This Month’s Question:
How do I know my work is done?
For the first month of the column, I asked the question: How do I know my work is done? Suffice to say, most artists seemed to answer with some form of “You don’t.”I received answers proposing that the work is only done once it’s been taken out of your hands, and some implied it’s an endless process, even after a project has wrapped. There’s no right answer here, which was to be expected, it’s a subjective question. I did, however, receive some thoughts and advice that I find helpful in various situations. The first piece of help I’ve decided to take is: do whatever you want, it’s your art. Are you satisfied? Great! You’re done! Will you be satisfied in six months? If not, that’s fine, work on it again in six months. Obviously there will be a point where you can’t work on a project anymore, and once you get there, it’s best to put your artistic growth into new projects.
I don’t think an artist will ever feel fully satisfied with every part of their work. If they did, wouldn’t that mean they’re done growing? Maybe it doesn’t. It’s reasonable to be content and proud of past projects, while also recognizing you’ve grown since those works. A more solid tip, on finding the endpoint, is to take a step back, and ask yourself “is this what I wanted to make?” If the answer is yes, perfect, next question! Now ask yourself, “did I make it to the best of my ability?” This is a much tougher question, in my opinion. Sometimes you have to recognize that with resources at hand, and at one's current experience, you did the best you can do! That’s a great achievement and something to celebrate. If the answer is yes to both of those questions, you should start working on something new.
Out of all of that, however, my favorite take on this question came from when I sat down with the director and writer of the upcoming feature film, Don’t, Hailey Brown. Brown’s perception of art progressed past release, past popularity, even past our own lives. She states:“Once it’s shared, it takes on a life of its own, shaping each viewer in ways the artist may never have imagined—and that, too, becomes part of the piece. But as the creator, there comes a moment when the story feels ready to be seen—so it can be for someone else what it once was for you.”Brown’s thought’s strongly resonated with me, and it’s what I’d want to leave our readers with. Art is a group activity, no matter its form. It can be an endless experience that expands as long as there’s anyone who is viewing, or thinking about a piece. Eventually what we provide, as artists, won’t be our own, anymore. So why stress over whether you’ve edited enough, or prepared enough?
I think anything that’s a human, vulnerable expression of yourself, is a piece of art that is ready to be shared, regardless of how “done” it feels. Now for my question in which I’d like some advice over the next month! It’s a little boring, but I’d like some tips. This month's question is… How do you balance creative expression/outlets with the need to make money? Would love some tips on harnessing creative energy even when our overall energy is low. All fields are welcome to answer! Even more so, I’d love to get some tips on finding consistency in that balance. I want to be creating constantly!
Keegan Adkins, Wednesday, February 26th
Our next Community Q&A drop will be: MARCH 28TH, 2025
To be featured, send your answer to Info@filmsbybleach.com
To be featured, send your answer to Info@filmsbybleach.com
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