On Visual Arts: Keeping the Flame of Passion Burning
Finding the fuel that keeps my fiery passion alive.
Everyone can have passion. Passion is what drives us to do crazy, wonderful things. It is in these things that makes people great. Passion is the force that drives us to pursue the vision we have instilled in our minds. But like all flames, there’s a possibility that the fiery passion that have greatly ignited within us in the past can lose its flare and without fuel and the willpower to keep it burning, this flame of passion can die down, leaving only cinder and smoke in the place which once was a beacon of light in the core of our being. It’s a great deal, keeping the flame of passion burning, and sometimes the flame within me barely burns with just enough fiery power that matches a dying candle (no pun intended). It takes a lot of effort to rekindle the flame of passion and to keep it burning.
One must go back to the very reason of one’s passion.
My passion is all about the visual arts. I have been exposed to art when I was a kid and I’ve never thought of leaving it for other passions. For me, visual art is a medium in which I can fully express myself. A visual art (traditional or digital) is something I can create through my imagination. It is something that I see and feel in my inner being and have materialized in concrete form. The very reason of my passion is that it is simply me. Take away my passion and it’s taking away the one thing that makes me who I am as an individual.
Take away my passion and it’s taking away the one thing that makes me who I am as an individual.
Whenever I sense that my passion is burning low, I go back to the reason why I have this passion in the first place. This is when I stop to think that although it may be a tremendous amount of work in keeping the flame burning, it takes a greater amount of work in extinguishing the flame. It’s near impossible to strip someone of his/her inner being. For me, my passion is who I am, and no one can take that away, not even myself. Know your passion, make it your very own, and it is more real than any material thing this world has to offer.
It is hard to please everyone, so please yourself first.
In my passion for the visual arts, it’s impossible to please everyone. There will always be critics. These are people who have found fault in your work. And why shouldn’t they? No one is perfect. We must accept that. We must accept the fact that we are only human and constructive criticism helps us grow more. Critics can guide us in the making of our next masterpiece. But like I said, you can’t please anyone. You just simply can’t. When the reception is too negative, this can cause your passion to burn down. I have been discouraged many times.
“Ugh, your layout is a mess.”
“I don’t get it.”
and my personal favorite,
“That other guy’s work was better.”
People will compare you to other people instead of looking at your own individuality. It is simply the way it is. This may be enough for one’s passion to die down, but don’t let it be that way. Your passion is your own, so do it for your own first. Once you’ve accomplished it and you, yourself, enjoy it, then no matter the negativity people give off. You won’t be bothered so easily.
My passion for the visual arts is a long one. I’ve started when I was a kid and I’ve been honing my skills for it with experience and observation. I’ve had people ignore me and my work, overlooked my arts, take me for granted and such. But I still have the passion. For when I make my art, I put a piece of my soul in it. My works, and all its imperfections are what makes me as I am. The flaws in my art are also the flaws in me. It is balance: the good and the bad. In order to keep the flame of passion burning, please yourself first, because not everyone can be pleased. Love what you do and the good works you’ve made, listen to constructive criticism, then move on to your next masterpiece.
Find people who share the same passion and be inspired.
The passion you have is not limited to you alone. There are others out there that has a similar passion to yours. Seek out these people and connect with them. Be inspired with their works. Appreciate them and do not, not even for a second, think they are better than you or that you are better than them. One of the things I noticed that can extinguish one’s flame of passion is harsh competition. They are not competition. Each of us have our own uniqueness and when you share the same passion, you must go with, and not against, each other. I used to think a lot of people are way better than me. Some are more qualified, more determined, and more resourceful. I keep asking myself, “what do these people have that I don’t?” and it used to frustrate me, in turn, triggering a cool down to my fiery passion.
Each of us have our own uniqueness and when you share the same passion, you must go with, and not against, each other.
The key here is appreciation for everything. Appreciate and be inspired with others’ works of passion. Appreciate what you have, who you are, and what you do, for these things are irreplaceable.
Know your strengths and limits. Especially your limits.
One of the things that threatens to extinguish my burning passion is my own limitation. I get frustrated with things I can’t do. This intensifies especially when I see someone else do it. I often think to myself, “if they can do it, why not I?” But it’s not always the case. Sure, you can be inspired by others doing amazing things and it will drive us to do the same, but we have to face reality sometimes. We are bounded by our own limitations, whether it’s experience, time, or monetary reasons, and in trying to exceed it will cause us to be frustrated even more. Our limitations tell us not that we can’t or shouldn’t do something, but it’s telling us to do something differently that exactly matches our own abilities and strengths. Be an optimist and say, “people have already done that, let’s try something different”. Our limits tell us we are human after all, but it’s not enough to let it extinguish our fiery passion.
Have a positive outlook on life. Keep on trying. Practice and discover new things. Try new things. Test your limits. Most of all, keep the flame of your passion burning.
Thanks for reading!
Check out some of my art on my facebook, my instagram, and on my deviantart. | Shoot me an email at limartneri@gmail.com
