Challenging consistency

When consistency lacks content

I see the word consistently used a lot. You need to be consistent to make progress - to grow as an artist, to become an expert. To find, dare I say, success. But what the word consistently lacks is the content. Because consistency can look different in more than one way, and you’re always developing your creative practice even when you're not directly making art.

I’ve alluded to this before, and for those immersed in my work, you’ll already know I make a lot of time and space for contemplation. That is, the space to reflect, consider, and ideate. For time to make art even when I am not physically making art. I do this because I believe my skills are always growing, even when I’m simply being mindful of my work. This adds substance to my work. It builds confidence when I write, talk, and share my work. It helps me develop artistically.

My creative practice is not just the work I make but also how I learn about my artwork, get inspired about my artwork, ideate around my artwork, build skills in my artwork, rest in my artwork, think and reflect about my artwork, problem-solve and research about my artwork, and talk and share about my artwork. This means outside of growing my technical skills, I’m also growing so much more. The ladder skills don’t always require being fully present with my materials daily - they simply require me to be mindful of my artwork and engage with its subject.

It’s not always possible in every season to create art every single day. And I find it equally important for my artistic development to grow my work conceptually. So, I am always defining (and re-defining) what consistency could mean in my current season. I avoid feeling shame when I can't engage with my materials daily. I understand that even when I’m not physically maturing my technical skills, I might be growing many other skills that will springboard my technical skills in the coming creative seasons.