[Lunatique]

Most of you know that art is actually my least favorite among all the creative things I love (writing, music, photography, film..etc). But for some damn reason I've been making a living as an artist all these years. So, I want to know how many of you actually "enjoy" the process of drawing/painting?

For me, drawing/painting is 25% fun, 75% tedious problem solving. I enjoy coming up with the design, concept, layout, composition, sketching..etc, but once I get into the "finishing" mode of detailing and tightening up the piece, it becomes technical and tedious.

In comparison, composing music, taking photography, writing novel/screenplay, and filmmaking are far more exciting, immersive, and fulfilling for me creatively and emotionally. For me, drawing/painting has the least amount of gratification during the execution. When I write, every dialogue, every scene, has emotional elements--something actually happening. When I compose, every note, every chord, every beat, directly causes an emotional response from me. In photography, there's a dynamic chemistry between me and my enviroment/subject. I'm active, searching, finding, capturing scenes, people, objects, animals..etc in realtime--with full sensory immersion. Filmmaking wise, it's just so much more fun because you are not doing it alone, and getting that perfect take where the actors, the lighting, the cameraman..etc just gels together perfectly makes you want to shout with joy (that's why after getting a difficult take, the crew always cheer).

So, it's no wonder drawing/painting ranks low on my list of passions--but I do love art and have been doing it for so long that it's a part of who I am. I just don't know if I'll be content doing it for a living in the future.

[DJorgensen]

In all honesty, I love a challenge.
And art is always challenging.

The part I love the most is bringing an idea outside of my mind and putting it on paper. I do many many sketches. And love it.

Finishing works however presents problems that I do not completly enjoy. Making one compositional error that can ruin a piece for myself is heartbreaking. But when I do succeed and complete something, it is very special and totally satisfying.

So yes, I do enjoy what I do. I just can't do enough.
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[Socar MYLES]

I love everything about it except the money...there's never enough.
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[Frog]

Maybe you're spending too much time noodling/rendering your work. That's one problem I used to suffer from, and it made me very slow.

You should try doing some speedpaints, it's very liberating and once you get into it, very enjoyable - you get right in the zone and work in that intuitive state of mind which I think could be what you're referring to in other disciplines.

Try it, grab some photo ref (or whatever) that you find inspiring and allow yourself one hour or less to complete your piece. You won't have time to fiddle or blend so this takes you right down to the fundamentals, and when it works well you get that deep satisfaction of being totally absorbed by the task you're doing. It has other benefits in that it can loosen you up stylistically too.

When all your work is too highly polished, completing a piece can feel a bit daunting simply because it takes so long. If you get into speedpainting you can shake that feeling off and rediscover the spontaneity which is what really taps into your subconscious creativity, and painting becomes a lot more fun.
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[Sumaleth]

I love the end result, but I don't enjoy the process. Which is why I average about one picture per year...
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[eyewoo]

I think I love it, but I'm not totally sure it is more of a need than a love. Perhaps that makes it a passion instead... don't know, but I do know that I have been around long enough to have tried getting away from it with very unsettling results. There have periods in my life when I've totally gotten involved in mostly non-art ways of making a living. It is during those times that I have been unhappy and unsure of my reason for being. OTOH, when I am involved in my artwork, I am most settled and optimistic... soooo, empirically speaking, I think I love it.
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[Nimr0d]

Well, Lunatique, I feel the opposite way as you... I love art and making art 100% through and through, but to me filmmaking is 25% fun and 75% tedious problem solving I actually think I just like editing... I totally understand when I read about hitchcock and how he hated the filmmaking process; for him the movie was done and perfect in his head, and actually having to make it was a horrible messy inconvenience.
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[Awetopsy]

to be perfectly honest I enjoy painting and drawing much more now that Im not doing it professionally. I quite enjoyed doing it as work but when I lost my job it took me almost a year to feel like drawing again. But now I enjoy doing it for me again.. not for someone else.

