Hello lovelies,
I'm delighted to share, by her permission, a blog post written by artist Hali Karla. It's for all of you artists who work at creating an art biz. The spiritual aspects are often forgotten in the hustle and bustle to be seen. What a relief to rest in the embrace of the soul and let everything unfold naturally. Great post! The original post can be found HERE.
Sometimes, I consider just sharing finished paintings and art journal
spreads here. (That one above is a peek at how the figure’s face seemed
to change… with age, maybe. It’s a page in process.)
Sometimes, I start to believe I can only share posts that have been
tended and edited in all the proper ways… tight, concise, with clear
purpose or poetic wit, and no extraneous elements.
Sometimes, I even start to think I have to pull out some branding mission checklist, or creative biz plan, or lists of
how-I-serve and
who-is-my-tribe to make sure every single post makes sense to anyone who stops by, and that it has a clear
call-to-action, of course
. If a post or image doesn’t meet the criteria of one core message, it gets the axe, right?
I don’t know about all that – but I do know after years of business
and build-your-tribe courses, it can cause paralysis in sharing if
you’re not careful.
Luckily, there’s another part of me that eventually remembers to call
bullshit on all of that self-censoring and over-dosing on checking-in,
in the name of freedom and honest process… and because of this belief I
have in the organic gifts, discernment and integrity of people – real
people, vulnerable, creative and beautifully complex people with
multitudes of motivations and important stories that evolve in the
telling over time.
When it comes right down to it, there’s this part of me that knows my
kind of people are inclusive and curious, tending to dig deeper than a
post or two, or a quick seven second glance at a site.
Anyone that clicks away after a few seconds here – well, I’m happy to
let them go. My process and what I post is more like sitting down for a
shared meal, full of flavors, things to ponder, and finding ways to
express to one another the places where we connect or see things
differently… and if there isn’t time for that, well, I get it. No hard
feelings – because most of my offerings probably aren’t for you anyhow.
Come back to enjoy the art (if you do) or better yet, when you can stay
for a cuppa or a course and we can get to know one another – I’ll be
here, doing my thing and trying to keep it real.
I won’t be building an empire for everyone who stops by to find a
quick false sense of home. Instead, I’ll be tending the garden or
sipping on tea at the table in my cozy little hut, moving color and
words and sharing [my] truth as I see it that day… more than happy to
witness you as you look around, remember and tend the home within [your
world] through any mutual resonance between us.
My truest intentions here, in this online studio/journal, come from
the ARTIST in me. The Rebel – a bit introverted, yes, but rebellious and
out-reaching nonetheless.
And while I am gratefully blessed to be financially supported by the
amazing connections made through this space, I’m still not convinced
that the psychological ideas behind keeping a blog, marketing, and the
[illusion of] popularity it can bring, are necessarily the best and only
values to apply if you expect to ‘get somewhere,’ serve others or
find/grow your tribe in a way that lasts over time. They might make
numbers rise, but not richness – and that’s what I have my arrow aimed
at.
I’m not after six figures [gasp] or starting movements of followers
who hang on my every word [that can actually get a little creepy] – just
the magic junction of integrity, peace of mind, true connection and
creative energy.
Don’t get me wrong – it is certainly fascinating that all of us can
be so easily influenced by such tried-and-proven tactics of drawing in a
crowd, creating a sense of fear or need, and flying in with an answer.
But there’s a detriment involved when a creative person let’s the scales
tip too far that way… not the least of which might be isolating and
stifling to the true creative spirit and lacking in a holistic sense of
self – one who changes and grows, needs space to process, makes mistakes
and heightens awareness by asking questions (not supplying answers).
(I recognize that this is particularly personal for artist and
healer entrepreneurs, and not always the same dynamic for a person who
is, say, trying to increase exposure to sell planners or something)
I want intimacy. Dynamic truth-telling in image and word. Collective
energy with others who sense their own homecoming inside themselves, for
the lives and relationships they are keeping and creating.
Like most of us, I just want to be myself, in my raw, honest and
imperfect process without the analytics and five year plans – and for
that to be OK. For that to be enough to provide for a simple life. I’m
here, writing this, to remind us that IT IS.
If we – as some of us are – are truly dreaming of a world
that nurtures and fertilizes creativity, that can sustainably support
all people sharing their gifts and skills, while actually bringing back
that sense of home and community that so many hunger for, then I tend to
think we have to dare to stand strong and forge new paths of connecting
that don’t unnecessarily censor our life from our work in the world, or
our process and growth from our offerings.
At the very least, we can get curious about the ways we do this to
ourselves… and what kind of world we are creating or hindering with that
choice. Because like it or not, it is all connected by that one
constant thread… you.
See, there are others like me, who like to know the grit with the
shine, the dark with the light, the truth of the people and process
behind the practices they keep, share and invite others to employ, even
online. Maybe especially online. Others who want to know the artist AND
the art, the healer and the healing work. The story as it is being
written (because there is no end to skip to!). Others that see art as a
process. A way of life. Not an end or an outcome or product, or diluted
for a paycheck, or even a luxury or an aspiration for later on… but
a way.
There is a whole lot of image projection online – a direct result of
our western culture and values, I guess – so we can’t claim to be
separate from it necessarily. I do it, you do it, we all do it… tra la
la la la.
And I guess what I hope is that we all question this for ourselves.
Why we share what we do… and what frameworks we’re applying, filters we
are censoring ourselves with or guidelines we think we have to adhere
to. Are we allowing ourselves to be true to the moment, with quarkiness
and room to grow? How can we let ourselves flow and give, where are we
holding back (and why)?
There’s no particularly right or wrong way with this… but if you,
like me, are seeking authentic connection in this life… well, you know
it when you’re in its presence, don’t you? Like looking in someone’s
eyes, soul to soul. Watching them grow and soften in a moment right
before your eyes, because you took the time to see them, really see them
– and they let you in, and when they realized that was safe, they let
their guard down.
I want to not forget to share the truth of my process and inquiry as
part of the story I am writing in this world. Sure, some things won’t
make the cut for important reasons, and some things will take time to
bring out into the light, other things won’t make sense to everyone, but
I hope to not become stingy, superficial or rigid… or too choreographed
as I offer glimpses of this journey from my perspective.
If you share online, I hope to get an honest glimpse of you, too –
showing up, free and brave and in love with the questions and your life
as art, and your art as life – with consciousness about your holistic
creative process as a way of being true, finding joy and meaning, and
strengthening the connections that matter… for depth and the honor of
witness, not quantity.
Because this life is not a luxury. It is a great mystery of movement
and energy, and if our art helps us make sense of it all – well, that
art might help someone else who is coming home to their inner life, as
well.
Art is never a luxury
Life has an inside as well as an outside. Consumer culture directs all
resources and attention to life on the outside. What happens to the
inner life? Art is never a luxury because it stimulates and responds to
the inner life. We are badly out of balance.
I don’t think of art / creativity as a substitute for anything else. I
see it as a powerful expression of our humanity – and on the side of
humanity under threat.
If we say art is a luxury, we might as well say that being human is a luxury.
Jeanette Winterson
Check out Hali Karla's website for more info about her work: HERE.
Her Facebook artist page is HERE.
