Wanderlust Collective

TRAVEL INSPIRATION ARTFAQ CLASSES

FACING

FEAR in Art

JUNE 8/The Wanderlust Collective/

Art, Inspiration, Lifestyle

Photo by Umit Bulut on Unsplash

As I’m teaching more and more students I am realizing that fear is the number one problem plaguing them. Fear comes in so many forms. There is fear of success, fear of failure, fear of making a mistake, fear of what others think and so forth and so on.

Whenever I feel fear rising up inside of me. I consult the masters. I love studying art history, especially studying the way artists of the past handled obstacles.

One of my favorites is Vincent Van Gogh. He left behind a legacy, not only his beautiful paintings but his letters to his brother Theo. In them we see how many trials and tribulations Van Gogh had to go through to be the artist that he was. He was no different than any of us struggling in our art journey today.

Vincent Van Gogh-Self Portrait

“If one wants to be active, one mustn’t be afraid to do something wrong sometimes, not afraid to lapse into some mistakes. To be good, many people think that they’ll achieve it by doing no harm and that’s a lie..That leads to stagnation, to mediocrity. Just slap something on it when you see a blank canvas staring at you with a sort of imbecility. “

Vincent Van Gogh

He struggled with his paintings and hated most of them. I’ve been there. What made Vincent move forward?

“My pictures are of no value; though of course they cost me a very great deal, at times even my blood and my brain.”

Vincent Van Gogh

Van Gogh struggled with self confidence, he had trouble finding his way in this world. Did you know that at the age of 26 he was a lay preacher? He preached in the mining community of Southern Belgium. He had great empathy for miners and immersed himself in his job. Vincent wanted to be like the miners, and even smeared his hands and face with dirt. He gave away his belongings and lived on bread and water. The church community chastised him and fired him for basically going overboard on his mission. That’s when he decided to turn his hobby which was art into his profession.

“Let’s not forget that the little emotions are the great captains of our lives and we obey them without realizing it.”

Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh-Starry Night

Vincent struggled for years to develop his expertise in art to a level he was comfortable with. He was an artist for eleven years before his death. In those eleven years he finished 2,150 paintings. He was more productive towards the end of his life.

I admire Vincent Van Gogh, despite his mental illness, he had an extraordinary mind and spirit. He left behind seven hundred letters to his brother Theo filled with his thoughts and feelings on life and art, along with several sketches to further emphasize his opinions. They give us insight on who he really was as a person in his own words.

This artist has allowed me to find myself in the most turbulent of times. When I want to give up, I look to Van Gogh.

Just one of the many letters to Theo

“If one is a master of one thing and understands one thing well, one has at the same time insight into and understanding of many things."

Vincent Van Gogh

Let’s take a page from Vincent Van Gogh and be persistent in everything we want to achieve. Fear will only hold you back if you let it.