I was annoyed by this, but time did reveal the wisdom of practicing the craft in order to gain further skill. And yet, making art is not a purely technical endeavor. Art requires a form, something to give it shape and allow us to view it again later. But art is also about so much more. We can cite personal expression as an impetus as well, but surely we have the opportunity to express ourselves in myriad ways, not just or even most fully through art. (Perhaps that's a controversial statement, but I would argue that prayer takes precedence as fundamental human expression--the creation reaching out to the creator--which can of course happen through art).
There's a certain "high" to making art that all artists call a different name: the muse, the flow, the rhythm. Often I think this experience motivates art--all kinds of art. The cathartic release when the struggle to express oneself finds a voice in a rhythm that spills out in a beautiful, technical design. But also the disciplined craftsman who comes to task every day and only on some occasions lives the bliss of uninterrupted art moving through him. Why is this brand of creativity so deliciously addicting? Perhaps it is due to the urgency, the need to "catch" a moment that is rapidly passing, or to jump on a train that is zipping away. Perhaps it is that sense of something bigger, of art that is bigger than artist, pressing against the fragile relationship between the ego and the simple desire to create.
So much of art requires a "yes." Requires sacrifice not as you make something in your own image, but rather the time and energy for the sake of that idea. Art must go beyond ego because otherwise it does not dare greatly. Does not demand an artistic openness. Does not break down absolutes and open up new possibilities or ways of seeing.
The allure of beauty is the opportunity for the beholder to be fundamentally changed. Not all art is beautiful, but I think you can see in all art an attempt to get at the heart of something. Sometimes, there's too much ego mixed in. Sometimes, too many ideas. Or too much execution and not enough raw material. Much of craftsmanship is about shades of the piece. About tuning in to the nuance of pitch, word choice, f stop, or brush stroke. Art goes beyond the technical because these nuances cannot be expressed in a textbook kind of way. It's a part of style, but transcends even that.
I think it's called instinct, and it's what happens when you trust an idea without any rules, requirements, or expectations.
Though it is not often studied directly, this seemingly effortless attitude often holds the key to work that is as satisfying as it is successful.
