Most of us artists tend to be perfectionists. We can be very hard on ourselves, being our own worst enemy. When I first started out as an artist, I really struggled with that. I thought nothing I did was ever good enough and it sucked all the joy out of the creative process. I needed a few attitude adjustments to make this work.
Water Garden, Colored Pencil
17" x 17"
ADJUSTMENT ONE Aim For Growth, Not Perfection
Perfection is an unrealistic, unattainable goal that leads only to frustration. Replace the goal of "perfection" with the new goal of "growth". Growth is an attainable goal that will serve you well for a lifetime. Strive for each drawing or painting to be a little better than the previous once.
Got Chicken?, Oil on Canvas
36" x 36"
ADJUSTMENT TWONo Fear of Failure
Fear of failure is a creativity killer. We can't do our best work if we're afraid of making a mistake. So what if we mess up. Mistakes can be a good teacher. If a painting goes south, we can get upset or we can use it as an opportunity to be bold and experiment, what do you have to lose? Creating art is supposed to be fun. Make every effort to keep it that way.
Todd Baxter is a full-time artist working in oils, colored pencils, and graphite. Todd is a member of the Colored Pencil Society of America, the Catawba River Art Guide, the Southern Arts Society, INC, and the Tega Cay Art League. Todd teaches classes and workshops out of his Rock Hill, SC studio.
Contact Information
Email: ToddBaxter@comporium.net