Is your artwork unique? How to stand out from the crowd.

Some of the best artwork in the world has come about from, what some refer to as “happy accidents.” Who would not agree that it is very difficult to come up with a new idea in art? It seems that, when it comes to art, everything has already been done. The good news is that you don't have to reinvent the wheel here, you just need to find your own voice, so-to-speak. Whether you paint, sculpt, make music, or something else, it is important to let yourself come through and be expressed. How to stand out in the art world, is to create artwork that is unique. Artwork that is a reflection of YOU.

My current style of painting emerged after years of studio time, playing around, experimentation, and lot's of happy accidents. There, of course, is a certain amount of discipline involved, like taking art classes, studying color theory, and practicing my drawing skills, but nothing has made my work progress more than experimentation. Through experimentation, my own unique voice is allowed to come out. My psyche gets a chance to play and be expressed. Happy accidents become inevitable, and the artist that can see the accidents for what they are, break throughs, and then use them to progress, is the artist who will stand out!

I was speaking with a would-be painter recently, and she said she was reluctant to start a painting, because she was afraid that she wouldn't be very happy with the results. She had pulled a canvas and paints out of her closet weeks ago, and they just sat there, taunting her. She had done this many times, and would do a painting, but would always be sort of disappointed with the outcome and would put the art supplies away again, until the urge forced her to, once again, pull them out of the closet and try again.

My advice to her was not to do one painting, but ten. She looked at me funny, and just laughed. But I wasn't joking. I said, well, of course you give up after just one painting, in frustration, because you're not giving yourself a chance to warm up, and get the juices flowing. You wouldn't expect a ballerina to go out and perform after just one practice session would you? By painting number 6 or 7 you might be warmed up, and by 9 or 10, you might actually be starting to tap into that lovely, wonderful, pool of creative juices that resides inside of you! One painting will inform the next, and so on and so forth. Each one bringing you closer to that voice inside of you, as well as, those happy accidents, I keep referring to. 

 

So, back to being unique. How do we set ourselves apart from the millions of other artists out there? Yes, practice and experimentation are a big part of it, but what else? How do we take practice and experimentation and arrive at originality? We have to look no further than our own minds and our own lives. Aside from painting, sculpting or writing music, what are your interests? What are your experiences? What are your passions? What gets your goat? What brings you to tears? What do you LOVE? What do you HATE? These are the things that make you who you are. These are the things that need to come through in your artwork. If they aren't, then your work is not truly your own. This is where the magic comes in!! The beauty of this is that you don't have to go to school or read boring text books to learn about this. It's all right there inside of you. All the wisdom, all the fodder, all the juice! You don't have to make it up. It doesn't matter if you are a painter or a writer or a musician, this simple fact applies to all.

There is an artist I know personally, who is a perfect example of what I am saying. His name is Alan Bur Johnson. I met Alan in Jerome, Arizona. He lives there, and has a wonderful art studio that you can go visit durning open studio tours. I've spent many hours talking with him, talking about his artwork, and about his life. Alan was a total science freak growing up. He collected insects, and dead animals, froze them, put them in jars, and spent endless hours examining and pondering these little creature, or, "treasures" in his mind. He inherited a collection of book, specimens, and other scientific paraphernalia from a high school that closed down. As an adult, Alan became and artist, and this collection from the high school filled his studio. His artwork reflected this passion, without a doubt, and right from the start, but the real breakthrough didn't come for a while. Then one day in his studio his childhood passion collided with his artistic present, and a new art form was born. That art form now defines his artwork, and he exhibits his wonderful creations nation wide. Here is an example of his work. One is of the whole piece, and the other a detail, so you can see how it is created.  You can view more of his wonderful work at:  www.alanburjohnson.com

Your work needs to be an extension of YOU! There is only one you. So it goes without saying, that if your work is an extension of you, it can't help but be unique! You are made up of your own unique set of experiences, knowledge, passions, joys and sorrows. If you express that in your work, then your work WILL stand out. Your artwork needs to have some significance to you. When you create from your soul, then others cannot help but respond, as it will speak to their soul. Your audience will find you. The viewer may not know what the significance of your artwork is, but they will FEEL it, and this will set you apart.