Mary Pettis

“Do I have what it takes?”

This was the last question posed to me by an earnest young man at my last landscape workshop. It is frequently asked, and not just at the beginning of a career. Success as an artist is a changing, elusive target. I gave the young painter a thin, gentle response, something like: “Yes, I believe so, but know that it takes so much more than talent and interest to be a full time artist. Only YOU know if you are dogged enough and willing to commit to do the work.”

Looking back, I think I could have answered better. It tugged at me that there is a larger conversation here worth exploring.

First, I would like to draw a distinction between two of the most common career questions I get asked: “Do I have what it takes?” and “How do I get there?”. They are two separate queries. The latter deals with technical and practical considerations, such as who to study with, how to find one’s voice, how to get work out there, and how to make ends meet in the meantime. These have been subjects of countless great articles and blogs. But there is something so heartfelt and intriguing about the first question, “Do I have what it takes?”.  It deserves a thoughtful answer. I have enjoyed delving into this philosophical rabbit hole, trying to narrow down the attributes needed from an armload to just a few. I share three of them here.

1) Internal Locus of Evaluation 

Carl Rogers, one of the pioneers in values-based education, taught that self-evaluation has primarily either an internal or external locus. Locus ’ is Latin for ‘place’, so the term describes the place from which we make value judgments.

● External Locus of evaluation = How much we trust and value how others view us.

● Internal Locus of evaluation = How much we trust and value the view we have of ourselves.

I have seen too many beautiful creative spirits utterly crushed under the absence of outside affirmation. Becoming aware of this internal/external dynamic can help us identify and manage what is going on in our artistic psyches. Cultivating a strong internal  locus of evaluation can help us to move from bare emotional survival to empowerment!

About the External Locus:  I must say that it is healthy to have an awareness of how much and in what ways we are valued within the artistic community. We want to be respected by our peers. We want our paintings to sell. We want accolades and awards. That is fine and good. But all that needs to be put into perspective! Problems like discouragement, despair, fear, and immobility can arise when outside influences become the dominant means by which we value ourselves and our work.

Let me be clear that I understand how easy it is to succumb to this negativity given the nature of our business. Every time we submit our inner souls–oops, I mean our paintings–to the scrutiny of competition judges, the buying public, and our fellow artists, we need to steel ourselves against possible rejection.

About the Internal Locus:  With a healthy internal locus of evaluation we take ownership of our own values, process, experience, growth, and terms of success. Our creations need to be a product of what we value, not of what others have come to expect of us.

Having a powerful internal locus of evaluation keeps us resilient enough to weather the storms. It is a deliberate choice to value and trust our vision. Like every virtue, it is a decision, then a practice that becomes spiritual muscle memory, and a renewable resource that helps us move through a creative life. The rewards for cultivating this trait will be serenity, independence, tenacity, self-initiated learning, and growth.

2) Unbridled Optimism

I always told myself, in the midst of my failures (of which there were countless) that if I kept working, there would eventually be room at the proverbial top. I wasn’t even certain where or what the top  was. I just knew I needed to keep studying nature, seeking out the right mentors— living and dead, and just do the work!

Optimism is a vital quality that comes hand in hand with the gift of the muse. We need to have faith that if we dedicate our lives to creating, we can trust that creation to support us. I had to constantly recontextualize my failed efforts as stepping stones. Recognize that no time is truly wasted, that you bring all of your experiences to the easel. I tell my students “one less crappy painting you have to do!”

From a practical standpoint, this requires the artist to curate both their focus and the way they narrate their ongoing artistic journey. I am reminded of my then six-year-old daughter on her first trip to the inclement Quetico Boundary Waters exclaiming brightly, “Well… We’re cold, and we’re wet, and we’re tired… But at least we’re not hungry!” Just as we design our work to highlight that which inspires us to create, we must internally highlight the joys and successes that inspire us to keep working. The rewards for cultivating this trait will be courage, resilience, perspective, and an abundance of gratitude.

3) Attitude of Love

I say this in recognition that this will mean different things to different artists, but for those of us who believe that art is a language, I would like to make a case for holding an attitude of love.

Love is a choice. It is reciprocity, being open and vulnerable to receiving and to giving. Each day, each hour, we decide what we look upon. We pay attention to what moves us. Our love of light, love of beauty, love of nature, love for people, love of color vibrations, love of form, these are precious. To choose to perceive love requires discipline, but it will help to bring a wholeness of message to our body of work.

Simply put, love is a wellspring. A higher love emerges from the personal love we feel for our subject. It flows through us and permeates our work. And as our technical skills and clarity grow, we communicate more efficiently. We begin to share not only what we are looking at, but who we are as lovers of this world. We share ourselves when we share what we love. It comes around full circle when our love is communicated to and received by others, now and in the future. The rewards for cultivating this trait will be authenticity, purpose, a personal relationship with all of our work, and an endless source of inspiration.

So, earnest young artist out there, if you’re reading this, here is my better answer. Happy Painting!

