3. Create an Atmosphere
Big 3 Ideas
Why do you make art? For most, it is because of how it makes us feel. Obvious? There may be more to it. In this episode I start out with a quote from David Lynch about his creative process; so inspiring it is to all artists who are looking to make something truly unique.
3 Pillars of a Creative Life:
1. Create an Atmosphere (this episode);
2. Make Decisions (next time); and
3. Walk the Path (upcoming)
Create an atmosphere in your brain, your studio, your business - of creativity, positivity, and support
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EPISODE 3 - Create an Atmosphere
[00:00:00] Welcome to the Metaphor Mindset Podcast.
I'm your host, Shannon Borg.
In the house. I kind of had started to have a setup and when I made the film, I had all these rooms to shoot the film right there. I only had a couple of scenes outside. It was just, it was just perfect.
Why did you become an artist?
Maybe it isn't something you became, maybe you just are an artist. Whatever the case. [00:01:00] I can say this with confidence. Most of us make art because of how it makes us feel. The atmosphere, it creates in our minds.
That was David Lynch in his movie, the art life. Talking about the making of his first cult hit Eraserhead.
He talks about his setup. And how important it was to him. As he was making this movie to just have all these rooms ready to film in. It's almost like the setup created the movie itself. Because he had the rooms. The script was almost dictated by the rooms he had.
He created an atmosphere. So his movie could evolve.
And then he just went to work.
What is it for you? You felt it. Artists are skilled at creating an atmosphere.
I I want to start way back in what it means to feel [00:02:00] like an artist.
Why are we drawn to a certain atmosphere, a certain place or type of place?
A French cafe.
A serene beach.
A bustling city.
Or a quiet forest.
In our painting and art. We are creating. Uh, place inside our brains and inside our imagination. Where. We feel safe. Or we feel. A certain sense of excitement. Or even conflict
inside us that. Helps us bring something new into the world where we can engage with that creative process.
The surrealist painter Leonora Carrington said. I don't paint dreams. As far as I know, dreams are in a different space. There are many spaces. And every one of them is interrelated.
So for Carrington.
She really saw her creativity and her imagination isall of these different spaces.
So I'm curious about what the atmosphere is for [00:03:00] you. What do you need to have in place? To feel. At your best in your creative process. Everyone's different. Uh, everyone. Has a totally different way of working. For some people it's loud music in a lot of energy. For some people it's quiet. Serenity.
For some people it's working outside for some people it's working in a group. I'm really curious. And I want to know more about who's out there. What your. Atmosphere is that you need, that you want to create. And how that helps you with your process.
Sometimes the atmosphere we want to create is at odds with the real world. Oh my gosh.
For years, I let my thought that I needed a certain atmosphere, that I needed things to be a certain way. Get in the way of me actually doing anything. If you've ever felt this way. You're not alone.
Over the [00:04:00] years. I kept searching for it. taking workshops.traveling. moving to different places. And I realized that, of course this seeking. Was not the answer. It was great experience and my life has been amazing. But over the years, I realized that I could create this atmosphere. For myself wherever i was because it really happened in my brain
This is so funny to me. And so essential. If we make art because of the feeling that it brings us. And our feelings come from our body and our brain. Uh, light goes on whenever I remember that my brain is inside my body.
I have a post-it note on my wall, in my studio that says paint with your body, not your brain. I always have to remember this. I have to take care of both my body and my brain. And then sometimes I just have to turn my brain off. When I paint. But I think it's essential. [00:05:00] To really look at our brains and how. We are creating our setup. How our thoughts are working and how we're creating an atmosphere. So we can really just walk into that house, walk into our studio and start to work.
If you've listened to the first couple of episodes of this podcast. You've heard a new podcast or figuring out the territory.
I've always connected sound and music with travel through new landscapes and mindscapes. As a kid, I remember loving to listen to the radio shows. The dramas, the mysteries. As my family drove back and forth between Spokane Washington. And Utah where my grandmother lived. And in my early twenties, I had a 1956 Oldsmobile named Oscar.