[dzou]

hello

lunatique seems asking very interesting questions, i didn't dare cause i thought i will get what i wanted... (message like yes of course, sure, i love it ....)

i'm thinking like eyewoo, though i'm just drawing (yes i know ...)
i'm thinking, there a bit part of fun and a huge part of shitty things that if we neglect result will suffer.
I don't find better things to do, when i'm on board i'm really really bad mood (or don't reading a book about it
when i get on it, there some feelings of real joy (but in some instant) and i regret it don't last, it makes me more confused.
i'm really thinking of living for art that i do for me and enjoy simple things in life, THAT would be great ! but ... it need some money
and i think that a good living is a good mixture of fun and pain (not necessrily physical)

And unfortunetly that thinking is not helping me very much, perhaps cause it's not of me and can't unterstand it fully ...

so won't make it longer ...

ciao

[Riven]

100% passion.

It's a lot of hard work, it's challenging, but it's also very satisfying. I can't think of living my life without it.

[eyewoo]

[aphelionart]

eh, for me it's all about the process... a desire to create and explore. rarely does anything get done!

but when all's said and done, the work means nothing more than a glaring example of my past mistakes .. it helps me strive to learn more in the long-run, but i can never appreciate my work. i just finished my first freshman yr of college and looking back at my figure drawing portfolio, i feel like a disgrace to myself - like i was too proud, though i know i've improved tremendously and i do receive a lot of complements.

so why art for me? cuz i'm at the wheel, i am my worst enemy and best friend, and the only limit is myself. as for visual art in particular?

what can be a more powerful and rewarding gift than being able to make someone (including yourself!) see to believe?

-matt

[Al Ian]

As for me, I enjoy the basics of drawing as well. Beyond that it takes to much time for me to realy develop it in my life. I have far to many other things that I wish to give my attention then my art. Though I have been drawing as long as I can possibly remember.

I make use of my art background in the rest of my life. The creativity and passion I have gained from my art has propogated throughout the rest of my life. Of which I am greatfull.
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[Torstein Nordstrand]

I do art for several reasons.

It's a service I can provide reasonably well for money. I also get a pride-filled thrill when I finish a job well. "Wow, did that come out of me? Can I do that?"

Also, when I look at what others can create with the same means I have, I feel I should strive to become as great, or greater. I'm not good enough, I can't do what I'd like to do, they understand the important things that I don't.

So I guess shame keeps me from quitting, pride keeps me going.... hm, why do I like what I do, again?
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[henrik]

deleted
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[henrik]

As long as I'm on top of things, problem solving is ok. (You're never on top of things when it comes to problems). When problem solving becomes tedious and a mere obstacle to achieve a goal, it's no fun at all. I enjoy what I do for myself, work has always been...work.

I have the opportunity to work for big clients and great projects, but that's tickling my ego nerve on a psychological level. My own work is more joyful and eriching on a personal more satisfying level, where I can feel a more real and true passion for the process. Can't say I "enjoy" working, but yes, I enjoy what I do.
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[Yarik]

Waaaaayy tooo long. I spent a total of 8+ hours on each drawing in class I did last semester. I had about 5 drawings. It is too much work, but the final result, like Sumaleth said, is the best part.

[insanelight]

Very interesting thread!
I have a lot to say, but I'm not so good in english, so: I paint and draw only for hobby, I paint only what I want paint, I paint with no time limitations and I paint without a final vote... I love each stage of the paint process, but I really love play with colors.
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[del3030]

I love doing art, sketching, painting, what i really love is when a piece is almost finished and i put all the finshing touches on it and finally see it done, it feels good, but i also play pool, which is an art form in it self, i play pool atleast 3-8 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the experience i get from it is amazing. I have learned so much from meeting people of all different races and ages. Playing pool all over the city in tournaments and on leagues. And theres so much to this life long game, its insane. And if you know how to do it right you can make some good money playing, Ok i think i went off topic, sorry.
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