THE IMPORTANCE OF ARTISTS CREATING THEIR OWN VALUE

By Stephanie Wruck

The earliest forms of art ever made by our species have been found over 42,000 years ago. Expressing ourselves through art is one of the oldest ways that we use to communicate ideas, share our understanding of the world and ultimately reflect the times we are living in.

“.. art making is crucial for the intellectual development of the world.”

Artists have not only mirrored the different realities of the world, but transformed them through bold and visionary practices. Art, in all its numerous forms, is an internal necessity. It comes from the unknown corners of our psyche, unexplored territories, our hearts. Often times, it’s entirely abstract or subjective and other times it’s factual and direct. Regardless of the way it communicates its message, art making is crucial for the intellectual development of the world. It pushes us forward.

If this is all true… Why do so many artists have a difficult time finding real value in their work? Or in themselves? Somewhere along the way we decided that artists are not important enough and their work can’t sustain a valid career of choice: Why ?

“what is the value of your art?”

Maybe it’s because our idea of an artist is tied to stereotypes: messy, out of touch with reality, crazy. However, many of us are not aware of the amount of discipline and effort that takes into creating something, from the raw idea to the final product. Long and lonely hours in a studio, excruciating self-doubt and the constant inner critic’s loud chatter. The antidote lies within artists themselves and their willingness to create their own value. Engaging in conversation surrounding the creative process, the making and the long hours is the only way to shed light on the realities of the artist’s life and hopefully, bring people into an important conversation. By exposing what happens backstage, we can put the puzzle pieces together and begin to see the deep impacts of the arts in our everyday lives.

The foremost question that artists could be asking themselves is: what is the value of your art? Is it monetary? Or does it transcend money matters, perhaps it lies on how it can change people’s lives, perceptions or even society as whole. Maybe the value of your art exists in its own ability to create social change through charities, environmental causes or philanthropy. A clear idea on where you are trying to get as an artist and how your work is impactful is your compass to find your value as an artist. But denying the financial side of being an artist will be a giant downfall throughout your process, because regardless of what your message is, it will exist within the parameters of a pre- existing and unforgiving art market.

Art making is a method that many of us use in order to live passionately and purposefully, by creating shared resources while driving culture forward. Exchanging ideas, digging through unspoken topics and exploring the ways we coexist is all made possible through creative expression. To create our own value as artists, we must first accept that although it might be a lonely road, it is the only way to have our voices heard.

“Art helps you access the parts of yourself that haven’t been formed by cliche” - Unknown