And I drove it back and forth between the pine forests of Eastern Washington to the treeless Hills of Utah.
[00:06:00] Most of our creative life occurs in our heads. That's why, especially for artists, it feels difficult to bring it out into the real world.
To create paintings, sculptures and objects. They never come out as we imagine them. But that doesn't stop us. When we realized the world around us is also much of our own making. Depending on our thoughts, our emotions, our choices. And when we can have more acceptance of that. And surrender to that present moment. Be inside the process of making art.
And love what comes out the other side. Then that's when the magic happens.
As kids, we get this. Even if you grew up in a difficult situation, you might've retreated into your imagination to help you through it. Creating an atmosphere is not only about avoidance or resistance. Or not dealing with reality. It's about taking responsibility for your mind, your space and your situation.
In [00:07:00] 1877 when James McNeill Whistler showed his painting Nocturne in black and gold. It was quite a sensation.
This painting. Is more colors and shapes than any scene. The impressionists. Had already. Blown up the art world. But people like Turner who had done this earlier and Whistler. We're really in their own league. Whistler created. A whole. Show a whole installation. That was just about the color yellow.
And this painting was more a feeling than a picture. It was a night scene. Of. Fireworks. Exploding.
Light's reflecting on the water of the Thames river. He painted a lot of these Nocturnes.
Night paintings.
That had. A lot of dark blues, blacks.
[00:08:00] And often just the reflections of the light on the water.
They really gave you the atmosphere. Of what it was like to live in London at that time. And talk about. Toxic atmosphere. London. Had a lot of pollution and a lot of sit in the air. So this. Pollution created a haze. That was. Always over London. And these nocturnal paintings really captured that feeling.
Critics thought it was too sloppy. I'm quoting here from the website art in context, which has a great review of this piece.
Critics thought it was too sloppy, unintelligible, and even disrespectful. Whistler's work was rejected by art critic, John Ruskin, as quote, throwing a pot of paint in front of the populous. End quote. As a result, Whistler. Ever the audacious fellow prosecuted Ruskin for libel.
Whistler [00:09:00] argued throughout the trial, that the reason he made his paintings was not to imitate nature, but to transcend it, to create a feeling of beauty. And a spiritual experience for the viewer. And the interesting thing is he won his case. He was only given one farthing in damages. But Whistler new.
That any publicity is good publicity. And after that. He was renowned for these paintings.
. Another painting. That I find. Very fascinating. In terms of this is Joan Mitchell's hemlock.
Painted the same year that my Oldsmobile Oscar was born 1956.
The name of the painting. Is from. Wallace Stevens poem called domination of black. Written in 1916.
it is really just like brush strokes that look like the branches. Of a tree kind of swaying back and forth.
The Stevens [00:10:00] poem. It goes like this. Out of the window. I saw how planets gathered. Like the leaves themselves turning in the wind. I saw how the night came. Came striding like the color of the heavy hemlocks. And Steven's also connects that. To the sounds outside his window of. The peacocks making these noises. And of course the word hemlocks and peacocks.
Has a connection.
So for Stevens. And for Joan Mitchell. Creating this atmosphere. I have the wind moving and the sound and the color and the planets turning, all. Really works together. To create this atmosphere.
That is beautiful and melancholy.
These two examples. Whistler's knocked turn in black and gold. And Joan Mitchell's painting hemlock. [00:11:00] And of course Steven's poem domination of black are great examples. Of capturing an atmosphere, an emotion, a feeling in a work of art.
And of course every work of art out there does this. We can't avoid it. It just happens. But for these artists. Really. Doing it intentionally really understanding what they're trying to capture. Gives their work power.
The power of art. Is to create emotion, to create atmosphere. And yet there are some things we really resist.
Even though we know we want to share our work with others. There are certain things like technology or marketing or social media.
