Many artists are committed to the search for meaning or purpose. They explore what it means to be alive, or if they (or artwork) will have an impact in the world. But does art really need purpose or meaning? In this article, I want to share a few thoughts on this interesting topic and continue with my hunt for freedom in my practice, more than anything.
Why Searching for Meaning
Maybe artists are very “sensitive” and feel this drive for purpose or meaning (we are a little bit self-centered); or art has always been a companion in human history, documenting our social contexts; or art is an expression of our true selves; or art can translate feelings and abstract concepts into the physical world to leave a mark on history. While these reasons for searching for meaning can be true, art can also be just fun. For the artist, for the viewer– something that we enjoy doing, and the “purpose” for art can be different for every one of us but—what if art was meant to be enjoyed, and that’s it? Refer to Richard Collison’s post to dive deeper.
In the main image for this article, you will see some quick drawings I did one morning. I wasn’t thinking about deep purpose or meaning. It was just a task to draw shapes in perspective and add some lights and shadows and these were the things in front of me. I guess we can say that the purpose of those was to practice drawing, but other than that… can we assign value, purpose, or meaning to the depiction of headphones and a coffee mug? Eh– it is up to you. You can say “Of course! It means hygge!”. The reality is that art will always represent this subjectivity, but I want to make a case for enjoying the moment, either for the creator or the spectator without assigning value to everything!!
Using Art to Connect with Your Inner Child
While I am trying to find meaning in life, I am pushing myself to be better in art to find myself. When I was a kid, I didn’t really care much if my art was good or bad, or if I would be good enough to sell artworks. Adults often asked me “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and I would reply “A painter”. Then some of them would reply “You will starve” or “But that doesn’t pay off”. Of course, I wouldn’t quite understand, because when we’re little kids we want to be happy and have fun; that’s all we want. We don’t understand money, or jobs, or any of this crap adults have to deal with. Right now, I’m using art to find my artistic self again and find happiness in the process, not the outcome.
Outcome is Inevitable
So I’m saying over and over that I’m enjoying the process and trying to not bind myself to the end product, or what I will do with the artwork, or if people will like it or not. However, I have been drawing and painting every day for 31 days (for the second time in my adult life) without interruption and I am starting to see great things as outcomes:
- I feel happier and more connected with my inner child
- My creative juices flow more quickly
- My drawing and painting skills are improving (even without trying that hard!)
- I am not afraid or ashamed to ask my friends to support my work (liking, sharing, commenting, etc)
- My social media is ramping up, thanks to exposure from friends and family
- I’m gaining confidence
Final Thoughts
I’m learning to take myself less seriously, including my art practice. The funny thing is that I’m doing a lot of art studies and improving while I don’t care. Hah! Things always work out at the end, they say. Maybe I will be able to be very masterful one day, but let’s not worry or care about that right now! Let’s embrace meaningful and deep artworks while also enjoying things just for the sake of enjoying them. I guess art is just like life. What if the meaning of it all was to let go, enjoy the ride, and live for the sake of living?
