Girl in Black & White :: 8" x 8" on wood with Swarovski crystal accents

The last comment on my last post was from one of my own regular blog reads, and he had this to say:

"The creativity thing is weird. It dances and rests more than it seems to ever settle."

A huge smile spread across my face when I read this and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since I read it this morning.  It got me thinking about the creative process and about what it is that makes art art.   This question never fails to bring up a million more questions and I love that there are no clear answers, and that anyone else I pose this question to will very likely come up with their own set of questions,ideas and answers.  The question of what makes art art, of what makes it meaningful and valuable and attainable and beautiful is so multi-faceted; I laugh at the notion that there is only one right answer to such a subjective and deeply personal question.

I have experimented with a variety of different media, techniques, subject matters and styles throughout my entire career as an artist and I cannot say with any certainty that one way was superior to all others.  I have also explored various ways of getting my art shown, seen, sold, exhibited, marketed and promoted and once again, these all had their own benefits and pitfalls.  The one common thread that has stayed fairly consistent throughout all of these different chapters is that I have done my best to create authentic work.  In other words, I have not ever claimed to be the best illustrator or painter, but I have tried to do the best work I could do in whatever space I was in personally and creatively.  Not all of this work has been accepted, sold or appreciated, but as long as I do my best work, whether or not it appeals to a large audience or small is always out of my hands, and I am fascinated by the way my different bodies of work have been received – by my friends, my creative community and the world in general.

Through it all, I find tremendous satisfaction that the act of my being an artist is inspiring to other people.  I have never had anyone tell me, "Well, I would be inspired by you if your gross annual revenue was higher," or "I might be inspired by you if you painted more like Rembrandt."  Perhaps there are some people who think that, and that is fine, but I believe most people are quite happy and eager to be inspired by creativity for the sake of being creative.  I am one of those people, and most of the time the things I am most inspired by have nothing to do with expertise or dollar signs.

I have been an artist my entire life, and a professional one for more than a decade, yet I am still sometimes rather mystified at the thing we call "the creative process".  How does it work?  What is the best way to ignite the fiercest fire?  Is it better to create from a space of joy or angst?  Is work that appeals to the largest possible audience necessarily the best art?  Is work that is accepted by the higher end, museum-worthy galleries better than work that sells like gangbusters at Etsy?  The creativity thing is weird, and profoundly personal.  I keep saying I want my creative energy to be spread more consistently across my calendar, but maybe the way I’ve been working is just fine.  Maybe feast or famine is the best way to pull the best work out of me.  Believe it or not, I really don’t know, and I’m still game for trying whatever my schedule and personal commitments will allow me to try.  I like the image of my creative spirit dancing and resting; both images are inspiring in their own ways. 

What do you believe is the best way to pull the brightest creative fire out of your self?  Out of others?  Teach me!