The Messy Studio with Rebecca Crowell - Episodes Tagged with “Development”

Episode 248: Feedback Time

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 19:00:00 -0500

As artists, we know it’s good to get feedback now and then so we can understand how our work is seen by others. But managing how and when to solicit feedback can have a lot to do with how valuable and appropriate it will be. While feedback at the right time and situation can be exactly what you need, feedback can also have the opposite effect, and even experienced artists can be thrown off track. Today we’ll talk about exerting control over when and how to receive feedback to make it most valuable.

Any feedback—whether it is positive, negative, or indifferent—has the potential to distract you and cause you to lose sight of your intentions. It can also be very helpful, giving you fresh ideas, insights, energy, and motivation. It helps to be clear about when to ask for feedback, and from whom, and to take charge of the situation. Don’t assume that anytime you have the chance to show someone what you are working on that you should seize that opportunity, because there are points in the creative process when feedback can be confusing, and your flow will be interrupted.

These points vary for the individual but typically there are points near the beginning of a piece, when you are flowing with ideas, or when you feel a piece is done, that feedback is not very helpful. On the other hand, there are times in middle of the process that a new set of eyes on our work can break through a block or frustration. Before you decide to share your work, though, ask yourself if you can work through the issue yourself. Solving our own challenges is really the best learning situation.

Understanding the value of feedback as well as its pitfalls is one more thing that artists need to balance. But knowing that you are the ultimate authority on your own work can give you the confidence to seek feedback at appropriate times and avoid it at others.

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and donating! If you would like to donate to the Messy Studio Podcast donate here.

When you buy art supplies at Blick remember to use our affiliate link to support the podcast! Bookmark this link and then you don't even have to think about it again. This is one of the best ways to support the show. It takes a few seconds and costs you nothing! The Blick website works exactly the same way, but we earn 10% every time you buy art supplies.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new At Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry launched their spring quarter on April 12th. This quarter's sessions include identifying compositional issues in your work, technical information from Gamblin representative Mary Tevlin, a painting clinic for works in progress, and much more. As always, members can join in on live sessions with questions and comments, and can benefit anytime by interacting with other members on our Mambers-only facebook page. With 100 recorded sessions in the member library there is always something to learn or review, with topics ranging from technical advice to visual language to guests speakers and critiques of member work.

To learn more about membership, and to purchase cold wax tools and Rebecca and Jerry's book, Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations, please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Here is what a member named Sandy has to say about her own experience with Cold Wax Academy:
"Rebecca and Jerry have presented the most professional, authentic and structured approach to a creative activity I have ever come across. Their selfless sharing of all their knowledge and encouragement is a gift in my life unsurpassed."

Also-- please visit https://www.espacioart.org to learn about Rebecca and Jerry's newest project, Espacio, dedicated to providing beautiful living and working spaces for artists and writers. Espacio's first offering is Casa Clavel, a modern, fully equipped house opening this September in the beautiful cultural city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. A few booking openings are still available in 2023, so please incquire if you are interested.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
www.messystudiopodcast.com
www.facebook.com/messystudiopodcast

For more from Rebecca Crowell:
www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.coldwaxacademy.com

The Messy Studio Podcast is a Tick Digital Media Production.

Episode 247: Making Progress

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 01 Apr 2023 19:00:00 -0500

It seems to be a given that as artists we want to see growth and progress in our work --and many episodes of this podcast have focused on taking on the challenges and mindset that feed progress in the studio. But what does it really mean to make artistic progress? Is there any way to measure or quantify progress as an artist? And how is a sense of progress linked to our basic satisfaction as creative people?

Many of us need a constant sense of progress as measured in specific achievements to feel good about ourselves. This is a cultural value and deeply engrained from childhood on, and it seems natural to ask yourself often what progress you are making as an artist. But it's also good to question whether you're applying outside standards of progress to your art self. Your inner sense of satisfaction and achievement is an important factor in recognizing progress as it plays out in your own studio life.

If progress is important to you, you may expect it to be happen in ways that are quick, ongoing, linear, or even dramatic. But progress in the studio is often slow, sporadic, subtle, and non-linear. We need to understand and accept that times of consolidation and what can seem like backward movement are part of the creative process. True progress requires time as you integrate new ideas. If you are working in the studio, some progress is inevitable, even if it is hard to see.

What does progress mean to you? Understanding your own need for progress, and how you view it are individual responses. We all have different attitudes and inner standards that tell us we are making progress, but you can sense what it means for you as you evaluate your work. and it is good to pay attention to even small steps. Notice when you feel stagnant, give yourself credit for how far you’ve come, and be open to taking steps toward the kinds of progress that are meaningful to you.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new At Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry will be launching their spring quarter on April 12th. Upcoming sessions include identifying compositional issues in your work, technical information from Gamblin representative Mary Tevlin, a painting clinic for works in progress, and much more. As always, members can join in on live sessions with questions and comments, and can benefit anytime by interacting with other members on our Mambers-only facebook page. With 100 recorded sessions in the member library there is always something to learn or review, with topics ranging from technical advice to visual language to guests speakers and critiques of member work.

To learn more about membership, and to purchase cold wax tools and Rebecca and Jerry's book, Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations, please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Episode 242: The Challenges of Consistency

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 22:00:00 -0600

As artists we know it’s important to be open to new ideas and changes—but for marketing purposes we’re also expected to have an identifiable style that is consistent and recognizable. This basic dilemma is frustrating when you have wide-ranging interests and like to explore new ideas or media. Your work can appear to be “all over the place” and seem to lack focus. At the other extreme, being overly concerned that your work is consistent can inhibit your growth as an artist.

These are issues that are contained in the idea of personal voice, in which you can have flexibility and change while working within the realm of what is meaningful in your work, that is, your core ideas and content. The search for basic intentions is an ongoing aspect of creative process but is more involved as an artist in is the beginning stages. The stage of incubation of core ideas may take years, and during that time, exploration and experimentation are essential at that time.

Marketing enters the picture when galleries and collectors need your work to be consistent and within parameters that define your style and approach. This allows them to market your work as a sort of brand. But allowing for your growth and changes when dealing with galleries is important. Growth that is the kind that evolves organically over time is typically more accepted. For you as the artist, understanding what makes your work consistent and building from that base is helpful. Working in series is an excellent path to this discovery.

This issue of consistency and growth is of those balancing acts that creativity requires, and it means we find individual solutions to that balance. Thinking of consistency as continuity and organic growth is a helpful idea that encompasses change and flexibility. Your work can move forward yet also have common threads. Those threads are what makes your work you, and unique.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry are now midway through their winter quarter of online sessions at Cold Wax Academy, where as always members have access to in-depth and varied content for learning and growth. Upcoming sessions include a presentation by guest author Shaun McNiff, tips on photographing your artwork, a painting clinic for works in progress, and the final critique session for this quarter with a special focus on composition. As a member, you can also access the private Facebook page and the community there of informed and supportive artists who post paintings, ask questions and initiate discussions.

It's never too late to join Cold Wax Academy! All live sessions are recorded and there are now nearly 100 previous sessions in the member library. Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information.
Here is what a member named Sandy has to say about her own experience with Cold Wax Academy:
"Rebecca and Jerry have presented the most professional, authentic and structured approach to a creative activity I have ever come across. Their selfless sharing of all their knowledge and encouragement is a gift in my life unsurpassed."