DUMB ART
Okay, not literally. But I’ve been giving myself some time to have fun again and create what I need to in that present moment to get the ball rolling. I gave myself a week of doodling and allowing myself to create silly and dumb art. The lighthearted stuff. The no-brainers.
And that week then became two weeks.
And then a month.
And then two months.
To be quite honest, I was having a pretty good run! I went about 35 days consecutively without any real forced effort. It felt great! But then I realized I hadn’t picked up a paintbrush to make “serious” work in a while. But then I realized I was having more fun making these dumb doodles.
I felt guilty for losing all of that time to these simple black and white drawings that rarely meet the light of day. And yet the reality was I hadn’t lost any time at all, because I was still creating!
That’s the dumb dance I find myself in quite consistently. I enjoy making 2 completely different modes of art that could not be more polar opposite from one another. The real kicker is the fact that my peers and friends (freers? peinds? ) tell me often that the two styles both embody who I am as an artist. Now THAT’S frustrating.
I haven’t found a solution for this– I’m not even sure there is one, to be frank.
Finding a balance between both types of work is exhausting and easier said than done. I’m sure someday I’ll settle on one, or so I tell myself as I continue indulging in the two.
By the by, to see these mindless doodles you can pop over to @caffeinatedcowboy on instagram. There’s plenty of works there that will probably make you exhale a little harder through your nose. No chuckles promised, but entertainment is guaranteed.
Catalina Penagos Soto