We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Helen Siksek a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Helen, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
Facilitating artist groups is what I do best. Especially ones that engage and serve at a community level. It happens naturally, organically and effortlessly. Usually after a conversation with friends, or at a social gathering. I’ve been told that I am an empath, I don’t know about that, but I do know that I am guided energetically. I can read people’s energy and their feelings. When I enter a space, I scan the room and I can sense pockets of energy that are harmonious and I am drawn to them. To me, creatives have an energy about them that is unlike others. They seem to operate at a brighter level. It is easy for me to sense it, or to pick up on clues. Some clues are unspoken and invisible to others but I sense them clearly. I sense the need and I respond in a way that will serve the communities that I belong to. I am not doing it deliberately, but it seems to be a skill that I have, or I’ve been told that I have. I have been listening to artists and hearing the need for gatherings and camaraderie, not just the need to organize shows and galleries. So that is what I do, I like to bring artists together. My first meaningful project happened by chance in Texas in 2014. I had just arrived as a newcomer to Dallas and I didn’t know anyone. I created a sketching group, to meet other artists. I called it ‘Artists Out & About’. The response was phenomenal. Within a few weeks we had grown into a solid group of artists and the energy exchange was fresh and vibrant, every time we met, we all felt energized and uplifted by each other’s company. This energy exchange is unique and a result of everyone contributing their personal positive vibe to the whole. Magic happens when intentions are authentic, creative and productive. We create a bigger vibe together which benefits the whole. The whole becomes larger than any of the individuals. It feels like an expanding energy field, a healthy place to hang out.
Over the years, this group evolved into Artists Out & About DFW which still exists today and has grown into a powerful sketching group. We meet weekly to sketch at different locations. We organized two major group art exhibitions together so far, and we continue to grow and attract more members. The resulting effect is far-reaching. The networking is phenomenal and helps everyone. The amount of galleries, artist centres, studios, exhibitions, workshops and events we are all involved in are staggering. It would be safe to say that this group has changed all our lives for the better.
I spend half the year in Ontario, in my other home town where I work with my artist friends. We organize cultural and creative festivals on Manitoulin Island. We do it to promote the arts on the island and to create a fun vibe, to welcome visitors and to have something to do that we enjoy. We organize art workshops and exhibitions and art markets which engage the island artists and provide arts events for the community and for summer visitors. These collaborations succeed because there is a need for creativity and we keep inventing new events and workshops to keep it fresh and vibrant. One recent example is the Manitoulin Plein Air Festival which I started in 2023. These are large groups and they will continue on their own, regardless of who is involved. The vibrant energy field has a life of its own. Another example is the Artinfusion Weekend which offers a handful of events in collaboration with local cultural centres, market groups, volunteer groups and a prominent storytelling festival. Everyone is involved, it’s all hands on deck and it’s a lot of fun and vibrant energy. No one bears the load by themselves. If there is any stress, it’s shared, and resolved quickly. Who ever said ‘There can’t be too many cooks in the kitchen’ hasn’t collaborated with local volunteer groups, we rely on each other for the festivals to succeed. So at any of these events, there are so many people involved, it literarily reaches out to the whole community.
The health benefits of being in a creative community are evident. Aside from the social aspect, there is the positive mental mindset, the camaraderie which is priceless, the stress-free gatherings and the interest in being informed about the latest trends and achievements in our community and in our industry, arts and crafts in general. People experience improvement in their art skills, they teach and mentor each other, they exchange ideas, the groups are collaborative, encouraging, supportive and we even fundraise together to help other groups, everyone wins. After a flurry of activity in the summer months, we retreat to our studios in the winter to brainstorm and plan for the following year. There are definitely ‘on’ periods of activity balanced with ‘off’ periods of dreaming and planning and figuring out what worked and how to offer more to our community.
