrow I will burrow into my studio, I have three portraits lined up (no, none of them paying, but I am excited about all of them).

So, sleep, sweet dreams of Bouguereau's Sheperdess and those entwined sisters...wake on the morn

INSPIRED, I hope!!!

God Bless,
Pat

Patricia,

I would like to further reply and add a "side car" onto your concern. I'm 52 and even though I'm just now planning to go on my own as a full timer I did have some formal training years and years ago. However I feel what you are saying about the concern of moving out in our "second adulthood"....as I call it.

I very recently suffered a heart attack and I would like to paste a note that was sent to me by an acquaintance who was wishing me well.

<< Was watching a show the other night on CNN about the oldest practising lawyer in the USA who is still practising law at the ripe old age of 107 i beleive.

When he was asked what the biggest factor he attributed to living so long was -- He said it was because he had a massive heart attack at age 53.. This was a wake up call for him he said-- to live and laugh --eat healthy-- exercise every day faithfully-- ,and most important of all he said was manage his stress levels -- not allow stress in his life at all -- He said the best and happiest years of his life have been the years following his heart attack.

Why do i mention this? Because I hope the very same for you. I guess i know the emotional recovery is often tougher than the physical part of recovery-- . Wishing you the best Geary -- hope you have a very speedy recovery Best Wishes >>

Best Regards,
Geary

I have many motivations, but it simply comes down to one thing really. I cannot NOT paint and be a happy person. My family insists I paint or I am not as nice a mother, wife, friend, etc.

I have never gone long without painting - I knew I would be an artist when I was about 5 I think. But, the few times I have (like after c-sections and such) - I was such an unhappy person and it translated down to the family. What's that saying? If momma ain't happy...nobody is?

I have tried doing other things..I even managed an Italian restaurant on a beach in St Thomas the US Virgin Islands...the money was wonderful, but I only lasted 8 months before I had a melt down. This is the ONLY way to go. I have no idea who said it, but I heard an artist (or read...maybe even here) say to someone asking about making a living at art: "If you can do anything else and be happy, do it. If you cant be happy unless you do this, then you have to." That is my motto - this is it - there are no other choices.

Everyday and in everyway I am an Artist
 

My motivation is telling myself this mantra, that I believe I am an accomplished portrait artist already. I of course am only a beginner, but hey my negative mind is pretty strong, so I am fooling it into believing I am already there.

So far it has worked as my passion and dedication has grown immensely. I live and breath as an artist everyday now and am starting to get annoyed when I get disrupted. As a mother, up until now I have not had the luxury to be anything else but my son is a 14 year old now and he doesn't need me as much any more. There is just the two of us. I concentrated to being the best Mum to him till now but because his needs have changed, I have allowed my needs, for the first time to come into the picture. I have started to realise that I am starting to annoy him for the first time as I am becoming more aloof as my artist's mind is developing. Having the spare time to now develop as an artist is the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. I certainly will be catching up with time lost.

I just had to revive this thread.

Joyce, I hear ya. I turned 41 last December (that's so much smoother than saying I'll turn 42 this December), and I am making up for lost time, too. The clock is ticking. But that's not a bad thing. Those years I spent not painting weren't wasted. All that experience of life gets brought to painting through me. I find I'm more motivated to do this now than I was motivated to do anything at 20 or 25. I'm finding that my desire to achieve something far outweighs any limits on energy. And I find that motivation is my inspiration, not the other way around. I started painting at noon on Saturday and thought I'd paint for a little bit and then mosey over to the library. It was 9:30 before I looked at the clock and realized I'd been painting all that time. I had missed lunch and dinner and not even cared. Is this the Painter's Diet?

I have half an education in theatre (got a job before I finished school) and no education in art and if education in art is anything like education in theatre, then I still would have had to spend 5 or 10 years unlearning and relearning in the real world everything I thought I'd learned in academia.



I used to live in San Francisco, Geary, and I miss the good art museums. And it is so VERY nice to hear that I am not the only one who gets up inches away from paintings to see what is really going on! I've always done this in galleries and museums, and then I get embarrassed because I'm the only one doing it and I think I must look like some sort of rube. On the other hand, I don't know how anyone could look at a painting and NOTwant to get close to see what's really going on. But I won't worry about that anymore since I know I'm in good company.

Well, this thread is over a year old, and Joyce, you've probably got a whole different view on things now. And I don't even know if Geary is still around here. But what you said, Joyce, resonated with me and I wanted to respond.

Brenda,
It was nice to see this resurrected and to reread what had been posed by all! I guess my motivation is still TIME more than anything else (well, of course after the veritable LOVE of portraiture) I spent all day yesterday in my studio painting and am paying the price today (my arthritis flaired up so bad when I returned from Vegas that I can hardly move some days) All of my money goes into art education (workshops with Marvin) and the best supplies I can afford, and acupuncture. A top priority is to be as healthy as I can so that I can keep painting. Western medicine has failed me, so now it's over to the East to see if they can help!!

I'll do anything to be able to keep painting . . .

Patricia,
I hope you do continue.
I just came from the doctor's office. It turns out I have tennis elbow. I don't play tennis, but I use my right arm just about every waking moment some days. So I'll have to wear this cuff on my arm whenever I paint or draw or do art, which is most of the time.
I know this is nothing compared to arthritis, and my good thoughts are with you.
I know it's trite, but I do believe where there's a will, there's a way.

Thanks Brenda,
I do to. R Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder and I tend to believe you can put yourself into remission with correct diet, sleep, exercise and attitude. But when life is hectic which it has been since I have been back, I am always thrown for a loop. One of these times I will figure out how to keep my cool!!