The Relationship Between Art and Pride
Every artist creates out of pride. And to some extent, that has to be okay. Pride is something that needs to be addressed, and dealt with honestly. Like fear, you can’t escape pride in your work, so you have to learn how to create in its presence. Artists must learn to use their pride as a barometer of sorts.
Our level of pride is directly linked to our work, our relationships, and our response to the Creator. When we create out of our own ability, or out of the assumption that we alone have something worth presenting to the world, things get messy. In these pride-filled moments, we are creating for ourselves. We want to hear praise and be esteemed. As a result, the response of an audience directly influences our satisfaction. This is a horribly backward way of approacing creation and art.
When an artists creates out of an awareness that they, and their work, is but a vapor, and that no amount of acclaim will satisfy the deep longings of their soul, the creative process can begin in a healthy way. From this place, an artist can create out of a fullness of the soul that only comes when our value is measured inside of our relationship with the Creator. In these moments, we refuse to pick up the burden of making something of ourselves in our attempt to make something for ourselves. We simply follow the whisper of the Spirit, and respond in whatever way we know how.
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