I have lived the life of a creative since 2009, and I operate mostly within artist circles. Something happened during the Covid pandemic years from 2020 to 2022, that made me see a shift in how the general public perceive art and creativity. People love to buy original hand-made art gifts in general. However, there has been a change in how people feel about creativity. Many are searching for a creative outlet, I’m talking about non-artists. Especially health care workers, teachers and folks in stressful essential jobs. They are taking art workshops. I also saw a shift in art-related sales. Customers used to come to my shop to buy art and original creative gift items. Since 2020, customers are now asking for a creative experience instead, something that they can engage with. They are longing to make something, to learn an art technique. To paint a mug. To take a watercolour class. To be part of something that helps them be more creative. This may not be new, but there is an urgency to it. We’ve had art workshops before, but the demand for a quick creative experience is new. That’s why paint nights have become so successful. The value is not in the art production, or in the technique, it is in the shared social experience with others, in being part of a creative vibe for a couple of hours, it uplifts and sustains people, it gives them something meaningful to share. They also like to go home with a souvenir of their experience, an art piece that they created themselves. People want to experience this creative collaborative energy with others. I’ve lived around this energy but now I see it around people who are not trained artists. The general public are now craving creative experiences. It’s a tricky situation because sometimes they want to make things that are not easy to break down or to teach in a two-hour session, but we do our best to make it possible because it’s great that more people are seeking creative instruction. I cannot imagine a more meaningful project for me to be involved in. That’s what I do now, I bring people together so they can have meaningful creative experiences whether they are artists or non-artists, they love being creative. Aside from organizing festivals at a community level, I am always involved in organizing art workshops too. It makes me happy to promote art events and artists in the community. I have always seen the benefits at my own personal level, but now these benefits are being recognized at the community level which is new and exciting. I like to think that creativity is always visible at the heart of a healthy community.
Helen, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My mother told me that I was born under a lucky star.
She said I must have angels around me because I seem to manage despite not having the essential life skills that come easily to others. I have always been an artist, a creative, a maker. I don’t know any other way to live. My life has been one big adventure and new doors keep opening. I read a book by Simone De Beauvoir when I was an awkward teenager, when I felt that I didn’t fit in. She encouraged women to live an interesting life and she said to make sure you do things that would give a biographer something to write about. I took that seriously, it gave me direction. Making unconventional choices came naturally to me anyway, but her book seemed to validate it at a level that bypassed conventional social expectations. It became almost like an excuse to be different, I finally had a valid reason to follow my own path.
I had a career for a couple of decades but I was yearning for things that the workplace didn’t offer. So I quit and I pursued a spectrum of jobs that were utterly unrelated but I just wanted to experience fun and engagement in jobs that to me felt right. I loved working as a school bus driver in a rural community in Ontario. I loved working as a nightclub disc jockey on the island of Mykonos in Greece. I loved flipping burgers at my college cafeteria in California. I loved working as a college visual arts instructor in Canada. I’ve had many adventurous jobs and worked with people from all walks of life. The most exciting time of my life was when I realized my calling was to be a painter, a visual artist. I gave up everything, packed up and moved to Manitoulin Island in the Lake District to open a shop on the beach and I am still grinning and enjoying every day because I am an artist and it’s an exciting time to be an artist. After operating an arts gallery and gift shop for many years, I gave it up in 2018 in favour of being mobile and free to organize events and shows and pop up markets and workshops instead of being in one place. It’s much more fun and has opened up more opportunities to serve and benefit the whole community rather than just my own business. I sometimes miss the mortar and brick location, the security of having a daily space. But the freedom and scope of possibilities has become undeniable. I now brainstorm about things that I never thought were possible before, like arts festivals and workshops which I could not have dreamed of in a small shop space.
