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“Use It or Loose It!”

We have all heard and read this saying about many issues, especially in regards to our bodies and our minds in relation to keeping ourselves healthy. The same follows the use of our artistic talents. How many of us have known folks, or even ourselves that took music lessons when younger and today can’t play anything but “Chopsticks”? They didn’t follow up with continued usage of the talent given nor the instruction and practice that was invested.

I have had many folks come by my art booth and stated that they “used to paint” but never followed up. Many have an aunt or cousin that has great talent but life got in the way and they never really excelled in their talented pursuit. The point here is simple. Nurturing one’s God given artistic talent takes commitment to the cause. We must practice constantly. We must continue learning from others, take workshops from artists that we admire. We must also invest our time and resources in going to galleries, art openings, and venues that will expose our minds to new ideas, methods of applications, and the like. Just as Olympic athletes work so very hard in training mind and body in order to excel in their sport, we must also if we expect to become the best we can be at our craft. A concert pianist puts in hours and hours of time in front of the piano every week. They keep their mind and body fit both physically and mentally in order to present to the audience their best every time.

I know a 15-year-old young lady that is becoming a star in auto racing. She started racing go karts, graduated to dirt track mini trucks, and is now racing pro series NASCAR type Camaros. She will go to the “big boy” tracks when old enough. She spends many, many hours a week driving, reading and working around the pits fine tuning her craft in order to stay safe out there and do her best. In every race, she’s a winner because of her commitment to her chosen profession and to the continued usage of the talent she possesses.

Today is Michelangelo’s birthday and at a very young age, he was incredible. By the time he was 30, he had accomplished most of the great pieces of art we associate him with. The Pietà, the David and the Sistine Chapel. He worked on his talent daily. He labored tirelessly to hone his work and it was some of the best. His one notable difference in the years that he was alive, besides the fact of the incredible talent he had minor distractions. He ate, slept, and worked all his life, even to the point of obsession.

Today, life is constantly throwing distractions our way. The internet, Facebook, television, travel, entertainment, people, events, etc. You understand these as most seem very necessary to us daily. I have often said, “in my perfect dream world, that if I could just find a place in the middle of nowhere with no distractions, I could really become better with my art and turn out a large body of work.” Well, that’s not going to happen, as I am too accustomed to the “stuff” of today’s world. That said, we must examine the daily or weekly distractions and minimize them to allow more devoted and focused time to the talent we possess.

Art, no matter how well or great our original talent brings us, must be nurtured, fueled, enhanced, and continually learned to become the best that we can be.

I would really enjoy your feedback on this article. Please leave your comments.

Until next time, have fun and enjoy the journey-
May God Bless-
Ken Pieper
http://kenpieper.fineartstudioonline.com/