FALSE MODESTY
It is good to examine ourselves every now and then and I have recently asked myself, “Am I becoming an attention-seeker?”
I suspect that maybe I am, but I do try to keep it under control :) When I first joined Redbubble I didn’t get much attention. Since then I have slowly made some good friends on Redbubble and they say lots of nice things about my work. Okay – I’m being honest – I like it. Attention can be addictive and I realise now I was in danger of overdosing on it :) A handful of friends have gently drawn myattention to this failing of mine and I have taken what I feel are the necessary steps towards minimising it.
Despite toning down my penchant for self-publicity, I still announce my Redbubble viewing figures after every ten thousand, but I usually only leave the announcement up for a few days :)
I love having my work Favourited and Featured, but while I once filled my Journal with thank-yous to groups for Featuring me, I now thank them privately. I also do a monthly Journal announcement thanking them all, which I leave up for a few hours or days at the most. They probably don’t see my Journal anyway, unless I am on their Watchlists.
While a very small minority probably see me as an attention-seeker, the cold facts of the matter are that of my 54 Journal entries, only six are actually about me; five are of general interest and forty-three are tributes to artists I admire on Redbubble and elsewhere and actually seek attention for them too.
Initially, it took me a lot of emotional effort to get out of my comfort zone and start to actually enjoy my own efforts. Catherine Walker was the artist who finally made me see the importance of liking my own work and I am grateful to her. Others, such as Brian Towers, have encouraged me immensely, with Brian being responsible for making me aware of the importance of shadows in a painting.
I may have gained confidence in my work since joining Redbubble, but I’d never think my art was better than other people’s work – no way :) I’d deserve to be flattened to the ground if I thought that, but I have a long way to go before I can equal most artists on Redbubble – if ever.
I do feel, however, that compared to what I was doing ten years ago my work is improving. I feel no shame in saying that.
Many artists indulge in false modesty, announcing their work as “something I threw together,” or “another feeble effort of mine.” That’s not always the best policy, as I’m sure they’d be hurt if someone agreed with them. What is it about art that encourages such false modesty though? Do we feel obliged to be humble in case we get verbally attacked? Maybe.
But does the electrician finish his job by saying, “Well, I did my best, but with my lack of skill you’ll probably be electrocuted the minute you press the switch”.
Does the baker say, “I’ve made you a wedding cake, but to be honest, it tasts like crap and anyone could have done better?”
Does the tailor say, “Here’s your suit; be careful how you walk or the trousers will split, as I am not very good at stitches?”
We should be able to say, “Here is a painting I did. I have done my best and I do hope you like it.”
As an artist, I am still at the child-like stage where if I do a painting which I think is good, then I want to share it with my friends. I feel honoured when they ask me to look at their work too – it means they value my opinion, or at the very least want me to see it because we are friends.
While my work falls short of most on Redbubble, I often do think a painting of mine is better than my own previous work though.
The only person I am truly in competition with is the Dave Edwards of yesterday.
Feel free to ask me to view your work if I forget to … I will be pleased that you want me to see it.
Comments
Love your words and understand where you are coming from.
I have just finished a series and really it is the 1st time I have looked at my images at a later date and thought..well OK.
thanks for writing this
Thanks. Yes, if we don’t like our own work, why do we do it. Your work is really good so allow yourself to be proud of it.
Come on you falsely modest people – loosen up and be brave enough to admit you like what you do.
– BLYTHART
my friend you are a wonderful talented artist and i may not comment on all of your work, but i still admire it..keep up the good work :)) k
Thanks. I’m not fishing for compliments though – just wanting to be accepted as I am – warts and all.
– BLYTHART
Well, as always I think you are over-thinking this matter….lol. We love your art, and we love to read your journals, no matter if you are talking about yourself or another artist. Though RB is largely about support and socializing, it is also about learning to self-promote. You have to be able to do this if you want to sell any of your work. That is sad is some ways I guess. Of course you could just do art for the sake of doing it and never sell it, but like my house, art starts to take over your living space.
Also, I know I have said things negatively about my art before when I felt shy about it. Sometimes I just don’t see in it what others see, and this is totally symbolic of how we don’t see the beauty in ourselves that others see. This is not always false modesty as you call it, but rather honestly not being able to see the beauty in yourself and what you create.
Thanks for the valuable feedback.
