"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium, and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable, nor how it compares with other expressions.
It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware of the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open.”
― Martha Graham
The first time I read the quote above by Martha Graham, I was in my 30s and beginning my career as a professional choreographer. I felt as if she was talking to me, and her words gave me the clarity and strength I needed to sidestep my insecurities and overwhelming lack of confidence and just create from a place that was my truth.
A few decades later, I'm still living by her powerful words. I try to keep my heart open and look closely at the ideas that seem to pull the hardest. This is precisely how FOUND came to fruition. What started as a quiet nudge, almost a whisper in my head, ended up being so strong and so loud that I couldn't ignore it any longer.
I wasn’t sure how to put something like FOUND together, so I decided to go back to the beginning. I spent days looking back over my old sketchbooks, art journals, and finished artwork. I was looking for clues in my stylistic development and when things began to shift in my art.
Such enlightening research set the course for creating the curriculum for the workshop. I spent a lot of time thinking about style and artistic voice, and why they both seems like elusive ingredients to making art. When it comes to both style and voice, I know they already exist within you; you just need the courage to let them show up in your art.
In the end, I was guided by my personal discoveries that are at the heart of my artwork. I turned my discoveries into creative sessions to guide artists to play, explore, and experiment. This, combined with thoughtful questions and soul-searching exercises make up the foundation of the workshop.
I knew I didn't want this to be a "how-to" or "step by step" art class, but something that would give the artist space to explore and experiment. To be honest, this part was a little scary because FOUND isn’t a traditional art class. But, I came to the realization that at the end of the day, taking bolder steps towards what we hold beautiful and true will free us to create art that is a true reflection of who we are as people.
I hope we can all agree that it is essential to embrace the naked truth about creating art; it is a lifelong quest. One could compare it to a vast landscape filled with beauty, inspiration, and challenging terrain, one that can derail our journey at any moment. However, if we stay on our true path and look to what lies within our hearts, we will ultimately create art as unique as we are. Unearthing the beauty of our existence gives us the confidence to create work that reflects the things we hold deep within our souls. Our truth!
I would love to hear your thoughts or challenges on developing your style and using your voice as an artist.
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