Becoming more self-aware (a requirement for clarifying our artistic vision) often results in a curious irony. Going inward to find enchantment and beauty in our everyday lives invariably leads us to an acknowledgement of the tremendous gratitude we hold for others. We are each connected to those who have come before us!
One of the great lessons in art and in fact, life, is that there is no such thing as a self-made woman or man. We, as individuals, are each products of the creativity of the parents, teachers, mentors and friends who have nurtured us, taught us, shaped us, inspired us and showed us the way.
Also consider the many people we have never met from whom we have benefited because of their paintings, their poetry, their music, screenplays & books. We walk around with their melodies stuck in our heads, their ideas in our hearts and their words on our lips: For example, did you know that every time you state that “Time is Money” or you are “snug as a bug in a rug” you are quoting Ben Franklin?
Or when you vow to “turn over a new leaf” or declare “Honesty is the best policy” that Cervantes said that?
Or when we are “off on a wild goose chase” or “split our sides with laughter” or say “Mum’s the word”, we are quoting the Man of La Manchia?
In the business of making paintings, I know that I can hardly find an art magazine or periodical that does not contain this sentence: “My goal as an artist is to capture the fleeting effects of light!” Some creative soul decades ago came up with that lovely and appropriate phrase, and, it stuck. It is woven into the fabric of our artistic discourse and now, (sigh), there is no escaping it!
The point, though, is how often wise and learned observations become a part of us, even though we have no idea where they came from! We are connected.
I think of those who have influenced me and I pause at the responsibility behind the question, “Will any be influenced by me?” Artists know that art endures.
I remember, as a young child, sitting on the floor looking above the couch at a landscape painting and getting totally lost in this majestic place that had a lake, mountains and a huge cottonwood tree. I wondered what it would be like to look out my window and to see mountains instead of cornfields. I imagined myself sitting on the elephant trunk roots and smelling the moist morning air. Well, a few decades later I found that forgotten picture in the basement of my mother’s home. By now I recognized my childhood escape as a copy of a famous Bierstadt painting. My Mom had displayed that first Christmas gift from my dad in a place of prominence for all those years, and once shared with me: “You know, I never did like that picture!” But it hung there when I was young, and I believe that the creativity and insight of a man born in 1830 had an influence on my life.
We are called to embrace the melting pot of influences that have helped make us who we are, and, with gratitude and humility, re-examine and rediscover who we can be. Sometimes in the frenzy and fear we lose our perspective.
Artist and author M. C. Richards said, “All the arts we practice are apprenticeship. The big art is our life.” This thought comforts me when the demands of real life interrupt my painting time.
I have read that as a culture, we tend to define creativity too narrowly. I wholeheartedly agree. Nearly everything we do requires making creative choices, although that fact is seldom recognized. Everyday life is raw material. Through mindfulness, we can sculpt each day as we wish. How we respond to others, the way in which we dress, set up our homes or studios, the music we listen to, the books we read, how we spend our time…how we problem solve or overcome obstacles; these are all expressions of our individual creativity. This may be who we really are, and who will seep into our work. These are the qualities that we bring to the easel.
Finally, in a state of gratitude and with a sense of connectedness, we can find enchantment and beauty in the simplest things. Be joyful. Let’s slow down and listen to a cardinal or the children’s voices. Experience the sensuality of existence! Look more deeply at the vibration of the yellow and lavender in the wild prairie plants. In the grand scheme of things, we are so very fortunate! Let’s stop a moment and be grateful that we can look at the world through an artist’s perspective!

I recently came across a familiar post saying “When I look at all this beautiful art, I just feel like throwing away my brushes!” I have heard this despair in workshops and on countless occasions from fellow accomplished artists. I would like to speak to this sentiment. We live in a digital age of instant answers. If it takes Siri more than 10 seconds to tell us the information we are searching for, we often become restless. Voices in our heads and partners looking over the shoulder (and the checkbook) express concern if paintings seem to go backwards after a workshop. When will we get there?!
I am as guilty as the next of having “Why bother?” moments of misgivings. Okay. Actually, change the word “moments” to “decades”. After 40 years of painting for a living, I’d like to share a few insights on how to exorcise our doubt; this haunter of our artistic hearts.
1) First of all, trust in the rhythm and unfolding of your life. No one has lived your life. Time spent caring for parents or children or pushing the broom are the things that have made you who you are. You are shaped by your experiences; nothing is ever wasted. Make peace with this. The life you live gives you unique insights and authentic depth. It helps give you something to say beyond the outward appearance of things. In a positive way, you bring it all to the easel. It takes time. Be patient and gentle with yourself. Enjoy the present moment, and leave the rest to a kind universe. Angst only cripples.
2) Remember that all is relative. No matter where you are on this journey, there will always be artists who are better and artists who are worse than you are. Comparing yourself unfavorably with others is not only a downer- it is a distraction that robs you of your clarity. Why allow a beautiful painting to make you sad or insecure? Try to replace judgment and discouragement with inspiration. Be happy for those better artists who show the way. We are all one big family. In spite of this competitive current culture, do not have beating others as your goal. They are not taking your spot at the table. There is room for you, and… a chair with your name on it. Most of the ‘cover artists’ that I admire have this humility, awareness, and sense of perspective.
3) Know the reason WHY you are an artist. If you go beyond the simple answer of superficial fame and fortune, I bet you will find something that comes from a deeper place. Re-examine your artistic aims. Know what stirs and fascinates you. What we discover when we go inward is our poetic response to life. What abstract elements make your heart skip a beat? People want to know how YOU see the world.
Spend more time developing a feeling for your subject on the front end. The deeper you contemplate what is before you, the more you will bring to your viewer. One of my favorite quotes from Emerson is this: “The power in a work of art depends on the depth of the artist’s insight of that object he contemplates.”
4) Keep growing and love the journey.
The legendary cellist Pablo Casals was asked why he continued to practice at age 90. “Because I think I’m making progress,” he replied.
Happy Painting!