Q & A On making art that no one sees

An inky flow chart thing where I try to figure out what I think about making art and being seen doing it.

If no one saw or experienced your art, would you still make it? If so, what would you make?

Yes. I made art long before I had an Instagram account, website or even an art class to attend. I have painted, crafted and filled art journals and sketchbooks for many years without anyone seeing them.

But, making art and crafting was my job for a few years and being visible was a huge part of that time. These days I still draw and paint sometimes, I might mess about in sketchbooks and in Procreate and play with supplies. I’m trying to find the joy and freedom in it again after years of creating to sell or fit a brief.

I would like to hand make pamphlets and books and fill them with art, writing and poems. I’d like to create a series of digital art portraits and make animations with them. I enjoy writing blogs, poetry and crafting longer pieces. I’m interested in seeing how this website might grow as a creative project. I do not feel obliged to pick one thing and stick to it. My interests all feed each other. If no one is watching, I’m not expected to niche down for marketing purposes or respond to someone else’s expectations.

Does art have value if it’s not made for an audience?

Yes, I believe there’s often more value in the process than in the results. There’s value iin self expression and creative work without seeking feedback, approval or validation (or money). There is value in self exploration, experimentation and play. Not to mention the benefits of learning something and improving for personal accomplishment.

There’s value in art that is not shared, that is done without influence and bias. Art created without an audience allows for freedom, expansion and surprise.

However, we live in a very results focused era, productivity and visibility too often equal success or value. I’m deliberately attempting to turn away from the idea that everything I make or try has to be witnessed, be perfect or be a product.

Does art need to impact others to have value?

No, there is value in the process of making art. That said, art can have powerful impact and can create connection and understanding and meet people where they are. This is also necessary. It just doesn’t have to be all art, all the time. Creative lives can be fulfilling and meaningful without the push to please, the demand to produce or the intention to create change.

Is an audience necessary if you are an artist?

No. There is freedom in creating art without being seen. There’s no pressure to alter the work to fit outside expectations, desires or requirements. There’s no stats or data to direct the next piece. All artists begin at the beginning, then can learn, improve and grow. Much of this happens in solitude and that’s a valid way to continue the practice of being an artist.

Is an audience restrictive or influencial?

An audience can be restrictive, too easily pandered to and the noise of an audience (particularly online) can make it difficult to stay in touch with your own voice, style and intention. Audiences and individuals, by their nature have expectations, people follow for their own reasons and they will often tell you whether you are meeting them. The desire to meet their expectations can be powerful, sometimes motivating but can also become a barrier to exploration. This is trap that can be difficult to escape.

What are the benefits of being seen?

Having your art seen or read can be a valuable part of the creative experience. Sharing the work fulfils the creative cycle, creates an energy of generosity and abundance and can build confidence. Connections can be made that encourage and support the artist. Positive feedback can be hugely encouraging for beginners. An audience is required of course for sales.

What is less clear is the sly relationship between having an Audience as visibility in a digital era and the simple need for human beings to connect with others through shared interests and values. Creating art in any way is vulnerable and can be an extremely brave act in some contexts. To share it with others can be deeply meaningful for both the artist and the viewer/reader. But as we share so much online, the line between sharing for kinship, understanding and connection is quickly blurred by engagement stats, rapidly scrolling feeds and trends, even if you’re not selling anything.

I do think that having generous and supportive connections with others is crucial if you are making art of any kind, whether you sell it or not. I’m awkward and shy and lack confidence in my responses to other people’s work. That means I often say nothing, even if a piece has affected me deeply. This is something I’m trying to get better at. Everybody needs a cheerleader sometimes.

Does creating and maintaining a private body of work online or in real life support a stronger practice?

In some ways, yes. There’s less noise, less distraction, less outside influence. This can make it easier to clarify voice, style and intention when creating anything. Complete isolation isn’t going to work for everyone though. I think some people just naturally riff off others in a really positive and creative way. I’m prone to losing myself if I spend a lot of time with other people’s work and need more solitude to listen my inner voice. I can quickly lose my way and get caught up in what I think I “should” be doing in response to feedback.

Public platforms can be motivating and inspiring. I still think that having a private place online or in real life to create freely and gather up a variety of work can be helpful and useful in mapping out previously unseen themes and connections. It can be harder to do that on a platform that thrives on social engagement.

Does keeping a public creative record give your art value, even if you’re not looking for customers?

There’s no greater value in art just because it becomes public but it can support the process and allow for the artist to let go of completed work, free to move onto the next project. The benefit of the record being public is that this approach might encourage others.

Keeping a public document such as a personal website of your art can be more than just a portfolio. Or maybe not even a portfolio. A public platform or even a social media account can showcase work of many disciplines but a personal website has the added benefit of having less rules, less restriction and can be broad and expansive. Multi-hyphenate creation carries less risk in a personal space.

The personal website in this way lacks performance, deadlines or strategy. It can be messy, fragmented, unfinished, unpolished and a beautiful experiment in self belief.

Is there a way to balance public and private? A way to share that feels less pressured or risky and more fun?

Of course, it’s not black and white. There’s good to be had from a public sharing of art but it comes with pressure and expectation. Creating freely in private is a part of the process and not sharing everything relieves some pressure. Finding a way to balance both of these needs might be the answer to endless scrolling and lack of self confidence.

Create a place where you can create and gather your work that feels free and easy. This could be a file on your computer, a box of papers or a website that nobody knows about. Or whatever appeals to you. Just keep it low key and zero pressure. It can feel personal and that there’s room to expand, pause and change as needed.

I prefer an in-between place, like this. An online collection of art and writing that’s multi-hyphenate and always changing. A website like this is linkable, searchable and technically public. But generally I don’t share the link. It’s not slapped all over social media and is not listed on LinkedIn. I don’t tell people about it. It’s value is personal and its contents are mostly of no interest to anyone else.

But I am also not concerned if somebody finds it and wanders around. I’m not hiding, hoarding or gatekeeping. I’m building my confidence in having multiple creative interests in a digital world that insists that I do one thing. I’m having fun creating a website full of ideas and projects, unfinished things, fragments of things and things from the past that still feel significant.

I’m not trying to be relevant or socially acceptable. I don’t desire attention or reward at this time. I’m pulling together the pieces in a way that makes sense to me. It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else right now. But if it does, then I hope they are encouraged to build their own space and do whatever they like with it.

~ Kore Sage