Something I’ve actually realized by pulling out my work and starting to apply for things here in Calgary is how much work I’ve actually made over the past five years.

Because of the birth of my daughter and change in priority, as well as a change in my schedule, I just didn’t feel like I had much time, but I tried to squeeze in art wherever I could.

I really diminished, however, how much work I actually did make during that time because I never ended up finishing any of the series that I started for exhibition.

Today we’re going to discuss style, working in series, and why not finishing everything you start might not be the problem you think it is.

What about you? Do you feel like you’ve made less work than you actually have?

Hey there! 👋 I’m Carrie.

I’m here to remind you of something important. You are already an artist.

And if you’re someone with a lot of ideas, or work that doesn’t all look the same, that doesn’t mean you’re unfocused. It means you have something to develop.

Here on Artist Strong, I help creatives stop feeling like copyists or hobbyists and start building real series of artwork. Work that reflects who they are and what they care about.

If you’re ready to take your ideas and turn them into something more cohesive and intentional, I’m here to help.

Sign up for my free workshop, How to Transform Your Ideas Into Artwork That Is Uniquely Yours. You’ll find the link below.

Rejection Sucks

I applied for a ton of things in Houston, but I just didn’t get a yes for any of the opportunities that would have helped further my career. 

So my art stood around collecting dust in my closet and studio.

I spent so much time trying to squeeze in art, but it always felt like a battle to carve out that time. It felt hard, and I associated that difficulty with my production.

In reality, I started 3 different series, 2 of which I’m still pursuing.

The rejection, paired with the starting (but not finishing) of multiple ideas, set a negative tone that clouded my judgment.

Have you ever felt that? Like starting a lot of ideas somehow counts against you instead of for you?

Looking at your work with fresh eyes

I have applied to eight things, most of them in the past month, at least as of writing this article, and I applied using three different series of work. And when you look at them individually, they feel really different!

• I applied with my art investigating caregiving and motherhood for a grant that would help fund and teach me how to produce better videos and storytelling to support my artist practice; I also applied for an exhibition space to share the finished work.

• I applied to a hospital exhibition with my colored pencil drawings that are inspired through kind of collage random elements and create a kind of non sequitur humor.

• I applied for a local city grant to help fund new work that puts people of authority in out-of-context, usually playful, childlike environments to address definitions of power and authority.

If you look at your own work, do you see separate ideas like this, or does everything feel disconnected right now?

Two of these series were started during that time of scarcity and rejection. And I would have nothing to apply with if I hadn’t started and finished a few pieces of each series. Additionally, I would have never come up with the new work I’m exploring without starting the previous series of artworks.

Through Line Between Series

For years I’d tell me high school students your work is all connected because you made it! You just need to find the through line.

It’s only taken me 20 years to find my own through line! Even though, on the surface, you might think there are three different artists.

When I really look at my work, I don’t see three separate bodies of work as much as I see the same curiosity showing up in different ways. I keep playing with context, placing things where they don’t quite belong, and in doing that, something shifts. Whether it’s through humor, tension, or contrast, the work starts to question what we expect something to be, and that feels like the through line for me.

If you had to take a guess right now, what do you keep coming back to? 

Insight About Style and Working in Series

This is why it’s actually helpful to have multiple ideas that you want to explore.

By having multiple ideas and starting points for this work, by starting each of these series, I have work that shows I’m developing the idea that I want to push further. Perhaps some funding or an exhibition space is going to say yes to some of this work. Then that becomes a deadline to help me follow through and even refine and make more work on that topic.

I’m not still making work only about my Anonymous Woman series, which is the first series that really kicked off my voice and the way I’ve decided to show up with my Art.

That doesn’t mean I won’t go back to it either. I might choose to return to that Art because it’s still a topic that I connect with and that matters to me.

That’s the power of working in series. It’s not to limit yourself to one style, but it gives you this opportunity to show a level of commitment and professionalism to your work. You aren’t just making random one-off pieces here and there. There’s actually continuity that shows you can stick to an idea, finish an idea, and it allows you the freedom to explore multiple ideas and see where they take you.

Do you tend to stick with one idea, or do you move between multiple?

Addressing the “One Style” Myth

This is one of the biggest objections I hear over and over again about art: that an artist has to stick with one style.

This notion comes from essentially marketing and the sale of your art. I want to be clear here: if you have one style and it sells well and you want to keep making more of it, that’s amazing! I wish that was me sometimes because it would be a whole lot easier than having all the ideas that I do.

But that’s not what will sustain me or my practice. If you look at artists across art history, they have always evolved. The difference is when art historians look back at the work, they can connect the dots and see different series that the artists may not have even been consciously developing, but did because of periods of their life, certain life events, or different artists they started to network with.

It’s also why I say presentation and how you curate and present your work can be important, especially if exhibiting or selling your work is important to you.

Have you ever felt pressure to stick to one style?

Personal Reflection + Encouragement

Honestly, none of this really matters if you just want to make random artwork. I’m sharing this because I know so many artists who use this as an excuse to not show up for their art and make it. It feeds the mean inner critic telling them, “why bother?” if they’re not going to be serious about their work. I’m here to tell you: your multiple interests are actually a sign of just how serious you are with your art.

What are the different ideas or themes you keep circling in your own work?

Look, I just had pretty much five or six years of constant rejection when I applied to things for my art. There’s nothing to say I won’t face the same level of rejection here in Calgary.

I feel a shift in myself and in my art. Applying to these things has helped me realize how much art I have made, how the work is actually all connected, and motivates me to start showing up and being more consistent in my practice again.

Even if every single application is a no, I feel like I’ve won because I’m returning to my practice and challenging myself with new ideas.

And isn’t that the point?

If this resonated with you, I’d love for you to stick around. I share more about building your art practice, working in series, and finding your voice in your work. You can subscribe below so you don’t miss the next one.

Thanks so much for watching. Remember: proudly call yourself an artist. Together, we are Artist Strong.