Chance plays an important part in how I live my life. I pivot or change course without overthinking it. I see something or pick up on energy and I move in a direction that feels right for me. I do not compare myself to others and I am not influenced by what others are doing. I have always been different, I have always been an outsider, and I do my own thing. Fitting in has never been an option for me, nor a priority. I focus on creating my own adventures and they keep me busy. My art has kept me company since I was a child, it has always been my haven, safe space and sanctuary. When I touch my sketchbook, I know I am in the right place. When I was in my 20’s and 30’s most of my friends were getting married and building families. I had other things on my mind, I wanted to seek adventure and travel, I liked going to galleries and cultural events but never had anyone to go with. I learned to go solo at a young age, so I have had a lifetime of being out there and organizing on my own, not restricted by fear or what others will think. ‘Doing’ something was always more valuable to me than not doing it. If I wanted to do something or go somewhere, I did it without seeking company or approval. I have been that way since I was a child. I got into a lot of trouble for going out on my own when I was young, my parents were distraught by my actions, but I would not be deterred. I knew what my priorities were and I had an invisible compass inside me that lead me instinctively and intuitively. My family relocated every few years and I went to different international schools in different countries. I always had friends and I always became engaged in the arts community. If I wanted to see a movie, I went to see it by myself. I went to restaurants by myself, I went to museums, concerts, galleries and the theatre by myself. My sketchbook kept me company and is always with me. I believe that I formed my own opinions because I didn’t have other voices influencing me. The space inside my head is sacred to me and I don’t often allow other voices to influence how I do things. At the same time, I am a team player and a collaborator. The two are in balance. Perhaps that’s why I gravitate towards being involved with other artists.
A life-changing adventure happened in 2009, after a romantic breakup. It was just before Christmas and the oncoming holiday season felt unbearable. So I got on a train at Union Station in Toronto and got off in Los Angeles a week later. It was the most energizing and exciting trip, I met other travellers on the train, it was one long conversation with different strangers and I discovered how important and enjoyable it was for me to listen to people’s stories and to share stories and exchange energy with others. I also learned the value of staring out a window at moving scenery for hours on end. It did something good to my brain. I got hooked on train travel and road trips in general and sketching became a way of life for me as I continued to hit the road ever since. Carrying a sketchbook is easy and lightweight. I cannot imagine living my artist life any other way. I am always planning the next road trip, there’s a long list of locations that I want to visit and sketch.
Since that train trip in 2009, I change my life and became a full-time visual artist. I now try to spend most of my time with other artists, dreaming up and organizing events and festivals for the arts communities where I live.
I am proud of my inner creative voice. It has blossomed into an experienced, mature artist’s voice, solid, with clarity and intention. I have come across other artists who have doubts, lack confidence or struggle with their work, or are not sure if they are on the right track. I don’t know what that feels like because I cannot imagine speaking negatively about my own art or my creative output. To me that would be like hurting myself, I don’t do it. It makes me stand out at gatherings. I can see it now, I think differently, I see the world differently, and I have had a relationship with the creative lifestyle longer than most. I love to have conversations with other artists because I can’t stand hearing an artist express doubt or lose confidence, I immediately jump in to uplift their soul, and I do it with complete sincerity because you have to keep the light on for the creative impulse, otherwise it might leave, and that terrifies me, I will fight for it, in myself and for any of my artist friends who are experiencing doubts about their art. I think that makes me different, so my conversations with others are more creative and positive than most.
What sets me apart from others is that I have never lived a conventional life, I have never made conventional choices. So I am unable to do small talk, or pretend to be interested, or fake a compliment. I have lived an authentic life for over four decades now and I will not suffer fools or stay in a space that is dense with stagnant or primitive energy, or even shadow energy, it repels me and I bolt in the other direction. Time is precious and there is nothing more valuable to me than raising awareness about the benefits of living an authentic life and pursuing the creative impulse. I am at an age now where I can look back and know with confidence that I made the right choices for me, I can see the benefits of a creative life. I can see how I am different and why it’s a good thing. I could not tell you why I am who I am. I can only tell you that every person must discover the unique universal frequency that resonates best with them and for them. If you are unhappy, keep changing the dial, there are unlimited choices out there, follow the beat of your own drum and find your tribe. I know it sounds trite, but no one else is going to come and offer you a magic wand, if you want to change the way you spend your day, only you can do it. There are many ways to activate change, and having an inner conversation with your higher self is one way to start.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Non-creatives who I have worked with find some of my behaviours impossible to fathom. For example, I am an abstract thinker. I leap and fly from one thought to another and it can be challenging for non-creatives to keep up because I’m not a linear thinker. I can brainstorm and problem-solve at a fast pace, but then I struggle with connecting the dots back to a realistic plan of action on ground level. The real world works step by step with both feet on the ground. The creative mind flies and is not limited by realism or by what is expected in a workplace meeting. It can be exciting to have a creative mind at the table, but in my case, I have a hard time staying on task and being realistic.
