"Carefree" by Chao Shao-an. Featured in Album Paintings by Chao Shao-an. Look out for a video book review of this beautiful book to be released on Friday.
Inspiring Conversation
The topic of this email was inspired by a conversation with one of our customers from New York City. She called purchasing some supplies for an upcoming class being taught by Sung Sook Setton.
While I was taking her order we got to talking about her life experience. She has a PhD in cell biology and is also a trained photographer. As we were talking more, it became apparent to her that the pictures of cells she used to look at in her lab work, and the street scenes that she photographed in New York combined with her experience as a Chinese Brush Painter was pointing the way to an exciting new direction for her art!
I left the conversation excited to see what she would produce and wondering how many other unique stories, life experiences, and preferences are out there and if everyone who had them knew how to cultivate them into a unique artistic perspective.
Tips for Identifying and Cultivating Your Unique Artistic Perspective
- Human beings are like snowflakes, there are infinitely unique combinations of backgrounds, tastes, and tendencies. Your very existence points the way to your uniqueness
- Write down 5 unique things about yourself in a journal or book of appreciation. Do this, slowly pausing after each aspect for contemplation.
- Be willing to copy as a means of building skill. You don't have to force uniqueness, just follow where your tastes and desires lead you. In this process you will craft a unique influence from other's work and will eventually zero into something that is special to you
- Indulge your artistry first. Often worrying about doing something with commercial appeal or that others will like leads you away from your own uniqueness.
- Your most important relationship is with yourself. Build that relationship first and you will find immensely satisfying rewards both as an artist and as a person.
We Want to Help You Realize Your Artistic Dreams
We at Oriental Art Supply remain committed to our mission of nurturing artists! We would like nothing more that to have your feeling the joy that goes along with living life as an artist.
We have found that the practice of Chinese Brush Painting and Calligraphy has so many wonderfully gratifying benefits and are here to provide the support and tools necessary for you to enrich your life in this way.