Who do you love (and hate)?

As Artists, we draw a lot of inspiration and influence from the world around us. We each have personal favorites (artists, artworks, eras) that beg us to return again and again with a sense of awe, affection, even obsession. You might not realize just how much your art crush can reveal about your own personal desires, priorities & values as an artist. 

 

Here are some questions to ask yourself if you want to peek behind the curtain of your infatuation & benefit from what you discover… Bonus points if you do these exercises with Artists or Artworks that make you feel jealousy or unhealthy comparison! 

 

Start by making a list of artists, eras & works of art, etc… that really speak to you. Go with your gut instinct, write down things, people, ideas that genuinely have a hold on you- skip the stuff you could do without. Your list should really strike a cord. Try coming up with a list of 10 for each category (love & hate). 

 

What patterns or themes crop up when I look at my lists?

Each list might be related in an obvious way, or seem totally contradictory. Either way- look for what the underlying thread is that connects everything. Is it a style? A cause? A perspective? Describe what it is that pulls at your heart strings… 

 

Take your list of common denominators and compare that to your own life & practice. Do these concepts reflect something you are actively expressing or are they aspirational? Are these concepts antithetical to what you do or express? How do those qualities show up in your experience? Can you relate to what you’ve written down? 

 

Now let’s take a good look at your beliefs… Take each list at examine what you believe about those people, artworks, ideas. How do those beliefs show up in your own practice? Are those beliefs helping you or hindering you? Are those beliefs even TRUE? 

 

This simple process is a great way to analyze how our relationship with art, people & the world can influence our personal trajectory. What we are drawn to & what we push against affects how we show up creatively. This can have a profound influence on what we feel capable of doing. Stay curious about what provokes you in either positive or negative ways. Those emotions are like magnets- pulling very useful information toward us. If you’re willing to look into what magnetizes you- there’s a LOT of info there for you to benefit from.