The Thriving Christian Artist
The Thriving Christian Artist
Unlocking Your Art's Potential: Mastery, Uniqueness, and Desirability
Have you ever felt like your art could soar if only you could break through that creative barrier? I'm Matt Tommey, and in the latest episode of The Thriving Christian Artist, we explore the transformative power of expert critiques within our mentoring program and how they can lift your art from good to extraordinary. We're peeling back the layers on what makes art truly resonate, focusing on the trifecta of mastery, uniqueness, and desirability. It's not just about creating; it's about making art that connects and endures, art that speaks volumes in God's kingdom.
As we venture through the nuances of what makes art masterful, we discuss the importance of honing your skills to express yourself freely in your chosen medium. It's not about dabbling in endless techniques but rather achieving such a proficiency that your tools become an extension of your vision. Discover how cultivating a unique artistic voice sets you apart in the marketplace, and why creating art that forges a deep relationship with your audience is key. This episode is a treasure trove of insights, whether you're just picking up a paintbrush or you're a seasoned artist looking to elevate your craft. Join me, and let's journey together towards art that doesn't just exist but thrives.
Join us at http://www.matttommeymentoring.com/artmentor
Welcome to the Thriving Christian Artist, the podcast, where we hope you connect with God to bus through the roadblocks that have held you back for years, create the work you love and really live the life you know. God created you to live as an artist in His kingdom. I'm Matt Tomah, your host. Let's get started. Hey, my friend, hope you are doing well. It's Matt Tommy, and I'm really glad that you're here with me on the podcast today. You know, recently inside our mentoring program, we started doing art critiques for our members. It's something that is just super, super valuable, you know, just getting expert input on your work and what you're doing right, what you can improve on that sort of thing. I was sharing the other day three things with our community and I just thought, man, I want to put this out on the podcast as well, because I think it could really really help you as you're developing yourself as an artist. Because, you know, one of the things I've discovered over the years in mentoring thousands of artists is that you can be the best marketer in the world, you can have the best funnel, you can have the best email marketing and social media and Instagrammable photos and being all the shows and all that kind of stuff. But bottom line is, if your work is not great, you know that you're going to have an issue with trying to sell your work. And so having work that is really at a high level and that really stands out in the marketplace, that really is ground zero for being a successful artist. And although we're all in process, in what we're doing and what we're developing artistically, there really is sort of a ground zero that you need to be at in order to get your work out there, have it really be able to stand up and speak on its own and give you the ability to be able to develop, you know, interest from clients and relationship and connection and that sort of thing. And so three things that I want to really drive home with you today that I think are really foundational thoughts and helping to give you a context for how to grow in your art and how to begin to mature in that are these your work needs to be masterful, it needs to be unique and it needs to be desirable.
Speaker 1:Now let me kind of break these down. By masterful, I mean that when I look at a piece of art, like if I'm doing a critique of somebody's work and I'm trying to help them come up to the next level. I can tell almost immediately is this person still struggling with things like mixing color, composition, the use of their materials, their ability to finish and present the piece? In other words, is it evident that this artist is still struggling with these things, still growing in these things, or have they really mastered the use of their materials and techniques to a point where they're now able to really freely express themselves through their art, as opposed to struggling with their materials and with techniques and ideas in order to get it out on the canvas or on the pedestal or on the wall or whatever? It might be that masterfulness although, again, we're all growing in that.
Speaker 1:Really, when you get to the point like, for example, if you're a painter, where you, you know mixing color is just second nature, where composition is something that you just, you know, are innately knowing how to do that, that's something that you are very comfortable with, that you've got multiple options when you go to the canvas or when you go to the panel or whatever it is. When you're creating 3D objects, you know, like for me, and in baskets, or somebody working in clay or fiber, you know how to do the stitches, how to fire this, how to put your glazes on, what the glazes are going to do. You know those things like the back of your hand. Listen, it's when you get those things in your tool belt and you're comfortable with them, that's really when the fun starts right. The artists that continue to stay in hobby mode and take classes all the time and are just constantly learning and constantly switching mediums and constantly trying out new techniques, they never get to develop that mastery to where those things just become like some. You know, a plumber would use a wrench like you don't even think about it, right, it's just. Or a carpenter would use a drill or a skillsaw it's just the thing that you use in order to get to the next place. And for us as artists, that's, we're trying to do more than just, you know, the execution of techniques and the use of materials. We're trying to get to expression. But expression doesn't come nearly as easily until you get to that place of mastery. All right Now.
