Artist Statement

Sarah Tomlin was born and raised in East Texas and recently moved to Northwest Arkansas with her husband. Being raised in a small town and living in the city, Sarah is able to capture the essence of both worlds in her art. She is completely self-taught and has garnered much praise. She has been showcased on websites, in local businesses, and her work has recently been published in the Palette Art League’s Book of Artists from the Ozarks. Her point of interest is landscape and still life, but she also has a love for portraiture as well. Sarah embraces all types and genres of art and incorporates that into her artwork. For her, photography isn’t just a hobby, it’s a passion.

Goals: My goal as a photographer is to evolve. To constantly and endlessly see things people normally take for granted and capture that thought and that feeling forever. My background is medical. I always knew that I loved art, it just never occurred to me that one day I would be so engrossed in it. It is very fulfilling to capture a beautiful moment and share it with another person who can love it as much as you.

Currently working on: I am currently preparing for a show and am in the process of matting and framing several pieces. I’m discovering more and more my passion for digital editing and am always editing old photographs, and experimenting with various programs. I am also starting to delve deeper into studio photography.

What inspires me: Everything. The faces of strangers. Rusty metal. Dead trees. Abandoned buildings. Color. Other photographers. You can find inspiration in any old thing. You just have to look past what you think it is.

See more of Sarah Tomlin’s portfolio and her inspiration by visiting her website.

Academic degrees are not required. There are no certifications. But it is anticipated that you bring passion, dedication and talent to the profession. Do you have it?

Art can be tangible or intangible, practical or impractical, private or public, appreciated or disregarded.  Making art exists in a vast arena with no license.  But that does not make it easy; it has to satisfy. To be an artist, you have to create and love to create and feel compelled to create.  However the process of considering yourself an artist is an inward journey.

Li Gardiner struggled with the concept of taking on the role of an artist and says “Today, if you ask me who I am, or what I do, I will tell you easily and naturally, “I am an artist.” It wasn’t always easy. It took years of doubt to get to this point, but I figured out how to maintain my belief in myself as an artist, in the face of all obstacles.” Read her 10 point check list that outlines her dedication to creativity.

How can you consider yourself an artist? Many people have pictures in their mind of what an artist looks like, how they dress, the way they live and of course what they create. It roots from our knowledge of master painters such as Michelangelo, Renoir, Picasso; artists who captured subjects on canvas with their expertise and vision.  Comparing yourself to a famous artist may not be an exercise in elevating your self esteem, but by studying and emulating their techniques, you can improve your work.  We’re all different; our abilities, sensitivities and styles make us unique. By developing your talent, believing in your art and securing your confidence, you will be prepared to succeed. Buddha claims “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world.”

If you take that inner journey to be an artist, you must fill the path with focus. The dedication and drive required cannot be overestimated. Joan Jeffri’s project “Above Ground: Information on Artists III: Special Focus New York City Aging Artists” studied a group of artists from 62 to 97 years old. Jeffri sums up her findings: “All the artists we interviewed visited their studios on a frequent and sometimes daily basis, even if it took 1.5 hours to walk the three blocks to the studio. When the medium became too taxing—such as large-scale sculpture or paintings, not one artist talked of giving up art; s/he simply changed the medium.” This is not uncommon for prolific and committed artists to continue to pursue making art no matter what hurdles lie in their path. In her book, When Walls Become Doorways, Tobi Zausner describes the creative spirit of artists who overcame physical obstacles to continue their work.  An example is Matisse who, confined to his bed or wheelchair, drew on walls and with charcoal attached to a fishing pole, also drew on the ceiling.

With talent, you create. With passion, you commit. Are you an artist?

Am I an Artist? By Judith Zausner August 2010 all rights reserved

Featured artist Scott McLeod is a young abstract painter with ambitious career plans. Check out his website for more about Scott and to view his full portfolio.

What are your goals?

I’m a man of many goals, I want to write a book some time within the next ten years and I also want to accomplish many things with my artwork. I enjoy sharing ideas and my creations with others, my only goals are orientated on how much I was able to spread them.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a series of unique pieces which utilize old large frames which I have re-done with my own touches. I’m currently finished up with my third piece, with goals to accomplish six or seven before releasing them. I’m also in the middle of launching my clothing company Coeus Clothing.

What inspires you?

The world around me, understanding.  Emotions inspire me, in others or my self, seeing raw human emotion, understanding that emotion, and the collection of things which cannot be expressed by words.  I often find inspiration out of nowhere, a quick sprint to my garage to add the next layer, or the six hours straight of finishing multiple paintings.  Inspiration is a cumulative thing for me, and the more I explore this world the more I find.

AS:  How would you define creativity?

TH: Creativity is an inherent, ongoing human process that translates energy into form. Everyone does it, just as we all breathe (form into energy) and digest (form into energy). Not everyone translates energy into form consciously, which explains a lot about life on earth right now. Ideas into objects and events. Thoughts into words and images. Energy into form.  This includes the classic definition of creativity as “the ability to produce something new through imaginative skill, whether a new solution to a problem, a new method or device, or a new artistic work”.  But It goes farther: we generate everything we experience around us as we go through our lives. Innovation, invention, creativity, are all related.  We can’t not create.  However, we can create with increasing awareness and deliberation.

We can investigate what we really want to happen, and why. We can choose what is most important to us and go directly for that, rather than being distracted by others’ ideas.  Other peoples’ ideas about our creativity are like other peoples’ ideas about our breathing. They may be useful opinions, they may have helpful tools to offer: but ultimately we know better than anyone else what’s really going on in our hearts and minds. We may not want to accept it, or look at it clearly, but go deep enough and we know. So creativity is the transformative force that brings everything into being, and we, as  elements in this flow, participate in this. Very cool!

