“Judging your early artistic efforts is artist abuse.”~Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way Hmmm.
Interesting. I always thought it was a good idea to go back and look at where our work began to shift, but since reading this quote I’m not so sure.
Do we tend to judge the work rather than study and learn from it? Do we end up saying to our artist-self “You idiot, What were you thinking when you painted that?” Chime in here. I would really like to know what other creatives think about this.
Hi, Dora,
I agree with the quote and I wrote about it http://sadamisgraffiti.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/artists-dilemma-between-self-growth.html
Because talking of the old work=looking at a cicada’s cell. We’re growing/changing from moment to moment!
Cheers, Sadami
I know what you mean Sadami. I look at even last year’s work and I am surprised at where I am now.
I do that occasionally when looking at a single piece. But if I spread everything out and look at the progression I more easily see where I developed and learned new methods of what I was doing. I have some artist friends who give away all their old art so they can’t look at it. I’m not one of those, haha.
Kae, I couldn’t give my stuff away like that either! Sell it maybe, but send it on vacation? I don’t know..haha.