The Jealous Curator talks at Hot Art Wet City

  So last night I went to my friend Danielle's talk at Hot Art Wet City where she spoke about her best-selling book Creative Block. As I told you before, Danielle and I have been friends from before our blogging days and I was eager to catch up with her now that we live so far apart. Realistically I knew we wouldn't be able to have one of our coffee chats though because there were far too many people there who wanted to talk to her too. What can I say? She's one popular gal.

  As I was driving to the event I felt nervous for Danielle for having to speak in front of so many people. How was she going to do it?  What if she stumbles on her words? What stories would she be telling? She had said that she would bring up the conversation that we had so many years ago that spurred the Girl Crush Workshop series and the subsequent book. Eeek! I was nervous about that too. Of course I had nothing to be nervous about because Danielle is a fantastic and entertaining speaker who has always  been able to stay authentic and accessible.

As I've watched Danielle's career progress over the years I've noticed with delight how any time she's felt insecure about her choices and worried that she should act like some preconceived idea of an artist, curator or author, that someone has reminded her otherwise. Back in June '09 I had written a post about Danielle's blog to help promote it. Later Danielle had asked me to remove her name from the post because she wanted to remain anonymous as the Jealous Curator. "Why?", I asked. At the time Danielle believed that no one would think a stay-at-home mom in the suburbs would know anything about contemporary art. It didn't fit her preconceived idea of a curator. I didn't agree but I obliged and took her name off. Luckily many other people felt the same as myself and she was exposed for what she is: a formally educated fine artist, a creative director, an educator, and a public speaker who just so happens to also be a stay-at-home-mom who lives in the suburbs. I always thought adding the mom part made everything else look more impressive.

The whole world has asked for Danielle Krysa the original and an altered one won't do. I remind myself of this every time I doubt myself and think I should make my work more like so-and-so's to be more accessible. Stick to the original.

Below are some pics I took of the night's talk. Supposedly the brownie badges are going to be made for purchase. When they come out I'm snagging "My inner critic is an asshole". What's your pick?

Creative Block by The Jealous Curator

It's finally here! I've got my copy of Creative Block by The Jealous Curator aka Danielle Krysa. This book has been the talk of the creative blogosphere for months now and for good reason. The premise of the book deals with the doubts and insecurities that every artist deals with in regards to their work. Am I good enough, do I know what I'm doing, does anyone care, should I bother, what if I fail, what if it doesn't sell, what if I'm rejected, what if, what if, what if.....this is my soul.

About five years ago Danielle and I met at our kids gym-time and we got to talking about being artists and how we both wanted to get back into making art but it was tricky trying to find time between the dishes, breast feeding and laundry. Besides, it was scary. We joked about how appealing laundry can look when you're being confronted by your art insecurities. While we both wrestled with the doubts, Danielle took to writing about artist's work that she thought was enviously amazing. Hence the Jealous Curator was born. The response to her blog was fantastic and she soon had a large following of her daily posts. 

One day,  I was tearfully complaining to Danielle that I wasn't selling my art like I wanted and that I was wishing that I didn't want to be an artist at all. Maybe I'm just not good enough. Danielle offered to reach out to her readers and see what advice they would give. The response was so amazing and heartfelt. So many people responded with a resounding , "I can relate" comment. Not only were the responses coming from readers but some were from very "successful" artists that Danielle had featured on her blog. I found that I wasn't alone in my fears and that the truly successful artists are the ones who have figured out how to get past their insecurity and create work despite it. 

In Creative Block Danielle asks 50 artists about their art practice,why they feel the need to create,what inspires them, and whether they listen to their inner critic.  She also asks each artist to give a project to the reader to "unBlock" their own creativity. Some of the projects are simple and some are quite complex but the underlying theme to most of them is "just create, don't think. Just do." I will make this my mantra.

I highly recommend getting a copy of Creative Block if not for all the great exercises but for the collection of great artwork. Julia Pott, Jennifer Davis and Kate Pugsley are just a few of my favourite artists that are featured in the book. So lovely, so inspirational.

I just want to say "thanks" Danielle for being an empathetic ear and getting all of us creating despite our fears. I'm jealously happy for all your success. Mwah!

Thank you Jealous Curator readers

Anything is possible- Irene Suschocki

A little while ago I did a post letting you in on why I've decided to close my Etsy shop. Since then I've been working on new prints and new techniques and really trying to shift my perspective of myself as an artist. I had mentioned that my friend Danielle of the Jealous Curator had lent me her copy of the Artist's Way and that she has been really instrumental in helping me find a happier path to creativity. One day we were chatting about my sense of failure for still having to work a part-time job as a server and not creating a livelihood with my true talents. Patient as always, Danielle told me that I wasn't the only artist out there with that struggle and she bet that it she put a call out on her blog about it I would hear empathy from plenty of people.

Boy was she right. So many people wrote long and thoughtful comments about being insecure as an artist. About not being good enough. I think I may have checked on her blog post more often than Danielle to see if there was something new written. One of the things I loved about the comments was that I was able to click on the name of the commenter and be directed to their web page. So many crazy talented people! These skilled and successful people felt the same insecurities as me?! I loved hearing that I wasn't alone. I printed the whole set of comments so that I can go back and refer to them when I need a pick me up. It will be more to me than a bunch of inspirational phrases because these were responses to my  personal conflict.

So this post is a huge THANK YOU! to Danielle and all the people who commented on her post. All your comments were very inspiring and I will use them thoughtfully on my artistic journey.

Now what?

Source: Keri Smith

  So you may be wondering how I plan to get out of the funk I can't seem to shake surrounding my art and Etsy shop. Well I'm always big on plans and I've started an epic one that I hope I can maintain and find useful. I've taken on the task of doing "The Artist's Way" 12-week course. This is something I've thought about doing for years and haven't done. I was always used the excuse that it was always being borrowed at the library. The truth is that I've always been afraid to do it.

I was talking to a friend of mine and I mentioned that I might close my shop and maybe do this course. Of course the said friend, who is also an artist, had the book and said she would lend it to me. I had forgotten that years previously she said she was doing the book and was finding it very helpful to overcome her fears and anxieties about being an artist. "It will break you but it will be so worth it". I've been lucky to see first-hand how confronting your own thoughts and insecurities can help you grow as a person . The friend I'm talking about is Danielle Krysa who writes the fantastic and inspirational blog The Jealous Curator. This blog began as a way for Danielle to get past her jealousy of other artist's and their abilities and really talk about them in a way of admiration and inspiration. If you haven't seen the blog yet you should. Danielle talks with such an authentic voice and finds such amazing artists that the blog has taken off like wild-fire. She's gone from feeling "not good enough" to loving her day and the ability she has to make some other art lover's day.
Danielle has seen me a couple times with tears in my eyes about my frustration around not yet "succeeding" as an artist and she is always compassionate. I'm lucky to have her there as someone who understands that my soul goes into my art and it doesn't feel like it's being acknowledged. I KNOW that she knows what that's like.  Thanks so much Danielle. : )
Can I count this as one of my Artist Way thank-you letters to one of my Champions? Please do.
So far I've been able to keep up with the course. I'll write here about every once in a while to let you know what it's been like for me. Have you done the course? Did you find it helpful?