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About Me Premium Member Antagonist ArtecheFemale/United States Recent Activity Deviant for 1 Year
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Excuses and Inspiration.

Sat Oct 17, 2009, 6:26 PM
I found an extremely poignant quote on the wall of perhaps the worst hotel I've ever stayed in in my entire life during the move to San Francisco. Now that I'm in my apartment instead of the afforementioned crappy hotel, I'd like to share it with you guys:

“You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” -Jack London.

Finding that quote was worth all of the sticky carpets and dirty bathrooms that were endured in the process. (And no, I have yet to figure out why the carpets were sticky...)

How many times have you put down the pencil, the paintbrush, or the stylus because you didn't feel "inspired"? For writers, how many pieces did you scrap or never finish writing because it just wasn't flowing right? If it's similar to mine, then you lost count years ago.

We all make excuses for why we don't draw or paint as much as we feel we should; we call it "artists block" or say our muse has "gone missing."

Either we slave for hours over a piece that refuses to come out right, or we realize somewhere along the line that we don't yet posess the technical skill to get our mental image down on paper correctly. It's a discouraging realization, so we stop, we crumple it up, and we say we'll do it later.

Then we never do.

Don't let yourself make excuses whenever you realize your work just isn't flowing, because if you're pursuing art (or writing, or photography, or pretty much any creative field) professionaly, you won't have the luxury of waiting for inspiration. Even if the end result isn't what you'd hope for, even if it's not perfect, even if it just downright sucks, push through and finish it. You'll learn a hell of a lot more than if you'd just given up and chalked the loss up to "lack of inspiration."

Next time your muse goes missing, hunt her down, club her over the head, and drag that troublesome skank back by the hair. It'll be worth it when 6 months down the road you realize that finishing all of those terrible paintings and awful sketches made you one hell of a better artist. And they will.


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I love your mom. Oh man. How I love her.

Devious Info

  • Interests: Evil things, ambiguously bad things, not-so-good things, and bawnking your mother.
  • Favourite movie: Battle Royale, Fight Club, other things appropriately dark. And really old Kung Fu movies.
  • Favourite band or musician: Muse. Old school alternative; Aerosmith, Pink Floyd. Currently, Paramore and Cobra Starship.
  • Favourite artist: Barker, Bergkvist, Kidby, Mucha, Andrew Jones, Jason Chan
  • Favourite poet or writer: Barker, Gaiman, Palahniuk, Pratchett
  • Favourite style of art: Dark, Macabre, Horror; all with a comedic twist. The dark is more enjoyable with a flashlight.
  • Operating System: Neurons and synapses. I think my motherboard is on the fritz.
  • Skin of choice: The kind you make out of LA hookers and fishing line.
  • Favourite gaming platform: Nintendo (non-Wii). I like to tuck that orange duck gun in my pants and play good cop bad cop.
  • Favourite cartoon character: Can we animate Anthony Hopkins?
  • Personal Quote: "CA.org scares the fucking fuck out of me."
  • Tools of the Trade: Wacom Tablet, sleep deprivation

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Comments


:icondarkmyster:
Just wanted to stop by and tell you that I still continue to enjoy your work, and let you know to don't stop. Keep up the great work!

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Need a Commission done!? Well, I can do one for ya! Check out my link here, and hope to hear from you soon! [link]
:iconarteche:
Thank you. Comments like this keep me motivated. =)
:icondarkmyster:
We need each other to motivate one another for sure. Pros like you guys help me keep going as well, to strive to learn and get better as well. I appreciate you responding too! :D

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Need a Commission done!? Well, I can do one for ya! Check out my link here, and hope to hear from you soon! [link]
:iconvioletxmelody:
May I inquire as to what DAcademy is? And if it is still open for mmm...entering? *overdramaticvoice*It seems like it could help my further my study in the arts and help me achieve my full potential *dramaticmusicofsuccess* *dramaticlights* *dramaticpose* X)

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Try Jesus. If you don't like Him, the Devil will gladly take you back. - Horse-Lover95
:iconwhiim:
You ma'am are beast. Period. +watch











:iconanimefaceplz:

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Whim: (hwĭm, wĭm)
Noun. A sudden or capricious idea; a fancy
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Tumblr| Last.Fm |Pandora
:iconarteche:
Blasphemy! (thankyou<333)
:iconwhiim:
you're welcome

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Whim: (hwĭm, wĭm)
Noun. A sudden or capricious idea; a fancy
--
Tumblr| Last.Fm |Pandora
:iconfatalis-unus:
Saw you on Gaia xD
Must watch from me <3

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ムック♡.
:iconelectricninjafish:
why haven't i watched you yet

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They just don't make Brick Walls like they used to.

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