I don’t want to sound pretentious but I don’t want to think of it otherwise either. Art is subjective and if you are not feeling quite ‘honest’ about the results of your artwork, you may reject your final result.
While yes, the process should win over any artist before their results, the results is the thumbnail to the giant blown-up version of the photo — which is equally important.
So how do you know if you were honest to yourself during the time of your artwork’s inception?
Did You Find It Difficult?
If you found it difficult to brainstorm the concept to application phase, then you probably gave it everything you needed.
But if it came easy to you, then you are lying to yourself. It is highly likely that you had lied about expressing yourself.
But if you had used these artworks for commercial purposes — such as making a commercial or poster of some sort for a business or for corporate use — then you have honestly used it for your needs, not your wants.
Producing a masterpiece shouldn’t be so easy. This is this rule. Find it difficult, then you gave effort.
Did You Enjoy The Process?
If you didn’t like the process of what you have done, then none of you would have impressed on your canvas or paper.
A friend of mine who loves music once told me that to write a good song, he must spend time imagining it like a clock. One arm should count the seconds, another should count the minutes and the other the hours.
In other words, the components have their own patterns to follow that create a complex idea that is quite subtle, but reflects his thoughts.
These types of depth, if you crave them, should appear in your honest artwork.
Rubbish or Sellable?
Valuing your work is most difficult. If you price even your best artworks at a very low price, you might need to review whether you have been expressing yourself properly in the process.
You understand that it takes great effort to produce art and other self-expressed work. Why they become expensive is because the expression is unique. While it is sellable at a high price, if the effort feels like rubbish and you feel like selling the work for a smaller price, then you have not been honest with yourself in the entire process.
Therefore, the unlikeable results you have reaped has materialised.
