Does My Art Really Matter?

Hey, printmaking nerds! Did you miss me? I’m so sorry there was not a newsletter last week. I was recording, editing videos, and literally putting out a computer fire!

In this week's issue:

• How do you win in the artworld?

• Dealing with impostor syndrome

• We talk to Lonesome Bill

• Question time!

Let's dive in…

Sketch of the Week

Is the grass really greener on the other side?

A few weeks ago, a college student emailed me some questions for a paper. She used a word I have had a hard time associating with: success.

Success in the artworld is subjective. I used to associate success with being able to make $100 in sales each month. Today, its definition for me is more fluid. It’s internal and less to do with external factors. However, getting hung up on being ‘successful’ can be very damaging. One can also debate on what success looks like artistically, socially, or financially.

We tend to equate success to winning at something. For us artists, winning can be selling an edition, reaching a certain number of followers, or making a living on art. It can also mean completing a linocut block without accidentally cutting yourself, getting a perfect registration, or simply completing the project and having fun with it.

I have come to realize that I feel more successful in my practice when it brings me satisfaction and happiness.

Tackling Impostor Syndrome

I still question and scrutinize everything about a print from the moment I have finished it. I no longer run to Instagram and check how my work compares to others. What I do is constructively critique my own work.

It’s one thing to find weaknesses in composition, inking, and burnishing, but when you place your efforts next to a more advanced artist it can lead to crippling impostor syndrome. That feeling of defeatism can be hard to shake up.

You belong in this creative space. It is important to start by really believing in yourself.

Struggling with impostor syndrome sucks. Overcoming it was a serious challenge for me. Previous neurosis, COVID-19 shutdowns, and a permanent online existence can mess with your head. You equate your worth to what you see on a screen and can become jealous. I realized that I was free from that feeling when I immersed myself in a project that brought me joy.

Achieving happiness through making art: it is very personal. I continue to perfect my happiness recipe on a daily basis. Here are some tips that I feel break imposter syndrome:

• Make art that feels like play. Don’t keep doing something just because a more advanced artist does it. Your talents are different and must be nourished. Choose to be yourself.

• Envy is the enemy of happiness. Impostor syndrome comes from being jealous and/or feeling inferior to other artists. Does it bother you when posts don't get enough likes? If so, when on Instagram, there is a function where you can limit or hide the amount of likes.

• Work on yourself. Take the time to learn a new skill. You don't need to be an expert but you need to master basic principles.

• Think clearly about your project. How do you know if you are thinking clearly? If you can't explain a complicated subject in basic terms, you're not thinking clearly.

• Establish an art habit. Good habits create confidence which can lead you to taking more risks. With enough experimenting, you will create good art. Good art makes you happy which increases the likelihood you will continue working towards your goals. For example, drawing every day will help capture an image more realistically. Start with building good habits.

• Commit to showing up everyday - even when it's boring and you're tired. You don’t need to create a masterpiece. Don't break the habit of working everyday.

• Clean up a bit. An organized clutter-free space helps clear the mind.

• No one cares. This is a harsh realization but it is so true. No one cares if you can't draw like Michelangelo. No one cares if you don't have an etching press. No one cares if you didn’t go to art school. The outside world does not care about your mistakes as much as you think it does.

• Success does not automatically grant you happiness as it is learned with patience. Be kind and patient with yourself. Focus on making art that makes you feel good.

If all else fails and you still are not happy with your work, I encourage you to seek out help. I personally have had the opportunity to speak with others, professional artists, and my support team which have lifted my spirits to get my head right. I was not only able to tackle some personal issues but also answer the question: do I belong as an artist? Does any of this really matter? The answer is: yes!

Artist Highlight: Lonesome Bill

This week, we talk to interdisciplinary artist, Lonesome Bill, currently residing in Milwaukee. Bill talks to us about expressing yourself through art, embracing the awkward moments of art, and drops some fine advice for beginners.

Location: Milwaukee

Daniel: What techniques and mediums do you work in?

Bill: Although I have dabbled in printmaking, I have found I have a more painterly hand. Which had been a fun challenge to try to translate into printmaking. I mainly do work in woodworking, painting and illustration. I like to bend the rules of what a medium and what a tool can do. When I do woodworking, I mainly use a scroll, jig, or bandsaw, but within those tools I am trying to make some organic shapes.

Daniel: Knowing that you let the medium guide your work, what was it that led you to printmaking? How have you incorporated printmaking onto your overall practice?

Bill: I mean it's funny because the process and the intention of printmaking is why I have such a love hate relationship with it!

I laugh here because my practice looks so different. Sometimes, I have the passion that I need to sit down and make something now. I have tried doing that with printmaking and forty-five minutes in and I am still not making something. I love that too, there is such an intentional energy, because like I may have to cancel all my plans, I have the whole afternoon and honor this art practice spending this loving intentional time.

Daniel: Do you think it is important to diversify as an artist when it comes to mediums or techniques or just stick to one lane?

Bill: I think that it depends on your style of printmaking and on the goal you have. My personal goal and interest are knowing how things work, and in order to learn that I have to learn a new skill set to fully understand it. I am an amateur filmmaker, so that means I have to build sets, and costumes.

Daniel: Thank you so much for your time and your knowledge Bill, where can people reach you to connect?

Bill: Instagram at @lonesome.drift.er or at Website: LONESOME BILL

Read the full interview here.

Question Time!

That is an excellent question, Jacqueline! I simply use the built-in software on my phone. I play with the contrast, highlights, and even add filters! I crop out the image to my desired view, when necessary, and finally print the image. Once I have printed the images, I do a final sketch and compositional drawing before transferring to my lino/wood block. Nothing beats recreating the composition from scratch on paper - although this is not always necessary.

Take a look at this blog post in which I reviewed how you can plan a monochromatic print without much hassle.

Hey, hold-up!

Do you have a printmaking or artist-related question you want me to answer?

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Thanks for reading. See ya next week.

-Daniel