Why Artists Need To Take Risks
I’m holding his phone number scribbled on a torn piece of paper.
How could I even think of calling him?
He has more important things to do.
Butterflies fill my stomach as I picture him holding my drawings.
My gut tells me I need to call him. I hate my gut.
I miss being surrounded by artists, like when I took classes.
I sit with a cup of tea that is not relaxing me.
Something Jeff Goins said comes to mind:
“The answer will never be ‘Yes’ if you don’t ask.”
Slowly dialing his number, my stomach ties in knots. Maybe I should just hang up.
“Hi, this is Jessica Peterson,” I hope he’ll remember me. “We met at the Riverfront Museum.
Would it be possible to make an appointment with you so I could show you my art?”
There, I did it. The ball is in his court.
“I’ll be in my studio for awhile if you’d like to come now,” he responds.
Now? Is he serious?
I quickly gather up drawings, not sure which ones to bring.
Is ten is too many?
Sculptures greet me as I tip-toe into his gallery. The walls are covered in paintings.
He calls me over from the back of the room, where he’s working on a piece. His soft voice makes me feel like I’ve known him for years.
On my way home, I can’t believe I agreed to take his sculpture class. I had promised myself I’d never sculpt again.
Three years later
I’m jumping into my second clay project: the figure — from head to toe.
Carrying my sculpture into the classroom, I brace myself for the first critique.
My instructor raises his hand high above my sculpture, “Your piece needs to be this much taller.”
I leave feeling smaller than the piece I brought in.
Staring at my pile of clay, I wonder, How am I going to do this?
Four months later
I’m pressing my fingers into the clay, shaping her curly hair. This piece, who is looking more like me every day.
Now it takes two strong men to carry my sculpture into class. My mini-me has transformed.
When someone asked my instructor if I had created the sculpture, my teacher nods, “She’s a natural.”
I can’t believe those words were meant for me.
Too often, we believe our negative thoughts, letting them restrict us. We have to silence those voices, and we’ll find we can do more than we imagined.
And to think… I almost didn’t make that phone call.
Artists are people. We have doubts like everyone else.
What about you? What step are you afraid to take?
Is it something you will regret not doing?
Originally published on Medium.com, July 10, 2017.
Writing is just one thing I do.
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