By Victoria Christian, art titled: creativity under seige)

As artists living in a complex, postmodern society, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the expectations put on both men and women in this day and age.  It seems that everyone I talk to are taxed to the max just making ends meet.  As a result, there is little to no time for self reflection, creativity and time in nature, all of which are essential to receiving creative inspiration.  While I am aware that our society would seize to exist without creativity in its various forms of expression, I also get a sense that a certain kind of creative expression is under siege.  It seems very clear to me that creativity that fuels the directives of capitalism, science and technology are very prevalent in Western society and are highly valued. 

This fact is quite evident when examining the workforce.  It's quite obvious that the availability of jobs and resources for scientists vs. artists is severely imbalanced and is a direct reflection of our societies priorities. Not only are the arts continuing to be portrayed as dispensable luxuries that must prove their worth in an impersonal mass market, but an increasing number of schools are opting to eradicate the arts and extracurricular activities in order to focus instead on what a scientific and technologically oriented culture views as societies major priorities. Furthermore, the culturally constructed either/or binary which portrays the artist as subjective, hermeneutic and irrational and the scientist as objective, removed and rational has not only led to a hierarchical portrayal of science as "better than" or "more valuable" than the arts, it has perpetuated and justified the marginalization of the arts and artists.

As a result of this larger social trend, artists blatantly and subversively receive messages from external sources that constrain their ability to not only develop artistic identities, but create art as well.  This, as we all know so well, is a human atrocity and one that has psychologically wounded and alienated artists in horrific ways.  As a result, many of us have chosen to hide out from the world and lick our wounds so to speak.  While the need to take time for healing is important; we mustn't forget the power we have as human agents to create a reality that is conducive to our creative spirits. 

We don't have to fall prey to fatalism and the false illusion of social hierarchy and fierce competition if we don't want to.  While apathy and victim mentalities are indeed prevalent in our society, we have the choice to consciously choose a belief system that is conducive to forming an artistic identity if we really want to.  While this will indeed require that you examine some of your deeply held believes and values and possibly restructure your life in drastic ways, the human will to overcome adversity is no doubt a powerful force. Unfortunately, a large percentage of people fear change because it defies our need to predict and control the outcomes of our lives.

The first step towards empowerment is coming to grips with the fact that we are all products of social programming.  In other words, throughout our socialization process we internalize the values and beliefs of our families and our culture, which may conflict with our deepest, most heart felt desires.  However if your unsure what it is you actually desire, taking some self reflective time to feel into yourself might be the first step. Discerning what it is you desire plays a critical role in your ability to individuate because it aids in your ability to know what it is you value.  

Being true to your hearts desire will require that you look within yourself for the answers about who you are as opposed to relying on external sources to define you.  When we measure ourselves against the yardstick of materialism and social prestige, we will always come up short or lacking in one way or another. While there is no doubt we need external validation, to much reliance on the expectations and definitions that others supply lead one to feel unstable, confused and disempowered.  It also serves to stifle creativity and alienate you from your true desires and intentions. 

Once you become aware that you are a product of social programming and that you have the power to change the tapes in your mind, you can then begin to cultivate a value system that is more conducive and in alignment with your authentic identity as an artist.  At some point in our lives, we are all forced to take a stand and make our own decisions about who we are.  The only way we are going to be artists is to make conscious choices that support our creative desires.   By making self-nurturing choices that protect our need for creativity, we are able to maintain an environment that is conducive to developing as an artist.  For example, in order to maintain my creativity, I realized I had to become jealous of my need for creative space.  It also meant getting in touch with the guilt associated with this need.  By feeling into the guilt and releasing its control over me, I was more able to set healthy boundaries as opposed to letting guilt get the best of me.  I've also had to be really careful about who I chose to spend my time with. I found that it is very important that I surround myself with people who nurture and fuel my creativity as opposed to trying to put out my creative flame. 

Another internalized and dysfunctional belief I had to re-examine was the rampant value of perfectionism.  Many of us in contemporary culture are socialized to have standards of perfection that are practically impossible to live up to.  The tendency for Western society to place a greater emphasis on results as opposed to process give many of us the false impression that if we aren't showing talent or skill immediately, we shouldn't do art at all.  While it is a wonderful thing to strive to do the best you can do, perfectionism doesn't leave any room for mistakes or the process that is takes to create a powerful painting.  Nor does it respect the process one goes through in their development process as an artist.

Furthermore, because we live in a highly competitive society that promotes hierarchical thinking and competition, we are taught to spend a great deal of time and energy on how we rate in comparison with those around us.  Differences between people are magnified and are then used to rank people as better or worse, superior or inferior. Yet this way of thinking offers no middle ground--you're either a piece of moldy poop or you're on a peda-stool, holier than everyone else.  Getting in touch with dualistic, black and white thinking and replacing it with a value system that is more fluid, compassionate and integrated will most definitely assist you on the artistic path.

            While I've only begun to scratch the surface of self empowerment as an artist, it's definitely a start. All of us, at some point in our lives struggle with internal conflict and/or conflicting messages, yet we mustn't forget the power we have to create and nurture the artist within amidst a chaotic world rampant with fear and nihilism. Empowering yourself with choice, as opposed to feeling like a victim will bring a new found freedom in your ability to create not only yourself, but your art as well.