I went into a shop and thought a top looked great. It had little pretty flowers on it. I envisioned it on my friend Hannah and knew it would look fantastic. It was the sort of thing I have often seen her in and admired her dress sense. I tried it on and was surprised that I didn't like it at all on me. I then went into another shop and found a top. I didn't even bother to try it on as I just imagined seeing that beautiful flowing top, the kind my friend Jane wears, on her, and knew it was exactly what I needed. I bought it, went home, and tried it on. Again I was really surprised at how uncomfortable it made me feel; really not my style at all. My husband confirmed this when he said I looked like I was in a nurses uniform and had just come off my shift.
In art, a lack of confidence can cause me to see and copy how other artists are doing it.(There is a place for learning in copying but this is another conversation) I try this way like this popular artist, but when I do it it just looks clumsy, or that way, because that looks great when they do it, but I feel bored with it before I have even finished the picture. I struggle to be fantastic the way I see they are. This is my dilemma!
Today though, I choose to be different. Today I choose to be unique, because all of us are. If we don't put time and energy into developing our own creative voice, we are robbing the world of it, as there is only one of us.Whether we are ever known or not, ever great or not, I am robbing mostly me whenever I choose to mould myself to be like another artist. So today I choose to remember the words of Oscar Wilde 'Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.' There is a truth in the unique voice, which is probably what we are recognising in those other artists we love so much. There is also a nakedness in it, so today, instead of wearing clothes that are just not me, I take the path of nakedness!!
No comments:
Post a Comment