I was referring to those who know they are good and yet seek even more praise by denying it. It’s something that occurs everywhere. For example, the hostess who makes a superb cake and then says, “It’s my feeble attempt at a cake and I hope you will forgive me,” is really wanting people to say, “Oh, but it is wonderful”. When a wife tells her husband, “I look fat in this” … she doesn’t REALLY want him to say,. ” yes, I agree”.
Real modesty such as yours is admirable though. Your own work is excellent though (which is why you are on my Watchlist of course), so you have no need to be modest.
I am only “over-thinking” it because four or five people have said they feel I am an attention-seeker, although they didn’t mean it in a nasty way, I know :)
For legal reasons I cannot sell my work until I am 65 (I don’t count Redbubble as we don’t get the commission unless we sell lots, which I don’t) so I am hoping to spend the next five years publicising myself and improving my technique.
– BLYTHART
Yes, I’m at that child stage, too. Although I’ve just been painting 3 years. Your examples of the tradesmen and false modesty, made me smile. Nothing wrong with blowing your on trumpet – it’s better than being over the top, falsely modest (as examples above).
I’m considering putting a couple of my paintings up for sale (for the first time) in a RSPCA shop. That’ll be the first time I’ve tried to sell them. I’m unsure of what price to put on them though.
Thanks for your feedback. I can’t advise you on what to sell your work for Colin. Personally I think it is excellent and I wouldn’t want to part with it if it was mine, but if you really want to sell it, I’d say get as much as you can for it. If you underprice it you will end up selling all your work for that price. If you overprice it you could always reduce it if it doesn’t sell.
– BLYTHART
Hi Dave,
I must admit its not something that consciously occurs to me much.. whether my work is better or worse than any one elses. I see this thing we do called art .. as an act of expression mostly.. and I remind myself that it is helpful not to think about better or worse. I allow myself , give myself permission not to be judgemental about what I do… I tend to go with what strikes a chord with me .. in others work. .. and what feels purposeful.. and with a energy to do and continue .. while working /creating. I do get tangled up sometimes… with some got to be good striving .. but on the whole I hope to be released from that sort of perspective.
I really like the optimism and humble approach that I sense you to have. You are approachable and encouarging. and your work srikes a chiord with me.. especially with its vividness. and the illustrative aspect and the slightly surreal’/dreamy element.
Hope you’re o.K with me sharing my thoughts here. Won’t be offended if you want to erase them here. Anything is O.k
I have enjoyed chatting anyhow.
Cheers now. Happy creating. Anna
Many thanks Anna. Why on earth would I delete your words :) I appreciate all forms of communication so long as they are friendly, as yours most certainly is.
I don’t think in terms of better or worse myself – except where my own work is concerned.
I have found that if we tell people our work is rubbish they are kind and want to reassure us, but if we dare to actually admit we are pleased with our efforts, some people feel uncomfortable about it.
It is also a nationality issue. Many English people in particular have been brought up to be modest and self-effacing. I was brought up to see myself as socially and intellectually inferior and it has taken years of counselling to recover from this.
I am half English and half Welsh, but I have to say that I find many Australians and Americans refreshingly honest in their exuberant self-confidence. The Ozzies and Yanks are often quick to praise themselves, but equally quick to appreciate others. I believe in “love your neighbour as yourself” but if we don’t love ourselves, then we surely won’t love our neighbours. Life is short and as I have only ten years or so to go before I reach my allotted “three score years and ten” I find I have very little time these days to indulge in man-made rules of behaviour that are artifical and belong to previous generations.
Thanks again for your kindness.
– BLYTHART
Hi Dave,
Just looked at your work and I think that it’s amazing. No shame in admitting that you like your work. We all have different opinions about how aesthetically pleasing an image is. I just attended a local fashion parade and it was amazing how much talent there is in our small community. However, when the judging was finished I thought that I would have chosen totally differently. However I respected their decision, as I knew that they were looking at the pieces with a different perspective. You obviously have a bit of a fan club, as you have loads of comments. I think it’s wonderful that you go out and share your enthusiasm about being noticed. Keep it up. Cheers, Wendy
Thanks. I hate talent shows and fashion competitions, as there is often a hairs’ breadth between the winners and losers. I know we can’t all like the same things, but we must always remember that on Redbubble no-one uploads work they see as rubbish, so we must always be aware that when commenting on a picture we are commenting on something that has taken time and energy and deserves respect – even if we don’t like it. I have felt flattened on Redbubble lately and have even deleted most of my Journal entries where I was announcing my viewings and features. I am determined though that I won’t allow others to put me down – not after all the years of being put down I have experienced.
