Doing what you love
May 19, 2022
What if I fail? That would be so embarrassing.
What if they don’t like me? Maybe I shouldn’t do it.
These thoughts are common to many people when exploring a new interest or exposing themselves to the opinions of the public. Being vulnerable to the criticism of others is a feeling that is all too familiar to artists, as their art still holds a piece of them in it. Artists can overcome this fear of critique, however, and they might find themself focused solely on their work, shutting out other distractions and forgetting about the world.
Kerith Lisi, a mixed media artist, describes the process of making art as an escape from reality.Â
“I’m just so in the zone. It’s as close to meditation as I’ll ever get, and everything else fades away. It’s calming. It’s like a place I go. Nothing like this has me unaware of the time that is passing by,” Lisi said.
This phenomenon described by Lisi, commonly known as the flow state, enables her to focus on her art and not worry about anything else happening around her.
Lisi also emphasizes the importance of exchanging ideas with other artists to find meaning in the things they love to do. Some think art must convey an all-important message or tell a heartfelt story. And while many times art does do this, the motive for creating can sometimes be straightforward.
“I’m part of a critique group [and] one of our assignments asked was, ‘Why do you do what you do?’ And all of our answers were pretty much, ‘I would be a miserable person if I didn’t.’ And I feel like that is my answer,” Lisi said.
Art has always been on Lisi’s mind, but the daily responsibilities of supporting her family kept her away from doing the thing she loves.
“I thought about doing [art] as a major in college, but then I thought there was no way that I’d be able to make a living. It didn’t seem practical. I did actually go back to school after I quit working for a little bit and decided I [was] going to do graphic design to go into the Academy of Art. And I stopped again because it was like, ‘Wait, how am I going to be a mom and do this when all the jobs are internships?'” Lisi said.Â
However, Lisi realized that art was something she cared about and decided to pursue a career that included this passion.
“And then I got to age 40, and I just realized if I am to ever do this, it should be now. And that gave me the ability to not care about what other people thought. So then I’m just like, ‘Who cares, I’m just gonna do it.’ But then I realized I didn’t necessarily need to get paid. I just wanted to do it,” Lisi said.
But at any age, negative criticism can often hold an artist back. Lisi has learned to overcome this fear of judgment in order to create art that satisfies her.
“[I] just realized it’s still worth it. The worst criticisms just can’t matter,” Lisi said. “I don’t think anybody would ever do it if that was the case. I just had to think [that] 5% of the people out there might really get what I do. And [for] the other people, it’s just not for them.”
According to Lisi, learning not to care what other people think is an essential part of being an artist. People will not always view art the same way, and criticism will likely arise.
“I was walking by, and [someone] was talking to a friend about a piece of mine, and they were like, ‘That does nothing for me.’ I had to stop and think, ‘Okay, not my audience.’ It was also a relief because that was the worst thing I could have feared. And I was fine with it,” Lisi said.
With the rise of modern and contemporary art, more abstract ideas can sometimes lead viewers to critique or dismiss art forms that are more simple or experimental.
“[Some say],’ I could do that.’ But I think that’s lazy thinking because this person actually did it. Why did they do it? What were they trying to say? Maybe they were not trying to say anything,” Lisi said. “I think people get stuck in [thinking], ‘It has to look this way. It has to be a painting in order to be art.’ So it is just an invitation to consider what art is.”
