Beautiful Natalie. Your artwork is stunning. I heard something a while ago that made me rethink wanting to rush through everything, particularly when it comes to getting to the end of an art piece, it was “the time it takes is the right time”. Which I think speaks to so much.
Thank you so much Emily - and you are so right, it takes exactly the right time. Though that does remind me of a saying my grandfather had when you asked him how long something would take, he always said "how long is a piece of string?" 😂
My work is also very slow. I think, though, this was a gift from the earth and it’s pigments. For a long time, I navigated how to embrace the slowness and balance it against social media and business. Or at least, learn to be *quick* enough in the right spaces to I could make an income from selling artwork. It didn’t really work. Or maybe it did? And I’m now just seeing that there isn’t just one way of doing it. Will we be relevant artists if we don’t use social media. Relevant is an interesting word. Yes, if we stop using Instagram we won’t be relevant there anymore. But I believe we can be relevant artists in other places and invest in our own communities. I haven’t read it yet, but I am very intrigued by a book called Dopamine Nation, in my confined learning about dopamine in this era. I think we can make slow and relevancy work in the same sentence. I think we can point towards our values and find fulfillment all while being slow.
I have so much to reply that perhaps we should make a zoom call of it? Thanks for sharing, Natalie. Looking forward to seeing your ideas for this space!
I love all of this so much Lauren, and I would love a zoom!
In particular I so agree with your words around 'relevance'. I am interested in this book - I need to go look it up. I absolutely know that for me the misplaced fears that are triggered by FOMO and social media have dopamine at the core (and neurodivergence and trauma), and it is confronting for me to admit how disruptive it has been, how caught up in it all I have been on and off, instead of listening to the quiet voices that encourage intention and forging our own way, and yes, fulfilment.
Beautiful Natalie. Your artwork is stunning. I heard something a while ago that made me rethink wanting to rush through everything, particularly when it comes to getting to the end of an art piece, it was “the time it takes is the right time”. Which I think speaks to so much.
Thank you so much Emily - and you are so right, it takes exactly the right time. Though that does remind me of a saying my grandfather had when you asked him how long something would take, he always said "how long is a piece of string?" 😂
My work is also very slow. I think, though, this was a gift from the earth and it’s pigments. For a long time, I navigated how to embrace the slowness and balance it against social media and business. Or at least, learn to be *quick* enough in the right spaces to I could make an income from selling artwork. It didn’t really work. Or maybe it did? And I’m now just seeing that there isn’t just one way of doing it. Will we be relevant artists if we don’t use social media. Relevant is an interesting word. Yes, if we stop using Instagram we won’t be relevant there anymore. But I believe we can be relevant artists in other places and invest in our own communities. I haven’t read it yet, but I am very intrigued by a book called Dopamine Nation, in my confined learning about dopamine in this era. I think we can make slow and relevancy work in the same sentence. I think we can point towards our values and find fulfillment all while being slow.
I have so much to reply that perhaps we should make a zoom call of it? Thanks for sharing, Natalie. Looking forward to seeing your ideas for this space!
I love all of this so much Lauren, and I would love a zoom!
In particular I so agree with your words around 'relevance'. I am interested in this book - I need to go look it up. I absolutely know that for me the misplaced fears that are triggered by FOMO and social media have dopamine at the core (and neurodivergence and trauma), and it is confronting for me to admit how disruptive it has been, how caught up in it all I have been on and off, instead of listening to the quiet voices that encourage intention and forging our own way, and yes, fulfilment.
I am looking forward to talking more with you xx
Your words always speak to my heart Natalie.
I so appreciate you Jennie, thank you xx