And the reason that you might be resisting. Anything in technology or marketing? Is perhaps one of two reasons. Either one. Deep down. There's a part of you that wants to try this stuff to learn the [00:12:00] new part. And your limbic brain is telling you. Stop, go back into the cave, be safe. Don't try new things. You'll fail.
And I'm here to tell you your brain is right. You probably will fail. I am failing. I fail every day. I love it. The more we can become comfortable with what you might call failure. Which is basically just not meeting. The expectations inside your imagination.
The more success we will have.
And the second reason you may be resisting technology or finance or spreadsheets or websites or marketing or anything like that, isn't you just really don't want to do it.
I suggest in this case that you find out which it is. sit with yourself to decide, do I really never, ever want to do this?
Or am I just fearful that I'll fail and it will be hard.
So number one is to create an atmosphere in your brain. Where creativity is happening and able to flow the way you want it to where you're not. Lingering and ruminating and negative thought.
Number [00:13:00] two, create an atmosphere in your studio. Where you can work.
Where you have all your tools at hand. Where things are in order. Where the lighting is right.
Uh, number three.
Create an atmosphere in your business. Where you can have your own back.
Having your own back means that as you learn As you go down this road of. Learning new technology of understanding what it is to have a business understanding all the different parts to it. And trying new things you've never done before. That you won't be mean to yourself? You won't beat yourself up and keep telling yourself you're not good at business.
Does that thought really serve you?
I like to. Write things on my wall, in my studio. And put up little stickies. You may do this as well. Things. I want to think and things, I want to believe new ideas about paintings, et cetera. So if you were to.
Right. Something new on the wall of your brain. About your business. [00:14:00] What would it be?
Here's my latest
I have my own back because I'm getting better. At not scheduling too many things. I love my schedule.
Because my schedule has my back.
My schedule is there to protect me and help me make progress.
So today I've given you a few ways to create an atmosphere in your art life. In your brain. You can manage your mind.
In your studio, you can create an atmosphere by loving your space.
And three in your business, you can create an atmosphere. By having your own back.
I like to think about things in very simple steps. It helps me to focus on what's happening right now. And keep things clear and simple.
So for my creative life. I have. Three pillars. The first one is create an atmosphere. Number two is make decisions. And number three is walk the path.
I use these three steps for [00:15:00] myself. And also to work with my clients to help them find more clarity and simplicity in their creative process. I hope this was helpful for you today.
If you're an artist who wants to sell and market your work more effectively, join us in the Metaphor Mindset Studio, an online program for artists who want to love their business as much as they love their art.
Metaphor, mindset, studio. Think like an artist, work like a boss.
Why did you become an artist?
Maybe it isn’t something you “become” for you. Maybe you just “are” an artist.
Whatever the case, I can say this with confidence - Most of us make art because of how it makes us FEEL.
When most artists begin - at whatever age, whether as a child exploring a box of 64 colors of crayons, or a teenacger discovering how to draw a frien’d face, or a 50 year old grappling with the concepts of linear perspective or the simplicity of drawing an ink circle with your whole body, the reason that artist wants to continue, wants to be an artist - is because of a feeling.
Because of the feeling that making art brings. When you are in the zone, when everything is flowing.
At first, it may happen by chance. But after a while, you start trying to replicate this feeling. Is it the place? the well-lit studio, the smoky cafe in Paris, is it the cool air on your face as you haul your plein-air box out into a field to catch the morning light? Is it the satisfaction of creating a perfect color wheel, blending cadmium orange and half ultramarine blue and a perfect range of cool greens and warm greys in between?
Whatever it is for you? You’ve felt it. Artists are skilled at creating an atmosphere.
The title of Joan Mitchell's painting Hemlock derives from a passage in a 1916 Wallace Stevens poem titled Domination of Black. It contains several references to hemlock, including: “Out of the window, / I saw how the planets gathered / Like the leaves themselves / Turning in the wind. / I saw how the night came, / Came striding like the color of the / heavy hemlocks. . .”
