Erickka

Patmore

My name Is Erickka, and I’m an emerging artist fresh out of her Bachelor’s degree. Growing up on a farm outside of a small town, getting some form of education in visual art was something I always looked forward to doing; I couldn’t see my adult life without art creation being part of it.

Ever since I got out of my BFA back in April, I’ve been trying my best to launch myself into the professional art world. Something I’ve quickly learned, however, is that the art world is absolutely nothing like a professor with a crit date, expecting you to show up with a finished work a day from now. Your entire path, from what kind of opportunities you want to look for, to what you want to focus on in your practice, is completely up to you. I realized that I was so used to operating on rigid schedules, project constraints, and work overload, that everything suddenly being up to me proved more challenging than I initially thought. It’s with this in mind, however, that I’d like to share 3 good reasons I’ve found so far to record your art, and the plans I have for this “art journal” going forward.

Recording your practice gives context to your artwork

Talking about your process, your struggles, and why you make art gives people an up-close look into the daily life of an artist, and that can be pretty interesting. What may seem mundane, boring, or like just another day at the office for you might be fascinating to someone who’s never picked up a paintbrush- you never know! Plus, showing others the how and why of making your artwork can make them feel more connected to your practice as a whole, and keep them coming back to check up on you.

It allows you to practice being accountable.

As I mentioned in the beginning, once you start your professional career as an artist, it’s helpful to find as many ways as possible to keep yourself accountable and remind yourself what your goals are. Now that there are no deadlines plaguing me from outside sources, something like this allows me to reflect critically on my art practice, the direction I want to go, and what I can do to get there on a regular basis. I find that some form of routine helps me with productivity in general, so this is a way that I can echo those past deadlines. Plus, needing something to write about every week tends to motivate me to make something to write about.

It gives you a place to view your progress.

If you don’t keep a record what you're doing and what your achieving in your career, it can be a lot harder to see all the great progress you’ve made. Even if literally just you and your mom read whatever you’re recording, or if it’s in a journal and you don’t want to show anyone, recording the ups and downs in your creative practice is usually very rewarding. Whatever you're going through might seem really devastating at the moment, but chances are that if you just keep going and keep recording, you’ll be able to look back in the future and be proud of how far you’ve come.

So, with all that being said, I’m planning to keep this blog as an art journal, showcasing my journey through the ups, the downs, and everything in between. My plan is to submit ***something*** once a week, so check back to keep updated!