Lessons from an Artist: On speaking with authority about what you do.
I may not be a rock star, but Eden recently took my portrait…
So I went to a photography exhibit yesterday, with my dear friend Michelle, who is always willing to go on artist dates with me in all corners of Copenhagen or in the any-where-remotely-near vicinity. It was an exhibit of rock-star portraits by Danish photographer Søren Solkær Starbridge, and while I am neither an afficianado of rock stars or photography, I enjoyed it very much. (Mabel, Michelle’s 15 year old daughter will attest to just how low I have of a rock star IQ. This is how it went with her: “What?! You don’t know Arctic Monkeys? Come, on? Arctic. Monkeys. No? How about that guy, you know that guy right? The lead singer of Dirty Pretty Things…? Geez!)
While we were at the exhibit we watched an interview with the artist for few minutes (it was in Danish and I quickly got lost), and we bumped into him while he wandered the joint telling the curator which signage needed to be fixed before the closing reception this weekend. Watching him move, and breathe and have his being caused me to think of something I’ve observed of late amongst my arty world.
In the blogosphere there are a lot of women artists and writers my age. These are people who have turned-or re-turned-to the world of art they had previously set aside. This return is often out of a desire to keep their sanity in-tact through the infancy and preschool eras; or because they have finally gotten old enough to ignore their parents advice to “do something with your (practical) degree”; or because they have found their footing in their third or fourth decade and are ready to start following their Muse before their souls atrophy into nothingness. These women-myself included-tend to have a way of speaking about their work in very apologetic terms. We say thing like: “I’m dabbling in photography,” or “I’m not really a writer, I just blog,” or “I’ve started painting, but I’m not that good.”
I hear this kind of thing over and over again, and then… sometimes… I see it change. Sometimes, one of these arty women friends will cross over some invisible boundary and step into their power. They start acknowledging their title and say things like: “I am a photographer,” or when someone asks them what they ‘do’, the say “I am a writer” with less hesitation – or maybe with none at all. And then eventually, they start speaking like a professional – the way Søren Solkær Starbridge talks, or Kara Walker, or Robert Wilson. They speak authoritatively about their art, their intent, and their methodologies. They explain how their work developed and where they think it will progress to next. They accept compliments graciously without downplaying their skill. And they receive critique with gratitude and detachment – because they’ve learned it’s not about their personhood but rather about their work, and it will make their work better.
I’m not sure where this boundary is located, or how one steps over it. I think that for me as a writer and as a minister, I drift back and forth across that border line in an sort of developmental dance. Still, I find more and more that I live on the confident side of that line. I think it’s important – very important-to learn how to get into that unapologetic place. It is a place where you do not hem and haw about what you are doing; where you do not downplay your skill or your talent; where you are both passionate and matter-of-fact; where you can say with authority “I am a writer. I specialize in creative spirituality. I work on line.” And I don’t think you can get there until you realize that the authority to name yourself lies within yourself. Sure, professional recognition is nice. It’s lovely to have the affirmation of colleagues, to have an official job title, to receive an appropriate wage, to win an award. But you know what? A lot of us are never going to see that in a cut-and-dried way. We live in a world on the fringe – a world of art and passion and verve. That world doesn’t have a lot of professional clubs. It doesn’t often offer a steady paycheck with the taxes taken out in neat little columns and vacation accruing on the sidebar. And even where it does, we’ll, we aren’t any of us going to get there by being apologetic about who we are compelled to be.
So let’s stop. Let’s stop hemming and hawing. Let’s stop doing a soft shoe around who we are and what we call ourselves. Let’s learn to take both critiques and compliments. Let’s put our name on the door. Be who you are becoming. Start now.
What one sentence describes with authority what it is that you do? It’s okay, you can change it later as you change. But write one down now and try it on for size. We can’t wait to see what it is!
27 comments
oh, I don’t think I can do this, yet. I want to write. Nobody has published anything. I haven’t got anything to show.
But I want do be able to do this, and soon.
I am an artist. I create space for people to discover their own creativity and through that catch glimpses of their original Creator.
I am a creative life artist. I bring my full creative spirit to all that I do. This is a part of my spiritual practice, how I express my spirit in the world and how I stay connected with the Universe. I help others find their way of doing the same.
I am an artist, a writer, and a ritualist. My focus is on creating living connections and portals of communication between the worlds. I work mainly in my local community and online.
I have a personal mission statement that I wrote for my work as Celebrant: My mission is to listen to the subtle voices of the world around us, connect with the divine within and beyond, authentically express my truths, and celebrate the joys and challenges of life with others.
Thank you for these thoughts and this prompt. I am exhibiting for the 2nd time and needed some words to wrap around what I do in my artwork.
I love this. I recently added an “I am” statement to my blog profile and I love reading it every time I update my blog. It’s a great affirmation for who I am. Since adding it, I’ve seen my confidence increase and my actions have brought about results! Just this week, I have art in a charitable auction and tonight is my debut exhibit and I will be the featured artist!
I am a Bliss Follower, Inspired Mind, Creative Thinker and Big Dreamer who loves to make a huge mess with anything I can get my hands on.
(And I ♥ fantastical messes!)
Mixed Media Artist,
Carmen Torbus
You are very right. When I was running Women’s Empowerment and Creativity Workshops, one of our requirements in sharing our work was “no apologies.” It’s a very difficult thing for women to show their work without downplaying, apologizing, explaining what’s wrong with it, talking about how they aren’t really artists. It takes practice.