Non-creatives often comment about salaries ‘Art doesn’t pay the bills, how do you make money?’ Addressing stereotypes about creatives is important, but it can get tiresome. We all pay our bills somehow. In my life, different streams of income have been helpful, at one point I had a full-time job and four part-time jobs and I sustained that for over six years. Most times opportunities for income arrive without me looking for them, through networking or at gatherings. Having a non-traditional way of creating income is great, if you are passionate about what you do and actually enjoy the work.
Non-creatives don’t understand my need to be alone. I do not get lonely, nor do I feel isolated. I like being alone. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a recluse, I have lots of friends who I cherish and spend time with but a creative soul needs alone time. It is important because it helps us navigate and process and create our art. We need time away from noise and other people’s energies. It is essential for us to step away from anything that feels ‘too much’. For my own mental health, anyway. My friends will tell you that I am a social butterfly, but I do have another side which is quiet, private and contemplative. Spending time in groups can be overwhelming for me. Also, if I find myself in an energy space that is not positive, I leave. I have worked too hard to waste my energy on people who are negative, destructive, aggressive or unproductive. I feel compassion and empathy for all but I now give my energy only to a few close friends and projects that are close to my heart. My time and energy are precious and valuable to me. If I spend time with anyone, it feels like the energy exchange has to be mutual, or I won’t stay there long. This doesn’t have to be active energy. It can be passive energy. A friend sits by the lake with me and we don’t talk much. We both stare out at the lake. Quiet time together is healthy for both of us, it’s nice to have company, but creatives understand that company doesn’t always have to mean talking nonstop, it can be a quiet visit. Once you are in tune with your own creative needs and energies, this becomes second nature, you don’t have to force it, it just happens. Being selective about who I share my time with is becoming more important to me. I avoid crowds now. I used to feel energized by crowds when I was younger, now crowds repel me. Being aware of my own energy and how it evolves and changes is a skill that I value in myself. How I feel, how I interact with others and what energy surrounds me, are valuable aspects of understanding myself, my creative life and how I interact with others. You have to create a balance that keeps you feeling grounded yet energized enough to be with others. Self-awareness helps. Most non-creatives don’t think about this stuff, they just get on with life in a practical way and don’t pay as close attention as I do to interactions with others.
Non-creatives focus on their priorities just like I do. But our focus is on different things. I can only speak for myself when I say that I don’t buy clothes that often. I wear the same tired old t-shirts and hoodies until they wear out. Creatives spend their money on art supplies! What I look like, what I wear is not even on my mind. My focus is on other things. I am frugal in some areas but only because I need the funds to spend in another area. So clothes and makeup and hair styling are not where I spend my money. My money, if available, is spent on road trips and art. Am I irresponsible about spending? Probably, in some cases I am. If I fall in love with a painting, I will channel all my funds towards purchasing it. A few years ago, I fell in love with a painting and didn’t have the budget for it. It was impossible for me to walk away from it. So I decided to buy it instead of fixing my teeth. Sure, we make weird choices that others may not understand. Maybe irresponsible choices, but now I get to look at that painting every day and it brings me so much happiness, I can’t describe it. No regrets.
I often hear the phrase ‘You can’t do that!’ from non-creatives in my life. They always have a point, they might even be right. I would be accurate in saying they are usually more practical and sensible and realistic than I am. But it doesn’t stop me from spending my funds on art. Nothing brings me more bliss at the soul level than falling in love with an original painting.
