How To Reconnect With Your Intention As An Artist
All You Need To Reconnect With Your Artistic Intention Are A Few Art Prompts
* Updated December 2024
When you’re an independent artist in charge of your own programming and agenda, it’s easy to get caught up in your own isolated world. You may find yourself straying from your original creative ideas for artwork as you chase what you think other people are interested in about your work.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel or do any major, life-changing soul searching to figure out what your artistic intention is. Sometimes all you need to do is spend a little time asking yourself simple questions in the form of an art prompt or drawing prompts.
There’s temptation to fall back on the stereotype of the unorganized, zany artist because it’s the most romanticized version of your profession – but we at Superfine! Know better than that. As much as you are creative and spontaneous, you also have a killer work ethic and an eye for business, even if you don’t realize it. Creativity prompts are a simple and rewarding way of rediscovering where your passion lies.
The Easiest Way To Find Creative Ideas For Artwork: Remember Why You Make Art In The First Place
“Painting is self-discovery. Every good artist paints what he is.” - Jackson Pollock
If you’re feeling drained of inspiration or depleted in your passion, something important to do is make time to reconnect with your artistic intention through trying a creativity prompt or art prompt. Every artist and creative can benefit from this exercise!
In our new reality of algorithms and trending topics, you might feel pressured to start creating art that’s popular on social media rather than art that’s true to you. After all, it is (in the short term) much more gratifying to get hundreds of likes on a photo when your old content is barely performing. But one major thing to keep in mind is that when you create art for an algorithm, the soul or intention of it is stripped away.
There will always be a market for easy, derivative pop art – but that doesn’t mean you have to “sell out” in order to make it. Believe it or not, earnestness and authenticity as found through art prompts go a long way in the art world – you just need to find your people.
Art Prompts That Investigate Your Priorities
Just like brushing your teeth, adding a simple art prompt to your daily activities can help you feel much more connected to your purpose and intention. The best part is: you don’t need much time to do this – even just 5 minutes will do!
Skip the existential questions and start small and simple. Break out a pen and paper, or even sketch out your responses to the questions below:
What is most important to you about creating art?
What do you want to say with your art?
Trace your hand. How did you feel while doing it? Did it bring up any memories for you about making art?
What do you want clients and visitors to remember about you and your artwork?
Why did you start making art in the first place? Do you remember your first art-making experience?
Chris Roberts-Antieau, “Animalium” image courtesy of Antieau Gallery.
How Antieau Gallery Found Their Collector Base By Identifying Their Values
There’s no telling what kinds of community and collectors you’ll connect with when you realign with your artistic intentions.
Superfine! Exhibitors Antieau Gallery has a deep connection to the community roots behind their gallery – and that’s what they turn to most when it comes to getting creative. In this interview with Sarah of Antieau Gallery, we get an insight into how passion and community can come together to create a beautiful experience.
Superfine!: Where are you based, and what do you love most or are most inspired by about your location?
Antieau Gallery: Antieau Gallery opened in New Orleans, LA in 2010 and in Santa Fe, NM in 2017. Both cities are rich in art and culture, and celebrate their diverse histories, which are told through their African, European, Latin American, and Native ancestries. Both cities celebrate and honor their pasts, which are very unique to just themselves, and is perhaps why they have always thrived in many types of expressive arts. Antieau Gallery has always felt happiest where people are passionate about who they are and what they do.
S!: What type of artwork or artist does the gallery specialize in? What kinds of artists do you find yourself working with?
AG: Antieau Gallery solely exhibits the work of self-taught artist, Chris Roberts-Antieau, who works primarily in fabric and thread. She creates her thread paintings using free-motion sewing machine embroidery and fabric appliqué techniques.
S!: What role does the community play in the gallery’s ecosystem? Do you have community events and programming in addition to exhibition openings?
AG: We are extremely passionate about community engagement. Typically, we host monthly concerts in both galleries that are free to the public. One of our highest priorities is to bring joy to people's lives with an immersive and welcoming art experience. Even on a regular day, we play our music loud, we engage with our visitors, and we hope to create a really special environment where people may learn something or feel something. Most days there is laughter and tears. The goal of Chris's work is to connect people and point to the interconnectedness of humanity. There is always some element, small or large, in any one of her pieces that the individual will relate to. Without our community, I'm not sure there would be any point to our endeavors.
Chris Roberts-Antieau, “Inversion” image courtesy of Antieau Gallery.
S!: What is the gallery’s mission?
AG: The mission of the gallery, which reflects the mission of Chris Roberts-Antieau, is to seek the truth, be honest, inspire people to know that they can do anything, and inspire people to follow their hearts.
S!: What are some of the biggest struggles and/or highlights of your art business?
AG: The biggest highlight of our art business is getting to witness the emotional reactions to the works of art and bringing joy to people's lives through art. When sales are a product of that, that's fantastic! Another highlight is maintaining our awesome collector base, which consists of free-thinking, fascinating, wonderful, and often eccentric, people of all kinds. The biggest struggle of our art business is just that, that we are a business. Antieau Gallery has three locations and typically supports a huge staff of up to twenty people on one artist's art. It can be a lot to manage and we work really hard. But, we've managed to find incredible people that make it happen and the hard work pays off for all of the highlights listed before.
S!: What drew you to apply for Superfine! And engage with the community?
AG: We are always looking for new ways to connect with collectors and fans in different cities, and create new collectors and fans. Chris got her start in the art fair circuit. We don't do many fairs anymore, but do try to attend one or two really good ones, where we know we will find our people and sell a lot of art. We heard great things about Superfine! and loved that it focuses on artists and art sales, with a fun and energetic environment. It's the perfect model for us. We love that Superfine! strives to introduce young people to art collecting.
S!: Where do you see your gallery in 10 years – are there ideas or avenues you are looking forward to exploring, mediums you want to try, places and spaces you’d like to see, or any famous people you’d like to collect your work?
AG: We hope to become friends with Tom Waits, sell tons of art, and maintain beautiful spaces where Chris Roberts-Antieau may continue to push her work in new directions. As a self-taught artist, she is constantly learning and evolving, developing her techniques to meet her needs creatively. The next ten years are going to be a really exciting time for her work and for the galleries!