Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Realization

I've lost count of the number of times I have heard someone express frustration that they can't seem to get of the ground with their creative work.  In the last five years, as our business has thrived and grown with each passing year, I have been keeping notes and trying to find a short summary of what I think are the most important things that are conducive to creating this success.I have always wanted to share it openly if I thought it could help others.

These have ranged from the grand: "Tailor your entire life to fit your art. . . not the other way around!" to the ethereal: "Find the threads that have run throughout your whole life. . . from your earliest imaginings, and follow them." and to the obvious: " Only do what you LOVE!"

But there is little practical "how to" knowledge in those and, even if we explained them from our perspective, they must be adapted to each individual and their situaton.  .

But today I think I can put it in one word. The one that absolutely WILL make a difference and help generate success.

Realization

As in, the evolving realization of the potential of your creative abilities and every idea you'll ever have.

And that realization comes with these simple things. . . practice, repetition, dedication and time.

There is no quick fix. No Instant success. Four years later I am still creating some of the same things I did at the very beginning, like these fairy mushroom houses upon a star:


But four years later everything about them is more realized. The mushroom shapes, the grass blend, the flowers, the trees, the tiny mushrooms under the trees, the windows. Each part has improved.  . even the spots!

And four years from now they will be better still. . . 

That is the essence of realization. Nothing is finished and nothing is perfect. . . but that also means loving what "is" at the time too. And it goes for the skills of your craft as much as any one product. As they improve, so will you!

And this is hard for people to take in because ultimately so many want the success and the payoff NOW. But like any great thing in life. . . and creating one's art from the soul is certainly among the greatest. . . it takes a lifetime. Not one day less. 

nicolas

4 comments:

  1. A timely post, Nicolas. You are right. I look at my own work and see how it has evolved, however one looks at success, it will always be a success for an artist to evolve in his/her work in some way, and keep evolving. A wonderful read, I shall return to it, again and again. x

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    1. Thank you Louise! When I was in my 20's and a songwriter, I had many publishers respond to my work and tell me it was good. . but not realized. I had no idea what that meant exactly but came to understand that everything gets better as it evolves and that my own greatest shortcoming was my desire to be done and call it good with so many things too soon. Now, everything in life, I just see as a work in progress. And when it comes to the craft and skills of any artform. . . let's be honest, if it's that easy to create, is it really art? Isn't the art the process? The learning and the evolution?

      I just began my long desired quest to make miniature books. Not journals or gorgeous work like yours, but mini "magic books" complete with printed page layouts of old manuscripts, maps, equations, illustrations etc etc. all shrunken down. I have already learned so much and am still on the very first book. But it is worth every agonizing mistake! lol

      Thank you for dropping by! It is always a treasure to receive a comment from you. :)

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    2. Nicolas I just soak up all your words like a sponge. You and me and a pot of tea, one day, I say! :D I can't wait to see what you create. Please message me anytime bibliographica@gmail.com or on Etsy. :)

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