The cover of Make Your Art No Matter What: Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles features the title as a linear column of words in a bold black font, shiny and slightly raised, like vinyl lettering on a gallery wall. Each word floats on a different coloured horizontal band of waves. Or perhaps they are hills. The symbolism is obvious – an artist’s life is full of ups and downs that will come and go – so, accept this, let them move through you, and most of all, make your art, no matter what.
This is a self-help book, but author Beth Pickens seems far removed from the snake-oil gurus who tell you how to live your life, only to have their own hypocrisy later exposed. There are no promises here of enlightenment, no enticement to get enmeshed. She’s more like a wise friend, someone who’s been around the block few times. She offers practical advice on various fronts – to feel your emotions, to query your fears, to figure out a way to earn a living, and to remember we are not born on a level playing field. We all arrive in this world at specific times and places with different abilities and advantages, she reminds us, so avoid comparing yourself to other artists, especially on social media. And, most of all, make your art.
Beth Pickens (photo by Amos Mac)
For those who hesitate to even call themselves artists, she has a forthright message. “The quick and dirty is this: Artists are people who make art. My deeper understanding is that artists are people who are profoundly compelled to make their creative work, and when they are distanced from their practice, their life quality suffers. Making their work is a way to take care of themselves, communicate, process information, engage a spiritual interior, or strengthen their relationship to themselves and others. That’s a tall order though, and it’s totally fine if you relate to the short definition: Artists make art.”
Pickens is based in Los Angeles and has a Master’s degree in counselling psychology. She has built a livelihood as a consultant for artists and arts organizations, and has written a previous book, Art Will Save Your Life (Feminist Press).
This latest book essentially coaches creative people (it’s relevant not only to visual artists but also to musicians, actors, dancers and those in other disciplines) to overcome their demons, of which, there is often no shortage. It focuses on 12 common challenges, including time, money, fear, isolation, marketing and death. You know, the biggies.
In each thematic chapter, she touches on the psyche’s confounding knots – the compulsions and neuroses that can drive artists to create and, paradoxically, grind them to a halt. Some artists are unable to ask for help. Others are gripped by the spectre of rejection or worry about being perceived as pushy. Shame – or the fear of it – often threads its way through the inner life of frustrated creatives.
“Make Your Art No Matter What” by Beth Pickens (photo by Portia Priegert)
Pickens offers practical strategies – break big jobs into smaller tasks, practice making small asks to trusted friends, nurture yourself after disappointments and then move on. Ask yourself the worst thing that might happen until the resulting tsunami of gloom illuminates the inane games your mind can play. She also recommends building a community of artists “who want good things for themselves and one another” and guarding against becoming overly reclusive. “Spending time with others’ creative work will do for your creative interior what vitamins do for your body,” she writes. “Go out into your world and have experiences.”
She challenges the notion that it’s a lack of time keeps artists from making art. “The truth? Expanses of unstructured time are the enemy of most artists,” she writes, explaining that it opens up space to feel anxiety, grief or other emotions they may have stuffed down by keeping busy or following familiar routines. Rather, she offers hands-on tips for managing time. She suggests digital diets, designating a day each week for rest and soul work, and one day a month as a personal inventory day, when you can review long-term goals, make medical appointments, take care of your personal finances, or do other things to help your life run more smoothly.
A comforting presence, Pickens says there’s no shame in not making money from your art. She also delivers a radically inclusive message to marginalized artists that’s informed by feminist analysis and capitalist critique. Her writing is smooth and well organized, making for an easy read that offers plenty of ideas to help you make your art. ■
Make Your Art No Matter What: Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles by Beth Pickens. Chronicle Books, 2021.
PS: Worried you missed something? See previous Galleries West stories here or sign up for our free biweekly newsletter.