An Artists Life

An artists life can be a lonely one. It is often necessary to spend a great deal of time alone, contemplating ideas, composing  images in your head before pencil  or brush is put to canvas. We need to have time to think and feel the inspiration and be in touch with our emotions. All this alone time can take its toll but the end result can be so rewarding. And yet we are social creatures by nature and the need for company is often satisfied by joining art groups or finding other like minded artists that you can share the often lonely journey with. Someone to encourage you in your down times or paint with on occasion can help you get through those artist doldrums we all seem to suffer from time to time. I too belong to an art club, SOYRA (http://www.soyra.ca) for the purpose of building friendships, doing shows and networking with other artists. 
Many artists believe they should keep to themselves and fear other artists stealing their ideas and concepts. I disagree. We can all learn and benefit from one another and networking in the art world is as beneficial as it is in all business environments. A great inspirational email subscription for artists is the Painter's Keys ( http://painterskeys.com) originally written by the well known Canadian artist Robert Genn and now written by his daughter Sara Genn. They are a collection of inspirational and informative "letters" or blogs that all artists can relate to and learn from. Its this sharing of ideas that can often reignite the creative process,  give you a new perspective on your art journey and encourage you to keep creating.