To you lucky SJA Fellows,

In my work, I believe that the more something feels scary or dangerous, like unknown territory, the more my work will benefit from confronting that fear and understanding it. It doesn’t mean I will like the results, but it will have taken me to a new place.

I believe in making mistakes. Mistakes are necessary, beneficial, and sometimes serendipitous but also hard to see or accept as a mistake. I used to become frustrated when a piece wasn’t working out, only to realize I just needed to look at it from a new angle, quite literally sometimes. Or just let it go and move on. Maybe return to it even years later to be able to distinguish where it worked and exactly why it didn’t. And to incorporate that knowledge into subsequent work.

I find that when I’ve made something that I don’t recognize, that was never in my mind’s eye, hadn’t been envisioned yet, that is when I know I’m on the right track.

It’s also OK when you go through a fallow period. You may feel you’re not accomplishing anything, but your mind is still absorbing everything around you; it will all feed into the work when you’re ready.

One has to feel freedom in their work, in order to take it to places you never anticipated. Create as if no one has to ever see it; there’s nothing to be shy about, it’s just for yourself, no one will judge you. You’ll know when it’s right to show to others.

Whenever I’m struggling and need feedback, I’ll show the work to a precious few people whom I trust, but it’s less about hearing their response than it is about me realizing I’m stuck and vainly hoping I’m not. It’s like I can suddenly see what I’m showing them as transitory and use that to take it to where it needs to go, that next level.

It all comes down to trusting yourself fully, believing that if it’s making you happy, it has value.