What You Resist Persist

“There is a deep mistrust of language that shows up as “My art says it all,” or “I have nothing to say.” Which really translates into “I have nothing of importance to say,” as we cannot face the authority of words that might end up belittling us through misunderstanding or sheer inaccuracy. It is a good exercise to challenge this assumption of “I have nothing to say” by trying on the opposite response, just for fun. Pretend that you do have something to say, that you already have a treasure chest full of valid comments about your art. Because the fact is, you do. (…) Release your resistance and trust that you have something of value to say about your work (Hot-air ballon exercise). Pay attention to every single though or comment related to your work, before the “throw away” machine kicks in. Start with making the declaration that you will do this, out loud. To yourself. To your loved ones. Ask those around you to point out when you are talking about your work. When you catch yourself saying something, take notice. If you wish dig for more by asking yourself, “What did I just mean by X?” The nature of paying attention gathers speed of its own accord. Before long, and with little of no effort, you will become acutely aware of each thought and comment as it rises out of the swamp of your neglect. Begin to establish credibility, for yourself, by jotting down every thought and comment in a notebook, unedited. Since the nature of resistance is to push back, the more you resist writing your artist statement, the more you empower it to be an immovable object of imponderable proportions. Give yourself permission to write, warts and all, and you will have broken the spell of persistent resistance.” Ariane Goodwin "Writing the Artist Statement"