I stumbled across a newsletter published by Jeremy Mann during the peak of the pandemic in 2020. Mann wrote:
“The true sign of an artist is one who continues through this, without bending, without sacrificing their moral values, without sacrificing their self respect to create something simply for cash, without gimmick. You’d be asking the majority of the world who could lose their home to spend money on your art instead of money on their survival. WE will be fine. ARTISTS will be fine.. True artists are the only people who could still lose everything around them, and retain their most precious of untouchable abilities, to create. A burnt stick and a wall would be all you need, although, yes, it would be nice to still have 4 walls, maybe with some heat, and a range of sticks from 6B to HB… but still.. not necessary. You can make a masterpiece with mud if your mind is strong.
It’s something that’s helping me get through this, just remember that you cannot be stricken of your abilities as a creative mind. You could lose everything, be poor and struggle on the streets for years, but you can still draw a masterpiece with a burnt stick at any moment. That’s a worthy investment if you ask me. Every investment I’ve ever made is toward understanding that ability as best I can.”
Powerful stuff.
You can’t go wrong by investing in yourself and learning some form of art, whether it be drawing, painting, writing, music, whatever. It will stick with you through good and bad times, and no one can take it away from you.
When I started painting again in my early 20s, I had just moved back in with my parents and was working on one of the living room tables (I had no easel at the time). I made a complete mess of that area, but they were encouraging nonetheless. Then I moved out and started working in my tiny apartment bedroom. I would put a tarp down to protect the carpet and bed. Then I moved in with my now-wife and started working in the garage. Then we moved, had children, and were able to set aside a dedicated studio for me to work in peace.
You know what hasn’t changed? My level of enjoyment and fulfillment. I had just as much fun painting on the desk at my parents’ house as I do today in the studio. If anything, I almost preferred the challenge of making do with less. That doesn’t mean I’d willingly go back to working on that desk or in a tiny bedroom, but I could if I needed to, and I would still enjoy painting just the same. You could strip me of everything but a pencil and paper, and I’d still enjoy art in some way.
This is a great perk for us artists. We are resilient and flexible. We don’t need much to get joy out of what we do. And those who pursue a more material life often end up craving what we have.
Thanks for reading and I hope all is well.
Happy painting!
Dan Scott
Draw Paint Academy