AS:  What causes artists to get creatively blocked?

TH: First, everyone goes through some version of this. The propaganda out there says that if you’re a real artist you never falter. This is ridiculous. All artists, all people, stumble occasionally. Life happens. We are all human, and we are all in this together.  In my experience, blocks arise when there is a conflict between the sets of goals that are motivating us.  In other words: What we really want to do is running headlong into what we think we should be doing. And we are resisting, naturally enough.  In every situation I’ve seen, when people can investigate their blocks without judgement, they identify pretty quickly what they really want.  This is almost always the right thing for them.

‘Shoulds’ are an indicator that we don’t want to do something, that deep inside we know that’s not the right thing for us. If forced to do it we’ll probably resist, procrastinate and sabotage the action.  Blocks also tell us when we need to look at other areas of our lives, and bring things into balance. This is actually another version of the same conflict mentioned above.  In other words: When we know we need to take time off from trying to make art – to rest, integrate new knowledge, nourish our relationships, deal with internal issues that we have been avoiding – yet we refuse and keep trying to work harder, we usually make things even worse.  Our wheels spin, we smell smoke, we have the brake and the accelerator down on the floor and we still aren’t going anywhere. Yech.
AS:  How can an artist work on overcoming confusion and their internal fears about creating?

TH: Everyone has their own path through confusion and fear.  First, most important, is to stop beating yourself up for being where you are. The panic and anger of beating yourself up feeds the conflict- more energy goes to the confusion and fear.  We automatically translate energy into form, right? So we feel worse, and things around us get worse, and it’s all a mess. So just let that one go. Got it? Let. it. go.  Second, breathe, drink more water, go for a walk in nature somewhere, the more the better.

Third, make sure you know why you are creating. There are no wrong answers to these questions, no matter what you may have been told: Why do you create? What is your intention for creating this particular thing? What is most important about it? What do you want to happen? What result do you expect?  Is your choice of media and expression most likely to get you to this result?  When you aren’t clear and solid in your intention, you aren’t clear on what you want to happen. As you go along, you have no end point to measure your progress against. And once you get somewhere, you can’t be sure whether this is the right place or not, because you never picked ‘the right place’ by selecting an intention.

Fear is the tool used by the programming in our heads to keep us from doing something new. There is a part of all of us, an area of our brain, actually, that perceives all new things, all change, as threatening. Check out Seth Godin and the lizard brain.  Notice the irony? Creativity is defined by bringing the new into existence.  But that’s what we do!  Artists are on the edge of the cliff most of the time, looking over it to see what we can create.  Therefore, we’ll always feel an edge of change, of newness. Usually we get nervous or anxious.  However, we can choose how we interpret this energy of change moving around in us. We can perceive it as excitement – Wow, the new, change, excellent! – or fear – Oh no, the new, change, I can’t do this.  Remember, we translate energy into form.  We can do this deliberately. Choice is our tool.  Navigating that inner conflict between our imperative to create, and our (antique) programming to never create, is done by our choices.  In the end it’s all choice. There are no wrong answers.
AS:  Do you have any final thoughts on emerging artists empowering themselves and their creativity?

TH: You are here for a specific creative purpose, whether large or small. Trust this.  Your feelings are your guide along this path. If your heart and mind united say to do something, NO ONE has the right to tell you to do something else. If your fears are harassing them, paint or draw or write them into form, then tell them to leave, so you can get on with your life.  Know your intention. Act on your intuition. Ask for help when you need it. Accept your unique gifts, and your power.

Courtesy Katherine Thomas

Artists who have been in the  business for any length of time have run into difficult customers at shows and other venues. Dealing with these people doesn’t have to be a disastrous experience – there are ways to turn a problem around, or at least reduce the impact on ourselves.

What is the definition of difficult?  It could be our own perception. Perhaps we’ve had a very long, tough day and we are overly sensitive to anyone who demands extra attention. Making it a priority to maintain a professional atmosphere with all visitors will help you fend off the urge to be short or unresponsive to prospective customers who are demanding, time-consuming or unhappy. Here are some other ways to smooth the way with the most difficult customers:

1. Listen. Whatever the problem or complaint, it is important to your customer. Give them your full attention and allow them a reasonable time to explain their frustration.
2. Acknowledge. Whether you agree or not, tell them that you hear what they are saying. Active listening involves voicing their concerns back to them, letting them know “I understand how you feel”. Then calmly explain how you can either resolve their issue or seek more information from them.
3. Don’t take it personally.  When a customer becomes difficult, they are venting their emotions.  It’s all about them, not you. Allowing them to express their anger might just take some steam out of their argument. Not becoming caught up in their drama lets you keep a cool head.
4. Respect yourself – and them.  You don’t have to be subjected to rude comments or insults. If a customer becomes abusive, explain that you will be happy to discuss the issue when they calm down. This might involve taking a break from your conversation and speaking with them later.
5. Respond with kindness.  It’s amazing how a situation can be defused when we respond with a kind word instead of fueling the fire.  Let them know you will do everything possible to find a suitable resolution.  This allows your customer to relax and become less defensive.
6. Seek resolution.  Even though you believe your difficult customer is being unreasonable, try to find a compromise if possible.  They will feel better knowing that you have taken their concerns seriously. Deal with the situation as calmly as you can, and put the issue to rest so that you can focus on your business.
7. Forgive.  Everybody gets difficult at times. There could be a hundred reasons they are frustrated that has nothing to do with you.  Let go of your own anger and hurt from the situation, and try to move on. Holding a grudge against other people only hurts us. Be kind to yourself.
8. Keep it in Perspective.  It could always be worse. Consider the worse possible scenario, and then count your blessings!

See more of Katherine Thomas's work on her website.