Post Art Blues
Art is something unique to humanity. It is true that some animals can be taught how to paint but in general its not something observable outside of captivity. Art isn’t something that we need to survive and yet it is a tangible expression of our desire to do more than survive… to become.
On Maslow’s hierachy of needs, art probably floats to the top, where self-actualization exists… the reaching of personal growth and full potential.
“I am seeking. I am striving. I am in it with all my heart.” Vincent van Gogh
Paradoxically, many artists exist at the bottom of his pyramid, barely scrapping by on survival needs of food and shelter.
“I think most art comes out of poverty and hard times.” Willie Nelson
Hmm… I suspect striving for art has led many to poverty and hard times. It’s a tough gig that relies on the emotional response of an audience to the art. Without the emotional connection the art can’t speak, it can’t persuade hearts.
“I want to touch people with my art. I want them to say 'he feels deeply, he feels tenderly.'” Vincent Van Gogh
It is my belief that art starts with emotion not vision. The artist wants to create something that they can feel that they want to share with others. Often I find myself drawn to painting couples dancing as those images have movement, energy and intimacy that I can’t conjure from a landscape. Not that I don’t admire a good landscape or seascape painting, they just don’t hold the emotional appeal I’m looking for.
The emotional investment
Michelangelo observed “If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all.”
With any focused work there is a price to pay when it is finished. Olympians refer to that price as the Olympic blues. After focusing all their energy and life getting to the Olympics it is common for athletes to emotionally crash afterwards, whether they won or not.
I’ve found the same emotional comedown after finishing some paintings, not all of them but some where more emotion is required to find the soul of the subject and to express it.
“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing.”
Marc Chagall
I think this is just natural when we find ourselves invested in any project. I’ve had similar feelings when concluding large business transformation projects that I’ve led and poured myself into.
Olympic athletes often need time to process their emotions after the games, some mental health experts believe the games should be a 5 year cycle, 4 years prep and 1 year of coming down from that experience.
In art I don’t have the luxury of waiting a year between paintings but it did give me pause for thought about Leonardo Da Vinci who poured his heart into his works and did have long periods in between paintings. Perhaps he wasn’t procrastinating but was instead having an emotional comedown from his great works?
Success leads to success Doubt
Psychology Today noted that athletes who are successful can ask themselves “What could be worth devoting myself to again at this level of intensity?” “How will I ever reach the kind of excellence I have right now in anything else?”
When I complete a painting I feel was more successful than previous ones, sometimes instead of taking that as a sign of progress I begin to wonder if I can replicate that level of success…
…which is similar to the feelings athletes can have after a win. It’s been said that the reward for doing good work is more work… and also we can’t rest on our laurels… hmm… I bet post Olympic blues has been going on for centuries.
“The greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize.” Robert Hughes
Unlike a high performance athlete I’m just doing short sprints of work painting. Yet as humans we all have similar responses to stress and motivation, whether it is art or sport finding a way to get back up again is always important.
Normally it takes me a week or two to refresh and get back on the painting wagon again. This year I have a goal of producing 30 paintings for an arts trail later this year and to enter some art shows next year with fresh work.
I’ve found having a circuit breaker can help me get back to the next painting faster. For instance doing some other creative activity for a while, for me that might be writing or video editing. This allows my emotional capacity for painting to be refilled while other areas of the brain get a chance to be activated.
In any case, burnout is something to be avoided, especially when pursuing a passion such as art. We all need time to step away and recharge.
Do you ever get post project blues if you’ve been emotionally invested?
Finding out how others cope with emotional comedowns in other fields can be a real help to manage our own situations, especially if we don’t have a support team around us.
May all your blues be at least turquoise as that is a beautiful blue to have around.
Wishing you good reading and success
David
I call my version the "creative hangover" - that strange emptiness after finishing something important where your brain is simultaneously exhausted and restless. My desk becomes a crime scene I avoid for days!
And yes to making all blues at least turquoise!
PS I plan to use your final image in my post tomorrow.
I predict Substackers will get sick of seeing me lol
I agree with the circuit breaker idea - especially after a piece of work that has been very intense. Our brains need some time to ‘move on’, as you say if we feel that we’ve done something particularly well it can be unhealthy to embark on something similar immediately - putting additional pressure on ourselves. But, and it’s a big but, we can’t just do nothing for a while. Finding something else to occupy our mind is like taking it on holiday - giving it a rest by experiencing something different.