I was thinking about the meaning of integrity yesterday and wondered if it means something different in your art than in your everyday life?
Integrity means the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles that you refuse to change.
Integrity means to complete what you say you will do.
Integrity means you stick to your personal code of conduct….not switching sides or thoughts just to please others
Integrity means honoring yourself. It doesn’t mean you have to “feel” like doing the job or even like the job…..it means you do the job because you gave your word.
Saying and doing are two totally different things…..integrity is doing what you promised.
Integrity is a skill….it is developed over time. It is developed with experience and observation.
Integrity gives us a foundation from which to draw on for future projects. We automatically know our strength because we have proven it to ourselves (this one is really important)
Integrity is our secret back up system.
But what does it mean in our art? Exactly what is artistic integrity?
Never copying but taking ideas from others and tweaking them to make them our own
Having the courage to say “yes, this is my painting”…even when others may not like your work.
Being original….not vanilla
Having the courage to take a chance
Always remembering your artistic vision comes from your life, your thoughts…..your courage
Creating a painting because it comes from your soul and not just for recognition or prizes
Being willing to be scared….to create on the edge
To continue creating even when your Inner Critic convinces you your painting sucks…(Oh, I know this one is hard)
Doing your very best each and every day
Believing in your ability to create, trusting it, loving it and accepting it as your genius.
These are but a few…..What are yours? Leave a comment below or email me at gwen@gwenfox.com. I really want to know your thoughts on this.
“Integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching.”
