Enjoy my collection of mottos to live, work and adventure by.
Below is a compilation of wisdom and inspiration that has stuck with me over the years, pushing me further out of my comfort zone and deeper into my creativity. Sometimes creative block or burnout can be squashed by a simple reminder of truth.
"The only way to escape the corruptible effect of praise is to go on working." — Albert Einstein
A fun note about this quote, I first cam across this motto when assigned with the first project in my Printmaking, Letterpress and Book Arts class, where we were tasked with creating a letterpress poster with words of affirmation or encouragement. This spoke spoke to me at a time when I was stuck in between creating art that I felt called towards verses creating art that would sell well" or would impress my peers and professors.
Ultimately chasing the latter will undoubtedly result in lifeless uninspiring production, rather than original and inspired work. One of the most powerful tools in an artist's caddy is the fact that each of us are wholely unique, never in humanity will one person exist again.
many people discuss how to deal with criticism, trolls or naysayers, but often the "corruptible effect of praise" is underrated, people pleasing and creative expression are oil and water, repelling one another, and further stifling an artist's practice. In fact at firs the praise of others gives an illusion of "success" in one's craft, but in reality it is a tempting voice that can creep into the creative practice and guide your decisions towards a more idealized and marketable result rather than towards experimentation and true raw expression.
This brings me to another quote,
"Neither praise can make you better off nor can criticism make you anything other than what you are." — Elbert Hubbard
This is such an amazing way to sum up both criticism and praise, and though opposites, they ultimately can both taint the process and end results of our work. Praise is lovely, who doesn't love to be seen and recognized, but allowing praise to steer you only drives you in circles of stagnation. Criticism can not define your practice or shape your persona, it is just the analysis or opinions of others, and has no bearing on you as an artist, you are an artist and a creative regardless of opinion. Strong opinion does not negate fact.
