What can your art teach you?

When chatting with new and even mid-career artists, one of the most common questions I’m asked is “How do I find my style?“ I think maybe the question needs to be reframed… “How do I find myself in my art?“

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” – Thomas Merton

I didn’t start painting because I was looking for a gig or an identity. Art is my teacher. Every day that my eyes are open, I learn through the work that I choose to create.

The journey started off in a state of play (most journeys do). Drawing ideas, and images from my head I began creating worlds from my imagination. It also served as a tool to help sort out some of life’s confusion. My art taught me to play and to think.

When I began to focus on art more seriously and realized I was going to make it my career, part of me shrank back from that play. Putting myself and my art out into the world was scary. My work grew tighter and more realistic. I worked hard. My art taught me that I was careful.

I wanted people to be able to relate to what I was creating, and I wanted to prove to them that I was talented. Everything from the subject matter I chose to the realistic way I chose to paint reflected my need for external recognition and approval.

It worked. My work was relatable to many, and it sold. I learned that I could conform.

I kept painting, but soon tired of trying to reproduce the world around me correctly and accurately. I wanted to express more than what I saw in front of me. I learned from my art that I am impatient with limitations.

Even if I only have time for a few sketches, I know that I have to create.

I began designing narratives that illustrated how I viewed the world. Detached partygoers, distant nudes, elite equestrians, burning worlds. I learned from my art that I was cynical.

When my child was born, something shifted inside of me. I began to deconstruct the elements in my paintings.  Breaking edges, letting go of details, focusing on the big picture, and allowing my work to be misunderstood. I learned from my art that I could be vulnerable.

But instead of asking those horrible questions…“what is it?” and “are you done?” People began asking me “How did you do it? How did you find your style?” I learned that my art can help others find their art.

Your style has always been there. Your style is you. When you’re ready for more, your style shifts. When you’re hungry to discover something new, you get to lean in, learn, and your style grows as you grow.

Your art helps you discover who you are and it will sustain you. Your art is worth doing.

What have you learned about yourself through your art?

What clues does your style give you about who you are?

Who does your art say that you are?