How to be an artist

Advice for creatives

In his “Letters to a Young Poet”, Rilke once shared a powerful piece of advice about the creative process. In this passage he argues that you should never worry about whether or not your work will be popular, but instead seek to express your innermost truth. He characterized this as a “turning within”.

As Rilke put it,

“Describe your sorrows and desires, the thoughts that pass through your mind and your belief in some kind of beauty - describe all these with heartfelt, silent, humble sincerity and, when you express yourself, use the Things around you, the images from your dreams, and the objects that you remember. (…) And if out of this turning-within, out of this immersion in your own world, poems come, then you will not think of asking anyone whether they are good or not. Nor will you try to interest magazines in these works: for you will see them as your dear natural possession, a piece of your life, a voice from it. A work of art is good if it has arisen out of necessity.”

It’s a crucial piece of advice for any artist or creative. Instead of trying to anticipate what you think other people want to hear/see, you have to dig deep within yourself to articulate an inner necessity, something only you could observe in that way. You have to create something unique to you.

The poet Keats (above) characterized this process of turning inwards as “negative capability”, i.e. the artist’s ability to give voice to the sensations and impressions that lie deep within him. To do so, the creative had to immerse himself deeply in his own creative imagination. As Keats put it, “my imagination is a monastery, and I am its monk.”

It’s an important reminder that the creative process lies in a way of being, not just in the perceived reception of one’s ideas or work. The process of creativity lies in listening to oneself and to others, and learning to see oneself and the world in new and original ways. In Rilke’s words, you must seek to be as earnest and humble as possible, expressing yourself as simply and truthfully as possible.

Don’t worry too much about what your work means. Just seek to express yourself authentically and trust in the process. Above all, don’t forget to relish the feeling of moving forward a little bit each and every day. And before you know it, you will find your voice, and express something which feels true to you.

Julian

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