Sometimes however, the atmosphere we want to create is at odds with the real world. Oh. mugosh. Yes. If only the whole world would get on board with the idea that we need our atmosphere to be jsut right!
Today I’m going to share with you STep one in my 3 steps of Creating an art business and practice you love.
Step 1 is Create An Atmosphere.
In your brain, in your studio, in your business.
with essential ways you can do this for yourself.
Ok. Number 1. Create an Atmosphere in your BRAIN.
This is essential.
We make art because of the feeling it brings us - and feelings come from what? Our body, yes, and our brain, yes. A light goes on wheneever I remember - my BRAIN is INSIDE my BODY!
When I run down the list of emotions art gives me, its delight, self-confidence, joy, calm, flow, - but also there has been a lot of frustration, intense feeling of failure, anxiety. All of these feelings come from my body - AND my brain! There’s a chemical soup in there, and I’ve notices - with both my own art practice, and my clients that
the feelings we get from art are pretty much 50/50. Just like the rest of life. But for some reason, as artists, we are SO ok with the hard part - because the feeling that comes from the good part is so amazing!
And what I’d like to offer today, is that this skill can be used in some very interesting and productive ways in your creative business asl well.
This is Step 1 in the Metaphor Mindset Studio - Create an Atmosphere.
You get to decide what that atmosphere is.
The atmosphere in your studio, the atmosphere in your home, the atmosphere in your business, the atmosphere in your head.
Let’s talk about that.
In Episode 1, we talked about The Setup - how we setup our minds like we set up our art - thinking about every part of it.
When you step back, and decide intentionally to setup , to create an atmosphere in your mind - what would that be?
In recovery, people laugh when they say - my mind is a bad neighborhood - I don’t go there alone.
If your mind is like a bad neighborhood - and you don’t want to venture alone - you know what you don’t want - then, what DO you want? what atmosphere are you creating that you don’t even know about?
Like iI talked about in episode zero - the Setup about MONET’s letters home about the Rouen Cathedral were filled with his anxieties about the project - nightmares - the cathedral literally (well, figuratively) fell on him in his dreams.
He wrote of the impossibiltity of the project.
And yet, he painted 31 versions of the cathedral.
Cezanne painted Mt. Sainte Victoire 55 times - each a little different as he focused on a different aspect of the scene, different palettes, different light.
What Atmosphere do you want to create in your studio in your business?
So how can we create that feeling more often? How can we cultivate an atmosphere in our art lives that helps that feeling - whatever it is for you, calm, joy, flow, excitement - happen whenever you wave your magic brush?
No guarantee, but I do have some suggestions that I’ve been really working on in my art life.
There are 3 areas I’d like to focus on -
Creating an atmosphere in our Brains, in our Studios, and in our Business.
The Studio is an extension of your brain. The Business is an extension of Your Studio.
Kind of an inward to outward movement. Drop a pebble into a pond - your mind, and it ripples out. The ripple effect is so powerful.
So first.
In Your Brain
Manage Your Mind - What thoughts come up for you when you enter the studio? You might even bring your journal and sit down next time you enter the studio to work and just write down what is in youe mind - For instance, Are your thought: I’m so excited - I get to work on this new painting today! Or, OMG, how am I going to fix this painting? See the difference? When your throughts are creating a feeling of excitement, you will flow with that excitement. But if you are putting yourself down, or agonizing over details, your brain shuts down.
Metaphor Mindset - I love to think of my studio as if it were in a garret in Paris, or a Thames River warehouse, rather than a garage in Friday Harbor! When I can get my imagination going this way - put my music on, get my lighting right, get the SETUP right - it gets my brain creating the good chemicals. and Ripples out, I enjoy “conteplative gaps,” of time to process, read, think.