Non-creatives often notice (… sometimes criticize) my lack of what they call daily routine and schedule. Most human beings benefit from a structure, from a daily routine, from daily work habits. We often read articles about daily habits of successful people. It works for most. I have no use for such routines or schedules. My work and routine is cyclical, or perhaps seasonal. When I am involved in a project, I spend time on it, I might be up at 4 a.m. engaged in what I’m doing. If someone knocks on my door at 9 a.m., I might be asleep and they might wonder if I’m lazy. That’s because they are viewing my life through their own practical lens, through their own filter, maybe they have a different routine than mine. People tend to be judgemental when it comes to seeing how creatives live their lives. Are we an odd bunch? I don’t think so, I think we often fall victim to the judgemental attitudes of others who don’t understand what we are doing. My schedule is cyclical, I do the same thing over and over and over again like others do, but I do it differently. To someone who doesn’t know me, they might observe one day of my life and think it looks chaotic or unruly because they don’t understand the whole picture. I work hard and I work long hours, but not like other people. I follow the schedule and the to-do list that is inside my head, it is personal and it works for me. After a project is complete, I might get in the car and drive across the country for four days just to unwind and take a break from being around others. That’s how I think, that’s how my mind works. There’s no way of pinning it down, and no use in trying it again because it changes and evolves with my work.
I am a passionate road-tripper. Nothing gets me more excited than planning the next road trip. That is part of my creative process, because a lot of my creativity is inspired by travel. My creative muse is out there. Not every minute of my day is spent painting, I am an artist but I do other things that are equally important, because the painting part, the studio part, the art-production part, are all different pieces of the same whole. I crave fresh new vibrant energy, I like breathing fresh air and being on the move all the time. Other artists spend 10 hours painting in their studio every day, day after day. They might not come up for air for weeks. That is what makes them happy. I don’t compare myself to anyone, I understand that we are all unique and we are all doing what makes us happy as artists. Otherwise, why would you do it? The old idea that artists are tortured suffering anguished souls is outdated now. The artists I know are healthy individuals, and they produce work that vibrates with great energy and they all have different unique lifestyles! So the less judgement towards others the better. All I know is that it’s a great time to be an artist. Creatives and non-creatives have different approaches and that’s why it’s always good to do things together because we compliment each other’s skills. We might not mirror each other’s skills, but we work well as a team, we bring different skills to the table and the project will benefit from both energies.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
At my age, I actually have the benefit of hindsight. So perhaps I’ve had more time to understand this.
I had to unlearn more than one lesson along the long road to success. Mostly during my adult formative years when my life experience was directly connected to academic and work environments.
I spent a lot of my time and energy looking at what academic institutions and workplaces held up as standards of achievement, standards of success or standards of perfection. As a young learner, you always want to excel, you want to measure up to those standards. You want to impress your peers, or at least stand shoulder-to-shoulder. I found out that these industry and academic standards, they come naturally to many who can hit those markers. For those of us who can’t, it can bring on crushing disappointment. It would have served me well to understand the human brain instead, how it works and what it means to be non-neurotypical, what it looks like to be neurodivergent and how different paths to success can be achieved in spite of academic standards. I had to unlearn that we can all work hard and get to the top. I now know that many paths to success are paved with obstacles that are not surmountable for many. Being different makes it hard to compete in the same arena and even harder to fit in, let alone compete. Once I started identifying as an outsider, as someone who is indeed different, it became easier for me to step away from the expectations that applied to others in the environments that we shared. I became knowledgeable in recognizing ‘othering’ and how it was normalized in behaviour around me. When I looked around for role models, there were plenty, but they existed outside of traditional systems and school books. I found my role models in library books, in the movies, in history documentaries and in music.
Sometimes I found my role models completely by chance, I would call it Divine Intervention. You have to trust the universe when you are struggling, searching for meaning or reaching for guidance. I am not religious but I have experienced energies that moved me, more than once, I know there is a higher power that we can tap into, which some call spiritual guidance, or a spiritual presence. That’s another conversation for another day. I have many guides, they are just normal people, but they came into my life at times where I was almost giving up, and they guided the way. Perhaps they are my earth angels. These experiences are too strong and meaningful to be dismissed as chance. I also spend a lot of time alone in nature, that’s where meaningful and transformative energy exists for me, it is where authentic learning takes place for me.
