‘Every child is an artist until he’s told he’s not an artist.’
When I saw this quote by John Lennon on a Facebook meme, it touched something deep inside me. Like most kids, I loved to get out the crayons and draw, trace or colour in. But by the time I was in high school, I had somehow internalised the idea that I wasn’t good at art. It wasn’t as if someone had told me that directly. It could have been someone’s nonverbal reaction to one of my drawings. It could have been the Grade 8 art teacher who gave me a C. It could have been my own comparisons with others who could draw much better than I could. Music was my main gifting, so I focused on that. No biggie!
Over the last 20 years, I’ve participated in a number of drawing and painting workshops, and occasionally get the paints out for fun. Some of my creations have turned out okay, but my box of duds is far bigger. Not surprising since I’m not much good at art!
Fast forward to this year, and ideas for comics and graphic novels started percolating in my head. I knew I wouldn’t be able to illustrate them myself, but decided to practise cartooning by copying some easy comic book pictures. Maybe I could at least do some mock-ups of what I wanted. I put some of my attempts up on Facebook and people started complimenting me. The encouragement spurred me on. I have a lot of friends in that group who are extremely talented artists, and I made a throwaway comment about me not being a ‘proper’ artist. One of them challenged me on that and asked what a proper artist is? In my mind, it was a person who’d always been good at art and could create a character out of their imagination, draw a line without having to rub it out five times, and reproduce a picture of something without having to mark up their page with a reference grid. That wasn’t me.
But as I read more about art, and reflected back on my experiences over the years, I discovered what should have been obvious. Yes, some people have a God-given gift of artistic ability that has been evident from a very young age, but they’ve still had to work at it. They practise. They use reference photos. Some mark up their pages with reference grids or use computer software to enhance images. Some have degrees in Fine Arts or Graphic Design, while others have taught themselves through art books or YouTube clips. No matter where we start in the ‘talent’ department, we can all improve if we’re willing to work on it.
So what has this got to do with writing?
The Comparison Game
I’ve been mixing in writing circles for about 15 years, and I also work as an editor. In that time, I’ve come across a lot of people who compare themselves to others (me included):
- ‘If only I could write like so and so. Her words really sparkle.’
- ‘How does X write books so quickly? I could never do that.’
- ‘Why can’t I think of great ideas like whathisname? His plot twists are so imaginative.’
- ‘If only I could get that American agent and publishing contract that so and so has. She has all the luck.’
The Discouragement Game
Or maybe you did have confidence in your writing, but someone knocked the wind out of your sails.
- The friend who corrected every spelling and punctuation mark in your short story, but didn’t say anything about the plot.
- The family member who doesn’t understand why writing is so important to you and resents the time you spend on it.
- The editor who made 1000 corrections and 400 suggestions for revision on your book baby.
- The publisher who rejected your submission within 24 hours of you pressing ‘send’.
Your Writing is Intrinsically Valuable
If you want to be traditionally published, if you want readers to buy your indie-published book, if you want to make a living as a writer, then you do need to work at it. But don’t let anyone else’s opinion, even your own, disqualify you from pursuing your dream. If God has laid something on your heart to write, He will equip you to fulfill that task. It may just be something that one reader needs to hear. It may be something that will touch millions. It may be something that brings healing in your own life or joy to the hearts of others. Whatever it is, your writing has intrinsic value that no one else can take away. Our God is the most creative being in the universe and He has created us in His image.
We are all artists.
A Way Forward
And what about my art? If I draw something every day for the next year, I won’t suddenly start pouring out Rembrandts. But if I draw every day, I’ll be a better artist this time next year than I am now. Maybe I’ll even have some pages drawn for those comics that God has placed on my heart.
How about you? Do you need encouragement in your creative pursuits? What would it take to rekindle your creative gifts? I’d love to hear your stories.
Photo Credits
- Featured photo created in Stencil using their free photo library.
- Crayon drawing by Nola, aged 6 years.
- Sketchbook drawings by Nola in 2022. Nola’s copies are on the left of each page and the originals on the right.
Great points, Nola. I love that our Creator God has placed creativity in us, and more than we’re aware of. I love art, and find it therapeutic, so it’s definitely something to explore. I appreciated your point about comparison, and wonder when comparison stops! I’m trying to do better at not letting comparison steal my joy and my own creative bent. God has us all on our own unique journeys, so I need to remember it’s about continuing my journey, not being focused on others.
Thanks for that, Carolyn. You’re one of those inspiring people that I often look at and think, ‘How does she write her books so quickly?’, but I also know how hard you work at it. I could definitely learn from your work ethic, but as you say, we’re all on our unique journeys. I’ve been in a bit of a writing slump lately, and I’ve found art therapeutic too. It’s also helpful to remember there are different seasons. Sometimes I need to write, and other times I just need to draw a picture of Fred Flintstone – LOL Thanks for your encouragement.
What a wonderful encouragement, Nola! Thanks for reminding us our creative ideas are there for a reason: to bless readers, even if only one. I particularly appreciated your final point about practise making us better artists; even if I never become a bestseller, if I continue to write, I’ll definitely become a better writer. 😊
Thanks for that, Steph. Your books have definitely been an encouragement to many people. And as you say, if we keep practising our craft, we will improve. I realised that I often have blinkers on with regard to others in the creative community. I know that I had to go to music lessons and practise in order to learn the guitar, for for some reason I had the idea that other kinds of creatives, like singers or artists, just have a gift. No matter what the field, practice makes us better, even if it’s just to bless one other person or help us in our own journey. Thanks for commenting.
Thanks Nola for your insightful wisdom. Despite being majorly self-critical, I’m still writing -little bits at a time- and trying to develop that thick skin we creatives need to endure the many things that come against us. Sometimes, those things are from within, sometimes from without. We must always remember the scripture that says ‘our fight is not with flesh and blood, but with… the evil one’ (my paraphrase) He is the one who wants to destroy the work of our God in this world and in us; I try to remind myself of this often. Thanks and God bless.
Thanks for that, Ray. I agree it’s very important to remember that we’re not fighting against flesh and blood. Some of that discouragement certainly comes from the enemy and then we let our thoughts accept that rather than focusing on what God thinks of us. I think that was part of what was happening to me regarding my art. I’m glad to hear you’re plugging away at your writing. It’s good to remember that even bestselling authors still get criticism. It goes with the territory. But we can choose what we focus on. It’s a lesson I have to keep learning. Thanks for taking the time to comment, and all the best for your writing.
Thanks HEAPS for sharing. I recently wondered if it’s more about the process at times than the actual result? I often find myself awake around 3am and it’s sometimes my most creative moments, my time to pour it ALL out with words or art and when I do a great release, relief and peace comes. Blessings xx
Hi Keona – I think you’re right. Sometimes just doing something creative is healing in itself. For me, I’ll often write something funny, or do something else creative just for the fun of it, without worrying about whether I can get it published or sell it. Just being in that moment can be a great release, as you say. Thanks so much for sharing.