Do you have to Suffer for Art?

Recently I was asked, What is something you believed in strongly as a debut artist that you don’t anymore?

I use to believe that you had to suffer for your art. That if you wanted to make a masterpiece, you should be pushing yourself as hard as possible. That gold is forged in fire. 

I am happy to say, truly happy to report, I don’t believe that anymore.

It took me listening to a podcast, The Armchair Expert, to realize I had this belief in the first place. The co-hosts, Dax Shepard and Monica Padman (they both are actors) were talking about acting and how insane of a job it is. Dax was saying how top actors get paid an extraordinary amount of money to get to pretend in front of a camera. These actors may feel guilty. Some may make things hard on themselves to even this out, as if it is unfair to be able to enjoy the whole process of acting. 

I realized in that instant I do that with my job. I can’t believe I get to spend my time painting and then on top of that I also get paid for it. I think to make it seem fair I wanted to feel a struggle. After all didn’t all the great old painting masters suffer for their art?

This was definitely emphasized at my atelier where I learned how to paint and draw in the classical style. It truly was like a bootcamp for classical painting technique. You didn’t take sick days, you stood at your easel painting all day, and you worked no matter what. You worked if you were sick, if it was unreasonably hot and humid in the summers and you were at risk for heat exhaustion, or in the coldest days of winter after taking the train in I would have to take my boots off and hold my feet in front of a space heater to get the feeling back in my toes. 

I held these sufferings as a badge of honor.  It made me feel like a very serious artist. 

I do think there is a bond with my studio mates because we toughed this out together. But I don’t think you need to suffer together to form bonds. I think you can also bond through shared enjoyment. 

I’m reading this book called the Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor. It argues that the brain actually performs better and more excellently when it is happy. It says success follows happiness rather than happiness following success. I have been putting this into practice and I have to say I am truly painting better. 

I’m finding the more I focus on making myself happy and taken care of while I paint the more I can get into that delicious flow state. It’s the little things like eating good food throughout the day and taking breaks that are focused on making me feel happy. 

I love the artwork I am making now. And perhaps more importantly I now love the whole process of making the artwork. 

Your artist friend,
Jennifer Marie Keller

P.S.

If you want to watch a 3 minute video on this, click the image above.