"I could do that"

While scrolling through Instagram this morning I came across a post that I found absolutely stunning, that caught me up short, that left me thinking I wished I had said it. The author is Juliene Sinclair, a very creative, energetic young lady, artist and engineer, yes two careers. Her post follows.

Often times our s**t taking is really just jealousy in bad disguise.

Before my art biz ball really started rolling, I was so jealous of some of the artists that I was “looking up to”. I’d think “their art isn’t even that good”, “their paintings are so juvenile”, or “even I could do that”.

Well, I was missing the point. And anyone else that says “even I could do that” is missing the point too.

That craft isn’t the hard part. Sure, to get good it takes time and practice and fighting through crappy work - which aren’t "easy”. But it’s really the insight, the inspiration, the art, and the bravery of creating and the courage to put it out to the world that’s rewarded.

In other words, It doesn’t matter that you “could paint a painting like that”. What matters is that you didn’t. What matters is that the person that is doing the thing that you “could if you tried” is putting in the effort to make something of it.

How often have I thought "even I could do that"? I'd like to rationalize that thought by thinking that either I had tried it or I would. Often I have caught myself and thought "you need to try that before you judge it". I find more and more that I recognize the talent of the artist and effort the artist has expended, that yes I have tried that without the same success and certainly I am convicted to try again.

Early in my art practice I would high grade my work and only let my audience see the very best of my work. Perhaps that is an acceptable practice for those of us who are trying to build a following but how much of our struggles do our followers need to know if any? Perhaps once we are in the spot light no one needs to know how we got there What do you think?