Art and the Power of the Spoken Word

This week was the unveiling of the project started last fall between the local Writers and Poets and the Visual Artists in the area. Anonymous Haiku poems were created and then handed out to the visual Artists to create a painting based on what the poem inspired them to produce. This was difficult because we had only a few words and no idea of the person behind the words. I originally thought this would be easy but soon found it one of the most challenging pieces I have painted.

This idea of words and Art started me thinking about the power of words we use every day to not only describe our situation but often to describe ourselves. It has long been an accepted fact that the words you use have a direct affect on how you perceive the world around you. For example if I child is told that they are stupid and will amount to nothing the odds are that they will begin to believe that fact to be true and their life will reflect it. Of course there are the small few who will take that negative talk and try to disprove it, but deep inside they are fighting with deep insecurities. On the flip side when I child is praised and encouraged they will feel like they can try and accomplish anything. The same thing applies when you reach adulthood. Just because you didn’t receive positive talk about yourself and your art career in the past doesn’t mean that can’t change now but it begins with our own self talk.

We as Artists need to be careful about the language we use to describe ourselves, the term “Starving Artist” is one we are all guilty of using from time to time. I remember myself often describing myself as a starving artist in a joking way until one very smart friend of mine pointed out that I was attracting that reality. Now I am careful to describe myself as a successful self employed Artist and Teacher. We also need to watch that we are not using negative talk in a more subtle way for example when admiring the work of another Artist we should watch out for phrases like “I will never be that good” or “Compared to that Artist, my work sucks”. These words when repeated often enough will lower your self esteem and block your creative flow.

Creative flow is dependent on positive re-enforcement. Creative flow needs your positive self talk to keep it going. When you start a project make sure you are telling yourself that you can do it, that you can see the vision and it’s a good one. This doesn’t mean that you won’t hit problems or change your end result but remember to keep your own self talk positive and when things start to go wrong just remind yourself how good you are and that you can solve this problem.

Remember you are brilliant! You can be a success; no matter what your family told you; no matter if the odds are against you; no matter what others are accomplishing you and only you can truly tell yourself that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

Watch the words you use to describe yourself! Watch yourself if you start making too much Negative talk and switch it up to Positive talk. Be positive about whom you are and what you do and the Art you make because believe me there are plenty of people that will be more than happy to tell you the negative side of our business.

Remember at least once a day to tell yourself that you are Brilliant!