Cannibalize Your Artwork

October 11, 2011

The other day my girlfriend told me about an article she read. She explained to me about cannibalizing your own inventions and creations in order to keep moving forward and gaining strength in the marketplace. She had read about Apple and Steve Jobs and how the Ipod was such a game-changing step forward. Then a few years later with the addition of the Iphone to the product line, the Ipod was not the biggest thing around anymore. The article described how the company cannibalized its former leading product to keep pushing forward. It still uses the technology from the Ipod and still sells plenty of them, but its momentum was absorbed into the Iphone and Ipad lines. If they did not the whole thing just might deflate, wither away and be sold to a competitor.

So where do I relate to all of this? I myself have been a cannibal; an art cannibal with big white teeth and a paintbrush. I have a lot of older paintings. These were my favorites at one point but I keep moving forward. They stay. I keep evolving. They do not. They sit and collect dust and aggravate me. They stare at me from the dusty corners.

So what do I do with them? I could leave them or hide the under the sofa. I could burn them in a field. I could try to sell them but I do not think they represent my passion and feelings anymore. So what do I do? I eat them! Yes, I take them and use their essence and add to them. Paint over parts of them. Nothing is so pristine as to keep me from moving ahead and growing. I will keep making and painting and creating till I am no more. It is just wired into my hard-headed noggin’. As soon as I do this I always feel better about them. They are cleaned up and fresh now. I can show them at a festival or art show and not be ashamed anymore. You can’t sell your creations if you are ashamed of them.

So I will keep on. Like it or not, being an artist is also about being a salesman and a marketing guru. If you do not learn how and be bold you will grow tired and burnt-out. You will feel like no one enjoys your art, even if this is not true. For many years I did not put my work out for the public to see. I did not paint as much as I needed to and I did not sell any artwork for a very long time. I thought others could help me. I thought someone would show up and tell me they would solve all my troubles. No. This will not happen. No one will make it work but you. It is only you, your creativity and the Lord above. Now I am trying my best to grow and be bold and brave and share myself with everyone I can. I am trying to be true to myself and take things into my own hands. This is why I decided to paint over some of my old work.

Come see me this weekend at the Candler Park Fall Fest; Saturday and Sunday, October 15th and 16th.

– kyle