Being an Artist: Facing The Internal Struggles
Just because you picked up a pencil one day and drew some of the best sketches, you have ever done or created the most breathtaking sculpture does not always mean that you will not have days where you can get that creative spark in you up and running.
Whether you are a professional or if you are just starting out in your professional art career journey, there will always be days when you cannot produce creative pieces that you could usually create on a daily basis. Fortunately, there are ways where you can learn to confront these struggles and figure out a way to work your way around them — and it is professionals like Dan Droz that can tell you how it is really done.
Dan Droz is a highly acclaimed American interdisciplinary sculptor, industrial designer, author, entrepreneur, and educator — but we are only scratching the surface of his skillset. Some of his work includes seminal research and practice in various disciplines, including design theory, rapid prototyping/product development, branding strategy, and manufacturing process. Plus, he is also the founder of Droz Marketing, Droz and Associates, and co-founder of Essential Surfing Gear.
Through Dan Droz Design, his product design firm that develops and manufactures a line of peppermills and housewares that are distributed by H.E. Lauffer. Later, the company expanded into home furnishings, developing into a broad range of furniture for manufacturers in Denmark Canada.
He also designed furniture, including case goods, dining and seating for various companies in the United States, Canada and Taiwan, and was even awarded an additional five Daphne Awards.
His passion for sculpting has always been a part of his life, starting in 1974 — he started making freestanding and wall sculptures with a few works on paper that were influenced by Constructivism, the Italian Memphis movement, De Stijl, and more. For his commission work, Droz has also constructed two large lightboxes with sliding panels that created changing patterns as one moved the panel.
Additionally, he has also incorporated many novel methods of fabrication into his work with glass, aluminum, and polymers. And he added even more styles to his sculptures, making his work even more unique over time. And as a professional, he has decided to share some of his important tips with other artists, who often struggle with internal conflicts when it comes to their career as an artist.
Maintaining Talent
This might be something you never heard — maintaining talent? How is that even possible? Well, talent never really dies, or does it fade out over time. However, it does require continuous practice so that you can take your abilities to a whole new level. Sometimes you cannot produce good work because you believe you have reached an advanced level of your skills, and now you cannot do anything more with it. In reality, there are limitless possibilities to what you can do with a skill you have mastered, but if you do not work on it, you end up getting on the level of a beginner artist, but with less motivation.
Do Not Let Constraints Hold You Back
People will always find one way or the other to critique your work based on their tastes and beliefs. If you stick to what they like and control the amount of creativity that can be put into your work, you will come to realize that you are putting a leash on your skills — a horrible way to enclose your abilities in a box that cannot be opened easily. As tough as it sounds, trust yourself and create art pieces that speak your thoughts that you had held back from the people.