Speaker 1:Secondly is being unique. And again, part of that developing that masterfulness in your work is the emergence of your unique voice. And so I'm always looking as I'm critiquing work and trying to help artists go the next level. I'm trying to see hey, does this work? Is it number one? Is it masterful? Number two is that masterfulness coming through In a way that it's conveying Somebody's unique artistic voice, in other words, does it stand out from the crowd among other artists that are are doing the same sorts of things? If you're a landscape painter, can I tell your work from somebody else's? If I'm a basket maker, can you tell my baskets from somebody else? If you're a ceramic artist or fiber artist, can I tell your style, your aesthetic, from ten other fiber artists or ceramic artists that are doing essentially the same sorts of things?
Speaker 1:See, uniqueness without masterfulness is not necessarily a great thing, right? You uniqueness really can stand and can be at this beautiful differentiating factor and set you apart from the crowd. When it's done masterfully, uniqueness when it's done sloppily, uniqueness when it's done at a low level of execution, really is just weird, right? So a lot of people think they're unique and they might be unique, but it's not unique in a masterful way, it's not unique in a beautiful way, it's not unique in an aesthetic that people are really going to be drawn to.
Speaker 1:And that's really number three, which is again kind of the the third, you know, if you will sort of, you know, stand to this chair, leg to this chair is masterful, unique. And then, third would be desirable is the work that's being created Aesthetically desirable in today's marketplace by clients that actually have the means and interest to purchase the artwork? You know, just because you can draw the most incredible pet portrait, or kitty, cat or Person holding, you know, flowers or a vase, a still life or whatever, you can maybe do that photo realistically, it may be incredible but it doesn't mean anybody wants to buy it. And so there's always this, this, this balance, if you will, this sort of Tension that we as artists are, are faced with in the creation of our work that we want to do, we do masterfully, we want to develop this unique voice with all at the same time. We're always having to look at the marketplace and then listen to the marketplace and to say are the things that I'm creating resonating with people Aesthetically? Is it resonating with the people that have the means and desire to be able to purchase my work? Is this something that's now in the market color wise, aesthetic wise, shape wise, function wise, whatever it is and how?
Speaker 1:If not, how can I begin to bring what I'm doing into alignment with that because, again, if you're not selling your work, you may have a great hobby and that's great, but so many of the artists that listen to this podcast and all the artists that are in our mentoring program, you're wanting to do this, not just cause you love it, not just because you want to fulfill God's plans and purposes for your life, but you realize that selling your art and getting it out there is part of that, and so you, I want you to really take this to the Lord and begin to meditate on this in your studio, about your work. How can you become more masterful in the things that you're doing from a straight up skill development in your medium perspective? Then how can you begin to press into and push further into the uniqueness that you're developing? And then how can you begin to get more and more intel on it, you know, knowing whether or not your work is desirable and being responded to positively by people in the marketplace. Listen, all of these things are things that we're always talking about and helping people walk through inside of the Creative Thrive Artist Mentoring Program. If these are questions that you know after listening to me today you're struggling with. You don't know how to develop yourself in those directions, much less all of the practical things that you need to really begin to build your business.
Speaker 1:I want you, I want to encourage you, to join us inside of Creative Thrive. Listen, I love it that you listen to the podcast, but if you listen to a podcast episode after a podcast episode after a podcast episode and you never really get on a track of growth, focus, growth and development in your business and in your life as an artist, you're going to be in the same place to next year that you're in right now, and you may be in the same place right now that you've been for the last 10 years. Listen, we would love to help you actually start making progress, real, measurable progress, in your life, and the best way we know how to do that is inside the Creative Thrive Artist Mentoring Program. You become a member right now by clicking the link that's in the show notes, and we would love to start walking with you, connecting you with our incredible community of artists who love Jesus all over the world and just about every creative medium, and get to know you, get to know your story, find out what you need, and I, through live coaching and through our group calls and through small groups and through all the teaching resources that we have, really come alongside you and help you be everything that God has created you to be in His Kingdom as an artist.
Speaker 1:Listen, my friend, I love you, I'm for you, I want you to be walking in everything that God's got for you and I'm so glad that you're here with me on the podcast. I hope we see you inside of Creative Thrive and I hope you have a great, great, great rest of your day and join me again right here on the Thrive and Christian Artist podcast. Bye, hey. Thanks so much for spending a few minutes with me today on the podcast. Listen, I hope it's been a huge encouragement to you on your journey as an artist. Hey, also, before you leave, make sure to hit the subscribe button so you don't miss any of the other episodes of the Thrive and Christian Artist podcast, and also be sure to connect with me on Facebook, instagram or at my website, which is matttommymentoringcom. Until next time, remember, you were created to Thrive. Bye-bye.