Disrupt Your Patterns - so between these first two ideas - manage your mind, and think in metaphors, You may see patterns rise. Our brains love pattern - in fact, of course, we paint and create in patterns - you may love lines, or circles, triangles or swirls. WHatever your visual patterns, our aptterns of thinking are SO important - If you notice that your thoughts laways turn to fear or judgement when you enter the studio - try to establish a different pattern - break it up - dirupt the pattern. If you always wear the same shirt to paint in, get a new one - go to a thrift store and buy a beautifuyl gown or wear a tux. Use a different format or paint on the floor or upsdie down. All of these things just help our brains break out. And break the ingrained patterns of negative thinking, self judegement and complacenty
In Your Studio
Since our studios are an extension of our brains - and hearts and souls, it makes sense that when I get started, I always want to putter, set things in place. So my first step for creating an atmosphere in my studio is to:
Love on your space - Rearrange, set up little dioramas, I have a comfortable chair to sit with mu coffee and do tarot as I look at my paintings.
Clarity of Purpose - Iwhen you do your setup, i love it when artists have different work spaces - for dry and wet projects, for different paper projects so they don’t mess up the other projects….
Take care of your tools - My dad was big on this one. He spent endless hours sharpening knives, wiping down shovels, organizing his tools - I guess it wore off on me - and since my tools are my livelihood - does that mean I should clean my brushes more? I’m always forgetting to clean my brushes and ruining brushes. I have a few friends who have incredibly clean well -organized, beautiful brushses - this is where I need to put some more etime into it. I’ll keep you posted.
And finally, from the brain to the studio to the business. How do we create an atmosphere we love in our business?
In Your Business
Have your own back - Having your own back means that as you learn, ad go down this road of business, you won’t be mean to yourself, you won’t beat yourself up and keep telling yourself your are not good at business - If you do have this thought - you might find that this thought isn’t serving you.
If you were to have a thought - a belief that you can paint on your wall today - what would it be? Please write it in the comments on the Show notes page or in a review of this episode - here’s my latest one. I have my own back because I am getting better at not scheduling too many things. I am coming to trust myself because I know that when I DO put something on my schedule, I will put in my best effort to follow through, despite the discomfort I feel. I’ll set a timer to sit down and do a job that I dread - like finances - For instance, with finances - thios should be the fun part, right? MOney - when you get paid, it should be fun! So I turn on music, get a strong cup of coffee, and set a timer for 25 minutes - I used ht pomodoro method. You’ll hear me talk about that a fair amount. I do the job. So I have my own back. If I schedule too many things one week and I find I can’t finish them, then I schedule fewer things next week, and don’t beat myself up about it. I have my own back. Amd this leads me to the next way you can create an atmosphere in. your business:
Constraint clarifies - When you have constraint, and narrow your focus or do one out of 10 ideas, then you can do that thing better. I know this may seem hard for artists - I like to see it as a Green Room - like in a play - I have SOOO many ideas - the ones that I send to the Green ROom are like Actors - they sit around, practiceing their lines, doing voice exercises ELeven Elevated Elephants, eating green emm&Ms, drinking Perrier. Whatever! I know they are there, and when they are ready - I will invite them to come on stage. But for now, I have just TWO things. Maybe one is back stage, getting really ready to come on stage, and one is ON stage - I’m focused on that idea, until it exits stage left, and the next idea is ready.
Like Dr. Horrible says - It’s not a PERFECT metaphor, but you get the idea. It creates a huge sense of relief in my when I realized that it was not My obligation to the world and to the Muse 0 to dcomplete EVERY idea she gave me.Baby Steps and Breakthroughs - In business, just liek in art - there will be hard slogs, and easier times. So I take one from Bob in What About Bob. Baby Steps! I have made this my mantra - and you can steal it, or make up your own - Baby Steps and Breakthroughs. We keep taking the baby steps and then sometimes, the breakthrough comes.
So today I’ve given you a few ways to Create an Atmosphere in your Art Life:
In Your Brain
Manage Your Mind
Metaphor Mindset
Mind Your Patterns
In Your Studio
Love on your space
Clarity of Purpose
Take care of your tools
In Your Business
Allow Discomfort
Baby Steps and Breakthroughs
Constraint Clarifies
I hope you have a great week!