I had to unlearn how to read people. The messages in facial expressions and their perceived meaning. For example, a smiling face isn’t always a friendly face. Some malevolent forces are cloaked in friendly mannerisms and forked tongues. Once I started to understand that people put on different ‘masks’ depending on who they are talking to, the body-language of the social world became easier to interpret. I learned more about what drives people’s behaviour when it is not sociable towards me. I learned about racism, microagressions and passive aggressive behaviour and how it manifested itself in my life, things started to make more sense. Once again, there were always role models who helped me understand that language and interpret it, and I found my role models and allies in the most unexpected places.
Not everyone reading this will understand what it’s like to unlearn many of the life lessons we were taught in our formative years. It’s tricky because something that applies to me might not apply to a close friend who lives a block away and spends a lot of time with me. It’s hard to explain. If you’re not considered an outsider, you won’t get what I mean. You could live in the same town as your friends and they won’t know what you’re talking about. Unless they experience these behaviours that target those of us who are perceived as different.
In 2009, I made the conscious decision to change my life and to move in a different direction, an intentional direction that helped me to build the creative life that I desired. I made a list of things that I wanted more of in my future. The word Creative was on the list. The word Artist was also on the list. I started to spell Artist with a capital A. I worried about what would happen to me if I didn’t live as a creative. What would the alternative be? What would the opposite of creative be? Think about it. Destructive? I chose to be creative. Not destructive. That’s a perfect example of how things make sense to me that might not make sense to others. I decided that there’s enough destructive energy out there. Being creative is healthier, more beneficial, more meaningful. So I ditched destructive thoughts and destructive living.
I don’t know what the opposite of an Artist is. I have always been an artist so I can’t imagine not being one. I don’t know if artists are made or born, or become a product of their environment. In my case, I know I was born this way. It’s not something I can step away from, or only do on weekends. I am an artist 24/7 and I have always been that way since I was born. I’m not kidding, my parents were called in by my teacher when I was 3 and pointed to an exceptionally representational painting that I whipped up for my young age. The same thing happened in every art class in every school. But that was it! That was the extent of my glorious success and achievement. Once I stepped outside of the art room, life wasn’t so easy for me to conquer or excel at. The art room was the only arena where I excelled. Once I stepped outside of the art room, life was there, waiting to beat me up.
The lesson I learned is that you don’t have to twist your soul into uncomfortable positions to fit in. Being a square peg is ok, and you don’t have to fit into anything. Some artists thrive in social groups, some don’t. There’s a misconception that artists need to have sparkling social personalities to sell their art. It may be true for many but you can also have a successful art business and not be the darling of parties and social media. It’s ok to be different. It’s ok not to fit in, it’s ok to follow your own creative impulse and not look back. I learned to be ok with myself and to be ok alone. I never felt lonely because I was busy being creative. I loved drawing and painting and I was proud of my art because it looked different. I didn’t want my art to look like anyone else’s. I was different and I didn’t fit in, so if my art was different and didn’t fit in either, I was ok with that, we were misfits together. My art was everything to me. When other artists put down their own work, it makes me sad. There’s enough negativity out there, I want my art to bring me a peaceful mindset and I always relished the beautiful energy that I see in my art, I didn’t want it to have any darkness or shadows. Some of my life experiences were negative, so, being the rebel, I decided early on that my art was going to have a good vibe, just to be contrary.