Now, I can say with authority that I am a writer, artist and teacher, with a specialty in creativity and empowerment. Do you want me to host a workshop? ;)
My two cents:
I think that the line of definition seems clear for me as an individual. When does one declare the profession or title which labels our focus, passion, core skill and talent instead of what our paychecks say we do?
Aside from insecurity, which creators struggle with daily (to doubt oneself is superfluous, but to question is essential- I feel) It is difficult to declare out right “I am and artist/writer/creator” if one has not taken the step of communicating the work.
It’s up there with the falling tree in a forest. If no one is there to hear it, no one is there to see it, acknowledge it, interact with it, etc.. If there is just ONE person there then the experience, message, emotion, provokation is carried through to eyes, ears and minds that can proccess the input and give it meaning according to their individual perception (an entirely different debate of validity). Art needs humans.
The approval and or success is not the defining element but the participation of contribution, exhibition, or even selling your product (another sticky topic) IS.
Some personalities feel comfort from unfinished projects. I myself have more than I can keep track of that could hold great potential were I to finish them and present them in some appropriate venue. Although I have more work hidden than public I feel I may confidently state I am an artist (though I cringe at the title), I am a designer, a seamstress, an illustrator, a painter, a writer, a sculptor, creator and a curiousor :-)
…and it’s wonderful to share with you all.
Oh shit, I’m panicking here. I have some kind of dual thing going on: don’t feel confident enough to define myself AND don’t want to limit myself by definition.
Actually, I may feel a related blog post stirring, but for now I will (try to) be bold and say:
I am a writer, working mostly online; my topics include spirituality, community and living simply. I am a teacher, working with people keen to deepen their self-knowledge. I am an artist, exploring various forms of mixed-media and digital creativity.
My work is inspired by nature, realized in glass. I am a glass artist.
Thank you for your inspirational words!
[...] And Magpie Girl has me all of a spin as she talks about how difficult women seem to find it to ‘name’ ourselves with authority. To say “I am a writer” or “I am a painter” or whatever. You can read what she says here. [...]
[...] lesson on speaking with authority about who you are here, from the always wise Magpie [...]
I am working on this. I am a woman, and a mother, and a communication consultant, and a tutor, and it’s very hard to say I’m a writer but I am.
So there.
Thanks for the push! I need to keep editing and practicing the authority part.
I’m an artist, activist and lover. I draw, write, dance, sing and sometimes paint, and I don’t get paid for any of it. I live my life consciously bettering the people, animals, earth (and even insects) around me. I love and love and love. Sometimes I think it’s too much, but I’ve realized, how is that possible when I am love?
I have a similar story – I went to Andy Warhol’s exhibit here in San Francisco over the weekend without knowing much about his work or life. I had such an inspirational, emotional time. It was a great experience.
Thank you, Rachelle. You’re amazing.
“Let’s stop doing a soft shoe around who we are and what we call ourselves. Let’s learn to take both critiques and compliments. Let’s put our name on the door. Be who you are becoming. Start now.”
I just wanted to say I love these words. They are inspiring! Thanks :-)
I am an artist and entrepreneur with a creative online mural business!
I am a writer. I am an arty girl because I love art, performance, and artistic things and that’s the best description that I’ve heard others give of me. I’m OK with that.
Very timely post for me, so thank you. I have named myself. I am an artist, specializing in mixed media and jewelry, and I am a teacher. But I haven’t taken the next steps of NOT downplaying what I am, my follow up is … but I haven’t made any money, and I only volunteer. That is the hard part for me, constantly working hard and needing the $$ to justify staying out of the 9 to 5.
Writing out “Be who you are becoming” for my inspiration board. Thanks.
“the authority to name yourself lies within yourself” This is pure wisdom. Well said!
I am a massage therapist, moving around kinks and knots like nobody’s business.
Rachelle, reminds me of the end of massage school when we talked about getting ready to charge people money after months and months of working on people for free. We were encouraged to practice saying how much we charge for our work. It was such a shift that first month – suddenly someone was paying me to do what I had been doing (gradually better and better) for free. Love you!
I am …
- a writer exploring the intersection of faith, life, mission and how women and men can better work together there.
- a fibre artist; watch me create love from fabric.
- a teacher because learning happens all around me.
Thank you for releasing this to all of us.
I am a creative performer and stage assistant. I an training in burlesque, improv, and circus, and I help make productions run smoothly by taking care of all the finer details.
what a great read. and its funny because i was just looking at my facebook profile last night where it asks you to describe yourself and i’d written, “i’m a mother. and i am a photographer.” and i felt so proud that i finally had enough confidence to call myself a photographer.
i am a photographer who specializes in capturing the heart of my subjects. i’m not commercial or cookie cutter. i photograph how you feel and who you are, not what you’re wearing.
Thanks for this. It’s amazing, when I start to speak out who I am into the universe, how the universe also responds.
I m a writer.
Lovely photo. I especially like the angle. You seem so young to be a minister.
[...] check out Magpie Girl’s inspiring article on this same subject: Speaking with Authority, and find other helpful “works for me” tips at We Are THAT [...]
You know what’s funny? I say “I am a photographer.” but I think ‘I am a “photographer”.’ and it’s not really the same thing. Still, baby steps and having the new website up helps, even if it’s just a page that links to other things.
It’s so nice to come back to this post, a year later, and see how many of your stories have come to fruition.
I. See. You.
Love,
Your Magpie Girl
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