Jealousy
I want to pass along tidbits of info I come across as a part of the life of this blog. Today’s excerpts come from a book titled “The Heart of the Artist
Because of some things going on in my life, something stuck out at me that I’d love to further investigate, for my own self-examination, as well as yours. Here are some questions dealing with jealousy to ponder, and maybe add a comment if you feel so inclined.
- What would make it difficult for artists to talk about any feelings of jealousy and envy they might have for another artist?
- Have you ever seen a relationship strained or terminated by jealousy or envy?
- When do you think a person’s jealousy and envy are serious enough for the person to do something about it?
- What do you think prevents us from being content with the talents we’ve been given?
- In what ways could healthy competition benefit the artistic community?
- When is competition bad for the artistic community?
- What happens when we compare ourselves with others?
- How can people with similar talents and gifts be friends?
If you just want to think about these questions to yourself, leave a comment, or actually write it down in your journal, remember that through honest self-examination and open-minded exploration we mature and grow as individuals and artists.
April 2nd, 2007 at 7:23 am
I think this is an important issue to deal with early on in one’s art career. I’ve tried to condense answers to all 8 questions into 3 paragraphs.
1)Competitions stretch you artistically. Where would I be if I didn’t get rejected from my first few juried competitions? I might never had known that I had to learn ways to kick my art up a notch. Artists who don’t enter competitions can only guess where they stand as an artist.
2)Competition can be bad if you don’t go in with a good attitude. Your artwork will improve if you want it to and are persistant and patient, trying new things. You may never get as talented and inspired as some people though, and that should be accepted with grace. The more you practice doing that, the easier it gets. It’s also bad if you get depressed over rejections. Read how many times famous authors got rejected for some perspective. It’s just part of the process, learn from it and move forward.
3)How can people with similar talents be friends? I think of it as being on a team. If you are the only one in your group who does good work, your team is going to lose a lot of games! This is just as true at the office and in the art gallery as it is on the playing field. You want to be on a winning team, therefore every member has to be just as good as you are. You all need to have similar talents and gifts because that is what is going to make the relationships beneficial. Enjoying the talents of your team (your friends) will really make your life smoother and better.
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:21 am
this is really great input…true wisdom! thanks judy