You are reading The Dwindle River Diaries, an artist & gardener’s journal from rural Aotearoa by Zenobia Southcombe.
Kia ora fellow creatives,
I find that opportunities will often come up just as I need them - when I needed art classes, the library were offering free accounts with CreativeBug; when I wanted a place to show my work, a vacant spaces programme was advertised; now, I am craving a challenge and external feedback on my mahi, and an art scholarship opportunity showed up on my Facebook feed.
I decided to apply for the diploma, as the introductory certificate course is aimed at people with little or no experience. However, I must create a portfolio of work and a statement of creative intent.
Well, I can do that. But they’ve ALSO asked for evidence of the creative process behind each piece.
So now I am feeling incredibly grateful for my sketchbook practice - as well as social media.
For every piece of art I make, there is a process. I have collected ideas (whether that be intentionally or sub-consciously), practiced skills needed for the piece, and maybe done some compositional sketches.
I’ll have done some kind of research - looking through photos, other people’s approach to the subject, non-artistic research, maybe even a field trip or museum/gallery visits. Sometimes I’ll have taken a class, watched a tutorial online, or read up on a subject or style.
But I don’t necessarily have EVIDENCE of all of this. The process work would get done, then quite often thrown away or stuffed in a filing box (to be thrown away at a later date).
But now I have a sketchbook practice. More recently, I made a move away from spiral-bound books so that I can see my progress, and don’t have the option of ripping out pages I’m not happy with. So, fortunately, I have evidence of my creative process!
I also have the process photos I take specifically for sharing on social media (or, now, in this Substack newsletter). I’ve found that people like being a part of the process, so I try to share behind-the-scenes and works-in-progress.
And this means I have WAY more process photos than I would’ve had without social media.
I’ve also done a few self-directed challenges (not always finished), workshops, and online classes. And I even had the foresight to put together an artist CV, so I’m not scrambling about trying to remember every workshop I’ve ever been on at the last minute.
It’s been kind of wonderful going through and collecting my processes together, looking at the diversity of my work as a good thing, and reflecting on my own journey through creativity and confidence.
I think it’s important to take a moment from time to time to reflect on where we’re at and actually celebrate what we’ve achieved. I know I can get into a negative spiral pretty quickly when I start the 'should-isms’ (I should have achieved more by now, I should be making more money, I should…) so this is a big reminder for me that it really is a matter of perspective.
I hope you all get a chance to pack yourselves on the back this week. Making art takes courage. We’re doing well just by doing art.
Happy artmaking,
Zenobia x
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