Thanks again for the feedback :)
– BLYTHART
it is not all that easy!!
I love the moment of creating BUT really once done I loose connection competely/so strange
Once I have done a drawing I immediately see all the faults and it puts me off it. After a few hours, when I look again, the faults aren’t so obvious. After a few year I feel quite attached to the picture. Most of my work is personal and reminds me of events. I rarely do straight portraits or still-lifes – I use my camera for that :) My personal ideal of art is to try to create something a camera can’t, although that’s almost impossible since the advent of Photoshop.
I recently did a portrait of our cat Mitch. I didn’t want to do the usual “straight” portrait, so I went for a close-up view, which is what I often see as he walks across my body towards my face. The result was a portrait of him that I consider to be one of my best ever works. Okay – everyone doesn’t like it – but I do … and I am entitled to.
– BLYTHART
Keep doing what you do Dave !! Dont let others put you off. I self promote much more than you and there are a few reasons behind it. I see Art as an obviously visual thing (that requires to be seen)- I like getting feedback from others, it motivates me and sparks my creatiivity- I have recently decided to reduce my hours at work to do more with my art and follow my dreams (thanks to the encouragement of others and your own good self) therefore ofcourse I want to increase the possibility of sales.
I dont get comparisions to other artists tho, its like comparing the beauty of a snowflake against another. If I was to rate myself against some of the artists here, I might as well give up. So I wont apologise for promoting my art and acheivements and milestones and neither should you dear Dave- we are all on a wonderful journey here and when others have success it makes me very happy (very encouraged that good things do happen).
Thanks – I find great comfort knowing that you share my views on self-promotion. If I was alone in my views I might worry :) I agree – there is no purpose whatsoever in comparing myself to other artists. I see paintings as children … if no-one loved their children unless they won beauty competitions, there’d be an awful lot of unloved kids about :) It’s a no-win situation … if we say we hate our paintings we are told to increase our self-esteem. If we say we love our paintings we are seen as being big-headed.
– BLYTHART
There is something of a fashion for artists to ‘humble’ themselves constantly… This comes from the commercial/advertising & studio worlds, where egos are very much effervescent and alive, yet also where jealousy, rivalry and envy happen to be much in evidence. Company heads WANT artists to come over as humble because they’re easier to manage and control when ‘meek’….
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I always speak my mind Dave, and if I couldn’t comment constructively (or favourably) about a work, I’d not say much at all, because while some online forums actively encourage posting ‘honest’ criticism’ (which I prefer), here on RB it seems it’s far more the norm to reply with positive comments only, that praise, rather than criticise in ant way.
Thanks. I am quite happy with the RB policy of praising or saying nothing at all. (There is a forum for those who want critiques anyway.) Often, when someone who usually praises says nothing, we assume they don’t like the work, but truth to tell, they may just have not noticed it :)
I don’t like false modesty, but equally I don’t like arrogant big-headedness. I don’t think we should feel we need to apologise for our work, but neither should we state it is better than anyone else’s. I only compare my work today against my own work of yesterday. I may say, “This is better than my previous work,” but definitely not, “This is better than Mr X’s work” … that would be despicably bad mannered.
– BLYTHART
I agree – I don’t think there even iS any such thing as ‘better’ or ‘worse’ (except in ones view of their own work). Personally, I’d really like to see good in my own work, but by the time I’ve finished something (or can add no more), I start seeing the dreadful mistakes, so have to move on… (no chance of ego there!).
Big-headedness is the ultimate killer though (as you rightly say), as there can be no room for ‘improvement’ !!
I agree 100% with all you have just said.
I do not agree with comparing my work to others and I certainly would never compare my work to yours or I may develop a worse inferiority complex than the one I have been cursed with. If you fail to see good in YOUR work, may I suggest a visit to a better optician than the one you usually go to. I tend to choose artists better than myself to Watch, so I can maybe pick up a few hints on technique or even attitude. I learn from everyone. For example, Brian Towers mad me aware of the importance of using shadows; Deborah Holman increased my enthusiasm for coloured pencils; Catherine Walker taught me to start liking my own work; Chris Baker’s work made me aware of my limitations.
I’ll never be able to paint like you do, but I hope one day to be able to paint better than I now do.
– BLYTHART