I had to unlearn the lesson that you have to be competitive and work hard to get all the money, otherwise others will take it from you! You will lose sales to competitors. Nothing can be further from the truth. The more you work with others, not against them, the more money you will make. Money and income respond to energy. In my experience, they are energetic. It’s true that you can attract energy by your vibe and intention. I’ve had people tell me that I focus too much on promoting other artists and I should focus on promoting my own art instead. My passion is to be with other artists, the camaraderie is what floats my boat. I am surrounded by friends who are artists and we all sell our paintings. When an artist has a sale, I am jubilant. I used to run an art gallery and gift shop on Manitoulin Island. At one point we had 36 artists exhibiting and selling their paintings all together in the same space, it was packed with great art. It gives the customer a variety of choices. Every time we sold a painting, we rang a little bell to celebrate! The whole neighbourhood would hear us whooping it up when a painting sold! It’s exciting to me when an artist sells a painting, a time to celebrate. Uplifting each other makes everyone more successful.
It reminds me of something unrelated but I’ll tell you anyway. In London, UK, during the burgeoning music scene of the 1960’s and 1970’s there were a lot of art students and they hung out together around Carnaby Street. Some were also musicians, or played in bands. They were kids, but the energy was all about creativity. They hung out in studios: Art studios or music studios, they fed off each other’s vibe.They invited each other to listen to the latest records together and they often collaborated with each other. They ALL succeeded, they all made it big. No one took sales away from anyone. As a matter of fact, they promoted each other and often shared the stage. People don’t realize how small that area of London is, where all the bands who we now know as famous hung out together, and they all ended up being super successful, so successful that they all conquered the international music scene. There was enough money for everyone. That’s exactly how the universal theory of abundance works. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie and many more… others such as Elton John, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, they all started out in a small geographical location, a few blocks from each other and all became successful while being friends and focusing on their own creative work. The energetic field that they created together was phenomenal. Yet, each was original, they all had their own unique recognizable sounds that was different from the next band. It’s because they focused on their own authentic creativity. That’s the example I use when I hear negative talk about artists or exhibitions. I don’t believe in divisive behaviour, or in limiting what an artist does or shows within a gallery or within a market. I believe in abundance and harmony. Most art collectors I know love to buy art and they don’t stop at one purchase.
This is how I feel about artist collaborations, we all do unique and original work, and yet we exhibit and sell together, and we all sell art. My community reflects this. I’m happy if they have a hit, I know they are happy when I have a hit. The theory of abundance is energizing and we see it in action, there’s enough money for everybody. No one is taking money from anyone, you either have a mindset of abundance or you don’t.
Another lesson to unlearn: You have to work hard all the time, stay up late, get everything done, push yourself, if you’re not working, you’re wasting precious time. That is not true. There are phases and stages to the creative process and no one should tell you how to be creative and how to be productive. Or when to rest. It can only work for you in your own way at your own unique pace. If you observe famous bands, they go on concert tours where they perform like extroverts on stage every day, but they balance it out by disappearing into the studio for months of inner quiet solitary production time. Both ways are important to the artistic process. There is an element of public performance, there is an element of quiet alone time. There is rest, play and rejuvenation. The best way forward for you, could be unique to you. So pay attention to how you do things, how you flow when you are alone, how you flow with others. How your personal energy works. Resist the temptation to say things like ‘I just wasted the whole day doing nothing!’ It’s not true. You are an artist, every hour spent thinking or staring out the window is valuable. Your mind is either processing, or thinking of something you are not even aware of yet. Let it percolate, let it marinate. All you can do is provide the right conditions for your life to support your own creative direction. Energize the space where you work. If it’s a studio, spend time doing studio things. Tidy up pieces of scrap paper, clean and sort your brushes, create a shelf for your sketchbooks, it’s all part of the creative process. Be inspired by reading and researching and making art. Artists do things differently, we are unique creatures and you cannot hold yourself accountable to other people’s standards. Don’t let other people’s standards crush your vibe. Your own unique way is the only way for you. So what if it looks different? You are different. You will find a way to connect and to shine when the time is right. Just keep making your art. Sparkle on the inside even if others don’t see it, you’ll know the inner spark is there. Keep it alive.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artistsoutandabout.com/helen-siksek
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its_8tch/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fishpointstudio
- Other: https://helensiksek.com/
Image Credits
Sumita Bidaye