Shipwreck

"Shipwreck" - 40x70cms

"Do you know what it means when an artist can't feel? 

When an artist can't feel, an artist can't be."

That is what I found myself saying to my sister, while complaining about art blocks, and not having created any piece in a good while.

For those of you who are familiar with the process of creating any piece of art, you probably have been through an art block. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it is the feeling of wanting to create, but not being able to. You feel the need to be creating something, yet as soon as you try to, the result comes out ridiculous, almost funny. It is as though the artist living in you has somehow left, leaving only the need to express your passion with no way to convey what's inside of you into a piece of art. Inspiration runs dry, frustration takes over, and you fear having lost your gift while losing faith in your art. 

I am all too familiar with that feeling, and it often happens when I feel empty. 

This is how I found out, not long ago, that the essence of an artist's work is feelings. Art can never be created at the click of a button, it is rooted deep within. Whether the artist intends to or not, whatever shows up on the canvas is a result of what is going on in our hearts. 

I often find emotions to be too overwhelming, as I never feel anything lightly, and often find myself running from them...

Until I learned a lesson: emotions are meant to be felt, and I have been built to feel them deeply. With time, and lots of ups and downs, I've been able to control them, feeling them without being entirely consumed by the intensity.

Well I am writing these few lines in hopes my message will reach as many creatives out there as possible as this seems to be a common issue that links all art fields: be patient, and feel every emotion. Allow every feeling in, even the emptiness and give it time. 

Whether you paint, sketch, write, play music, act or practice any other form of art, and although very painful, it is a process every artist goes through. And yes, I refer to art blocks as a process because it has a beginning and an end, and somehow never leaves you the way it found you. 

After every art block, your art will reach a new phase. It is as though every time you get to a new, liberating stage of a whole process meant to make you grow in your gift.

There are multiple solutions shared on the internet to escape an art block, but to me none never truly worked. It all seemed as a way to force yourself to be "inspired" and create. Not how it works for me. 

Well... what works? 

Feel it all. Allow it in, give it its time then let it go and get ready to embrace a new state of passion and creation.

Creating has never been an easy thing, let me tell you a little more about it.

To me, it was never about pouring paint and mixing colors. The process might look simple, but it entirely consumes my energy and sometimes, after working on large pieces, leaves me breathless and emotionally exhausted. It takes all I am, takes me through every feeling before the process declares itself completed.
It's about finding the right density, varying the thickness of the mixture and how condensed should each color be to mix with the others without blending into them. Colors like white, black, ultramarine blue and others should be controlled in a manner to still show without merging into the other chosen colors to obtain the desired effect and show beautiful shades. Water, pouring mediums, alcohol or whatever comes into the mixture changes the effect but the artist is still at the steering wheel, keeping the creator in control. And through every stage, one becomes more and more aware of this process and how it all works.

Long story short, if you are currently struggling, have patience because something great awaits you. And that applies not only to art blocks but anything else in life.

If interested in owning Shipwreck, you can send me an email to monicaamogg@gmail.com or send me a DM through Instagram here.