You Can Make Art
I don’t think that the world would operate well if everyone were solely artists—I’m not advocating for that, as any civilization requires way more than just art. But I do think that anyone can create, and that it’s important for everyone to understand that fact, much like they understand that they could do any number of things if they wanted to, even if they’re hard, even if they take time and energy—you just learn how and then you do it. Or, you don’t learn how and then you do it anyway. Either way is fine—the important thing is just that you know that it is possible, and that there is nothing in you that inherently prevents you from making art.
An awareness of what sort of art has already been made helps—a knowledge of what’s been done and what hasn’t, and what to maybe do and what to maybe not do. Understanding how to use the materials necessary to make the art helps too. But most of all what helps is to not stand in your own way. You shouldn’t let other people stand in your way and you shouldn’t do that to yourself either. You have the ability to tell yourself any number of negative stories about yourself and your own supposed inadequacy or inability, and because it’s in your own voice and in your own brain, you’ll believe it harder than if it were some smack coming out of someone else’s mouth. Understand that you can be your own worst enemy, heckler, hater—and that if you aren’t creating, but want to, that’s probably what’s preventing it.
Even though it’s nice to hear me, an artist, tell you that you can make art, you need to tell it to yourself in order for it to really sink in. Abandon any ideas you have about your own talent, or intelligence, or ability, or skill, or whatever, and just focus on the fact that you are a sentient human being, and as such, can do anything you want so long as you are not harming others.
Art does not require permission—no one needs to let you make art. You do not need a book deal to make a book, or a record deal to make a record, or a picture deal to make a motion picture. You do not need the approval of gatekeepers. Every art form, there is a way to do it, and do it well, without expensive materials—even filmmaking. Filmmaking is still an extremely new art form, even though there are so many goddamn films in this world. I love film because of that—there are so many opportunities to do things that have never been done before. Especially if you create within the box of your own limitations, which will help you expand your mind towards thinking of movies no one else would ever think to make. If you had the ability to make any movie you could ever think of, at any budget, you might freeze up at the limitless possibility. When you only have a couple locations, a couple actors, a couple dollars, you can only make a couple different movie ideas—but you CAN make them. And you should.
Thank you for reading, and if you enjoyed this piece, and enjoy my films, consider contributing $2 per month to my film studio, Kill The Lion Films.