Artist's Manifesto

I went back to college later in life when my eldest child started college himself. I earned my Masters in Fine Arts in painting from The Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, GA in 2011.  Though that is an entirely different blog for another time.

Also in 2011, Marina Abramović, the Serbian conceptual and performance artist, came to SCAD for a talk. She had recently completed the performance “The Artist is Present”  at the Moma in New York and her talk covered this event. I had followed her performance live online, we had discussed it in class and saw it in the news. Though hearing her talk about it was informative and fascinating from the artist’s point of view, the topic that really enlightened me that day was the presentation of her Artist’s Manifesto and how important it is for every artist to write one. Since then, Ms. Abramovic has written her memoir ”Walk Through Walls”, which contains a chapter completely dedicated to The Artist’s Life Manifesto giving a moral guideline to an artist’s behaviour and conduct.

However, the artist’s manifesto she talked to us about back in 2011 focused on how to help set up your mind frame in order to get the creative juices flowing. Being the practical person I am, this topic rang a bell and immediately I wrote my own Artist’s Manifesto using her opening sentence “An artist should…”.

Since then, my Artist’s Manifesto has been on the bulletin board in my studio and I refer to it regularly. It is not a philosophical statement, it is a practical work guideline. This manifesto has truly helped me be more productive as an artist. I have divided this manifesto into three parts: preparation (two parts, physical and mental), during, and after work. Of course, this manifesto is what makes sense to me and what works for me as a painter but it could be used as a guideline for others working in different mediums. I borrowed the idea from Ms. Abramovic, who had borrowed it from artists from the past.

 My artist’s Manifesto goes right along with another one of my bulletin board staples, the quote by H. Jackson Brown Jr.:

“The Best Preparation for Tomorrow Is Doing Your Best Today”

Your comments with additions and suggestions to this manifesto would be appreciated. And please, feel free to copy, paste and make it your own!

CYNZIA’S ARTIST MANIFESTO 

An Artist’s Work Guideline

Preparation  

Physical

An artist should take good care of her physical and mental health.

An artist should have her personal business in order to feel free to create.

An artist should start the working day with a clean and organized working area.

An artist should work on skills at all times.

Mental

An artist should work on ideas at all times and keep a log or sketch book of them.

An artist should keep herself informed of world news.

An artist should continue her education and expand her knowledge.

An artist should maintain communication with other artists.

An artist should stay informed of new works and visit galleries frequently.

An artist should keep a work schedule and stick to it.

An artist should not procrastinate.

During

An artist should always have good ventilation.

An artist should have good lighting.

An artist should use music for inspiration.

An artist should have a few pieces and/or projects going on at the same time.

An artist should measure at all times, measure, measure, measure.

An artist should check her drawing at all times.

An artist should keep her brushes in good shape.

An artist should change the solvent cleaner frequently.

After

An artist should work on marketing her work constantly.

An artist should be in control of her art business and finances.

An artist should feed her ego although not over feed it.

An artist should value her work and ideas and not doubt them.

An artist should consider others opinions but stay true to her ideas.

An artist should continue working on her work’s growth even when her present work has been accepted.

An artist should practice her drawing skills on a regular basis.

An artist should share her knowledge with others.