About the difficulty of separating yourself from your artistic work
The creative process is a path full of emotional ups and downs that is born from an internal dialogue, from a restlessness. Each work entails a long and complex process that can last days, weeks or even years.
The emotional connection
During that time, a whole range of emotions and thoughts are experienced: frustration, joy, expectation… and ends up generating a deep emotional connection with the piece, which in some cases is difficult to break. I name them “artistic children”, because they are part of you, they are an extension of your personality and emotions. They are works that are born, develop and finally acquire their own identity.
This situation contrasts with the fact that selling an artwork means a tremendous illusion. It implies recognition, that the buyer likes what you do, what you make him feel, and that he has connected with you in some way. Take home a piece of your person. That’s cool. Without counting the economic benefit that it can bring you, obviously. Making a living from art is a utopia for most artists, many of whom do other types of work to pay the bills, so, something extra is always good (at least to pay for the materials).
On the other hand, if this artistic Diogenes syndrome lasts over time, you run the risk of ending up with a house or workshop full of art pieces, full folders and crowded corners, works that accumulate and spoil over the years. I know from my own experience. If everything is not properly stored, protected and ventilated, you can find unpleasant surprises. And it’s hard to have to throw away something that means a lot to you or that has taken many hours to do.
Works of art are “artistic children”, they function as a projection of your person that are born, mature and finally acquire their own identity.
The importance of the creative process
So, when it comes the time to selling or giving away an original piece, an ambiguous situation is generated in which joy and sorrow, emotion and doubt are mixed. But I know it’s important to do it, in the end it’s always positive. The separation allows me to continue growing as an artist and have space for new works. It also promotes that your creations are seen and enjoyed by others, that your work is spread. Therefore, instead of clinging to the finished work, I try to focus on the creative process, enjoying the journey, experimenting and exploring new ideas and forms of expression.
From time to time I finish a piece that I know I want for myself, I imagine that happens to all artists, and that one stays at home as part of my personal collection. Hanging on a wall. Or on a shelf. Or saved in a folder. So you can see it whenever you want.
