Something that has come to my mind lately is the importance of evolving as an artist. You may notice over the course of your life, your tastes and interests change. For example, the music you once loved may still be something you enjoy, only now, you prefer listening to something completely different. And that’s okay!
I went to school for dance and technical theater. I REALLY enjoyed tech theater all throughout college. Being backstage for shows and that special kind of collaboration felt amazing to me. My personal favorite was stage lighting, and I loved learning the tricks of the trade. I was sure that’s what I was going to do forever.
I worked in tech for a few years after college. I took union and non-union work in stage lighting as well as general stagehand work. But then something happened after a while… I realized I didn’t actually enjoy working in tech theater as much as I thought I would.
I felt pretty disillusioned with this realization. What would I do now? I came to the conclusion that I really wanted to focus on the dance side of my degree a bit more. So I picked up teaching gigs and taught for many years.
There were many times throughout my life when I was told I would never be a dance performer (and your girl does NOT like being told she can’t.)
For example, in college, I was told how unlikely it was that I would go on stage after I was out in the real world. But I could still work in dance in other ways than actually dancing, they said. I could work backstage and teach. I sort of just shrugged my shoulders and accepted this.
Until one day I didn’t. Because deep down, what I really wanted to do all along is dance. My views of myself and my path evolved a lot over the years. Allowing myself to evolve as an artist made me realize that yes, I can perform if that’s what I really want!
Here’s the cool thing: you too can open yourself up and allow yourself and your art to evolve. This is especially important if you’ve honed in on one type of art for a long period of time and feel stuck. You’re not crazy for wanting to try something new, or something that seems out of reach.
You’re not “confused” or “flighty” for trying out different types of art or doing multiple art forms. You don’t have to force yourself to stick to one thing just because that’s what you decided on or studied.
For me, this meant realizing I only have so much time and energy to give. And spending my energy in tech theater was a side step to dance. After teaching for a few years, I also had to realize that was closer to what I wanted to be doing, but that wasn’t it.
Does this mean I will never work backstage or teach a ballet class ever again? Of course not! It means that now my primary focus is on exactly what I want to be doing because I only have so much time and energy to give.
If I never allowed myself to evolve, I’d probably be stuck in something undesirable and wondering, what if I just tried?
Evolving as an artist doesn’t have to be as profound as your career focus, though. This can also extend to the type of art you make. If you’re a musician and feel called to try a different genre, give it a shot! Or if you’re a ballet dancer but want to try tap dance, go for it! It’s all about listening to your intuition and following your whim. It’s fun!
I know it’s usually not recommended to just go by your whim but I actually think it can be beneficial. Your whims are your desires, and your desires are trying to lead you to a fulfilling life.
Allowing yourself to evolve as an artist can extend to trying different forms of art you’ve always wanted to try. You don’t need to tell yourself that you need to stick to one type of art and perfect that one art form only. That is limiting.
For me, I weave in and out of different art forms. Sometimes I enjoy writing advice on my blog, but later I have more fun making digital art. On certain days I love writing poetry, and other times I want to go out and choreograph! Sometimes I even enjoy being on the stage in different ways such as performing spoken word. Other times I make shrines at home from things I find in nature or make things from the photographs I take!
In conclusion, it’s freeing to allow yourself to evolve as an artist. Listen to the voice of your intuition, and lean into what you truly want to be doing. Evolving as an artist is so enriching.