Art and Writing: Expectations Of Both

Art and Writing

I am an artist – I am a writer.
There are many mediums I use to create a piece of art; oils, pastels, chalk, graphite pencils, and watercolors just to name a few.

There are many different genres of romance I write in; contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, erotic, and many other genres.
Every day I strive to be better at both. It’s difficult. Every stroke of the paintbrush, every typed word is flawed to me. I don’t consider myself a perfectionist, but I see places in both which prevent a particular piece from meeting my expectations.

In a way, my creations are in a continuing state of evolution as I grow and become more fluent in these crafts.

Which do I prefer? I love writing. I love art. But, as you noticed, writing comes first.

When I write, I try to paint a picture on a sheet of paper. It should have all the characteristics I hope to gain in a landscape or portrait. I desire the reader of my works to exist in the place I’ve created.

Each breath my characters take must have a tinge of smell, sometimes a reminder of something from their past. They eat a cupcake and I want the reader to taste the delicious sweetness along with the delicate flavor of strawberries.

My hero gazing into my heroine’s eyes, realizing how much he loves her has to be felt by the readers. I don’t want just the impression; I want them to feel it the same way my hero does.

My art is similar, but I fear I fall far short of accomplishing sensory reactions. It’s more difficult to capture my desires on the canvas than it is on the sheet of paper. Why? Because in this area of my creativity, I want the picture to be true to life and if it’s not, I become disappointed. This doesn’t mean I give up, just that I approach the picture in a different manner than the last time.

It’s taken me many years and many rewrites and redone artwork to finally come to accept that my art and my writing grow with practice and knowledge. Notice I didn’t say become better. No, not better but more skilled. Increasing the knowledge I have of a particular field of study benefits me so when I do put brush to canvas or words on paper, I feel more confident that what I hope to accomplish will be seen by everyone. I write a lot, I read, I critique, I read, and I write a lot. My artwork is similar.

I make the time to do both. As an artist in both areas, I have to make the time. My soul wouldn’t allow me not to create something, anything.

Does your soul need you to grow and become the best at what you love to do? Let me know.