Five Reasons to Be an Artist – Nicholas Wilton – Ep 66

The artist’s journey can be difficult. Sometimes we need a little reminder of why we do this thing, so we don’t lose our way. If you’re experiencing struggle in your art practice, this episode is for you! Join me as I highlight some of the amazing things about making art and the benefits it brings to our lives. 

Listen if you are interested in…

• Artists embrace change [1:37]
• There are no rules in art-making [8:02]
• Artists know and work with what brings them alive [12:51]
• Artists actually make something [16:44]
• Artists get to apply creativity to everything [22:11]

A practice of mistakes and corrections

People are hardwired for certainty. Artists are no exception! That’s why being able to change and adjust to whatever comes your way is such an incredible skill set for artists. The idea of change is built into the art-making process. It’s how we grow and progress. When we understand that change is required to achieve our potential, the fear around change starts to subside. Embracing change introduces ease into our art practice. As stress melts, we become more of ourselves. We show up better in our studio. Mistakes don’t send us into a spiral because we know that change comes from learning and adjusting. So much of my work is just mistakes, but that’s what art-making is! It’s a practice of mistakes and corrections. When we accept that change just comes with the territory, our biggest mistakes are often the most helpful.

Feeling alive to overflow

Another incredible thing about being an artist is that we know and work with what brings us alive. Everything I teach is predicated on the idea of feeling alive. We source our creativity as a side effect of doing and engaging with what lights us up the most. Our creative fires can be stoked by anything, not just art. You can feel alive horseback riding, cooking, swimming, or having conversations with close friends. Art is just the thing we make in response to how we feel. Whatever gives you energy, brings out a sense of joy, and increases inspiration is what fuels your creativity. And the beautiful thing about creativity is that it doesn’t lie dormant long. We can’t help but share it the more we store it up.

Life is a creative exercise

The cornerstone of Art2Life is taking the lessons learned in our art and using that sensitivity and consciousness in our day to day. It’s another thing I love about being an artist. We get to apply our creativity to everything! That means we get to curate the life we want. We choose our experiences. We decide the ebb and flow of our energy. We also know how to reframe things. We know that our mistakes do not define who we are as both people and artists, and that one bad day is exactly that. This also helps us trust our feelings. So much of how I make art starts with identifying the felt sense I want from it. This is something we develop over a lifetime. But the more we hone it, the more personal and engaging our work becomes.

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