Redefining Life and Art: The Power of Open-Ended Exploration

So, am I an artist or a craftsman? (Please, I hope I'm an artist; I'm not quite ready to start selling realistic portraits to tourists for €10 in the city's central square.)

Yesterday, I came across a quote by Rick Rubin that got me thinking (actually, pondering deeply) about my art. (Gosh, every time I read something from him, my whole perspective on my art gets a good shake!)

The article summary:
Diving into the Unknown in Art and Life

A quote from the legendary Rick Rubin got me thinking that real art is about embracing questions and embarking on adventures, not just cranking out stuff you're already good at. I've realized that making True Art means diving headfirst into the Unnown daily, even when it gets daunting. And the same applies to living a True Life: imagine approaching life like an endless quest, starting with a question - who knows where that could take us?

Rick Rubin said:

If you know what you want to do and you do it, that's the work of a craftsman. If you begin with a question and use it to guide an adventure of discovery, that's the work of an artist.

From "The creative act: a way of being ~ Rick Rubin"

And you know what? This resonates with me as well.

Art should be about diving into the unknown, not sticking to what's comfy and predictable, where you can predict the end result like a pro.

(This is precisely why I rarely take on commissioned portraits, and I definitely don't paint touristy portraits for a living! :P)

So, I'm all about creating True Art, but sometimes it's not so easy to let go of your ideas and creative baggage and take a leap into the unknown—every single day, for every single painting.

This challenge hits me particularly hard when I'm working on a series for an exhibition. The first few pieces are a total exploration of the uncharted territory, often without any clear guiding questions. But after those initial pieces are done, the following ones tend to feel more like reproductions than explorations.

Maybe it's because once the theme of the series becomes clear, I approach it with more of a rational mindset than a creative one.

Take, for instance, my recent "Feel" series, an exploration of (my) emotions. Those first pieces were an exuberant exploration, both in terms of subject matter and creative process. Sure, they might have lacked a bit of finesse and technical skill compared to the later ones in the series, but they were brimming with raw creative energy. They were art in its purest form.

The subsequent works in the series may have been technically superior, but during their creation, I didn't sense that same creative spark.

To be brutally honest, it felt more like a job.

I wasn't digging deeper into the theme. I wasn't pushing my creative boundaries. I was just being a craftsman. (Oh, crap!)

Now, I've moved on to a new series, but I can't help but wonder what might have happened if I had stuck with a more creative approach right to the end of the project instead of assuming I had it all figured out.

What's done is done, but I'll carry this lesson forward, as the idea of being merely a craftsman doesn't sit quite right with me!

So, moving forward, I'm ditching the assumption that I know it all, and I'll maintain an exploratory approach until the very end of each project.

This is something I already do when painting an abstract piece. Right up to the end, I don't really know what the painting is about or how it will look. I start with a question or an emotion, then I let go and explore freely—both within myself and creatively.

If I can extend this approach to my entire creative process, I believe my art will become far more captivating. It will truly embody the essence of Art!

Now, here's a thought to provoke both you and me: What if we approached life the same way? Imagine starting everything with an open question and simply seeing where it leads us.

Gosh! If Rick Rubin can shake up my perspective on art, I'm more than capable of reshaping how I view life itself!