How can you tell if your art is any good? Art Studio Ch… — Transcript

Angela Fehr discusses how to evaluate your art, focusing on creative mindset and finding validation beyond external approval.

Key Takeaways

External validation can be fleeting and unreliable for measuring artistic worth.
True artistic growth comes from an empowered, fearless mindset and internal belief.
Creative freedom and joy should be prioritized over chasing awards or recognition.
Artistic milestones are personal and subjective; focus on your own progress.
Continuous painting and growth are signs of becoming a better artist.

Summary

Angela Fehr shares insights on maintaining joy and creative freedom in art.
She reflects on her 25 years as a watercolor artist and the milestones in her journey.
The video explores the challenge of seeking external validation from family, friends, and art shows.
Angela explains how selling her first painting and winning awards provided temporary validation.
She discusses the frustration of chasing moving goalposts for artistic approval.
The importance of developing an empowered, fearless mindset to create authentic art is emphasized.
Angela highlights the value of internal validation over relying on others’ opinions.
She encourages artists to focus on growth and creative freedom rather than external recognition.
The video includes personal stories about overcoming self-doubt and embracing artistic identity.
Angela concludes that continual growth and self-belief are key to becoming your own favorite artist.

Chapters

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

Hi, I'm Angela Fehr. You may have already been following my watercolor tutorials and painting lessons here on YouTube or taking one of my online courses, but I've wanted for a while to spend a little bit of time talking about creative mindset. Uh, what

Speaker A

I found is that we often fall in love with art, fall in love with creating paintings, uh and then somewhere along the way we start to lose our joy. We get all wrapped up in trying to make our art

Speaker A

I found is that we often fall in love with art, fall in love with creating paintings, uh, and then somewhere along the way we start to lose our joy. We get all wrapped up in trying to make our art

Speaker A

your heart sing. And uh we can get out of our own way and see that happen on the paper and it's so exciting when it does.

Speaker A

good, and we kind of forget what brought us to create art in the first place, and we lose that creative freedom that we felt, uh, early on. The goal here is to become your own favorite artist, to become free to make the art that makes

Speaker A

ago, they're history now. They're, you know, milestones that I've achieved and that was really so that has always been really exciting and empowering to think about and to see how far I've come. Uh this book is full of some of my very

Speaker A

your heart sing. And, uh, we can get out of our own way and see that happen on the paper, and it's so exciting when it does.

Speaker A

time if I was any good at art. I actually had a very loyal audience uh who were great fans of my work, who believed in me and thought I was a great artist, uh but I called those people mom

Speaker A

You know, I've been an artist for 25 years. I celebrated my 25th anniversary of painting in watercolor just earlier in 2020. And it was so exciting to realize that all of those things that I'd worried and wondered about 25 years

Speaker A

If your family and friends can't be trusted, where do you uh find that standard, that freedom to say, "I'm an artist. I'm a good artist.

Speaker A

ago, they're history now. They're, you know, milestones that I've achieved, and that was really so that has always been really exciting and empowering to think about and to see how far I've come. Uh, this book is full of some of my very

Speaker A

And so, the first thing I think was uh when I sold my first painting. That felt like big validation. Uh that was an affirmation that someone was willing to pay for my art, and that meant it must be at least a little bit good. And uh

Speaker A

first, uh, paintings, and we'll look at them as we go through this talk. Um, when I first made that decision to become an artist, to identify myself as an artist, to actually say I can be an artist, I really wasn't sure for a long

Speaker A

twice a year, and they picked my painting to be on the invitation. It was so exciting to uh to see it there. It was gratification. It felt like a vote of confidence in my work, and it clearly the painting was good enough to be

Speaker A

time if I was any good at art. I actually had a very loyal audience, uh, who were great fans of my work, who believed in me and thought I was a great artist, uh, but I called those people Mom

Speaker A

young, and they really wanted to support and encourage me uh so that their group would, you know, attract that younger crowd and keep growing. Uh so, I I I love that they were willing to encourage a starting out artist, but I didn't uh

Speaker A

and Dad and Grandpa and Grandma. And so I really didn't think they were to be trusted, you know, their your didn't matter. Who do you trust when it comes to evaluating the quality of your work?

Speaker A

which was to win an award. If I could win an award, then I could know that my paintings were good.

Speaker A

If your family and friends can't be trusted, where do you, uh, find that standard, that freedom to say, "I'm an artist. I'm a good artist.

Speaker A

And then I realized that it was just a local art show. It wasn't a national award. It wasn't even a provincial award. So, I had good art in my community, but you know, maybe that wasn't enough to signify that I was

Speaker A

I can make good art." Um, how do you, how do you measure what you're, what you're making? And, uh, you know, for me, I really felt like I needed outside validation. I needed something more than just my family and friends.

Speaker A

And I just kept chasing those goal posts and they kept moving. And it's not really fun to chase a moving target.

Speaker A

And so, the first thing I think was, uh, when I sold my first painting. That felt like big validation. Uh, that was an affirmation that someone was willing to pay for my art, and that meant it must be at least a little bit good. And, uh,

Speaker A

out to be the very best thing for me. Because as I started to see other people getting the recognition I thought that I needed, I had to make peace with the fact that maybe I wasn't going to be chosen. Maybe

Speaker A

another time that felt very validating for me was, uh, a time when one of my paintings was chosen to be on the invitation for, uh, a local art show. I was a member of a group that exhibited

Speaker A

or in the province or in the gallery, um then why was I making art at all? But in that place of realizing that maybe I wasn't going to be chosen, maybe my next milestone needed to be focused on

Speaker A

twice a year, and they picked my painting to be on the invitation. It was so exciting to, uh, to see it there. It was gratification. It felt like a vote of confidence in my work, and it clearly the painting was good enough to be

Speaker A

make outside sources, other people's opinions, your standard for success, you will never be satisfied with your work.

Speaker A

featured. Uh, and then I, and then, but then there was also this kind of niggling, um, suspicion that maybe they just picked my painting because I was one of the newer members of the arts group. I was quite

Speaker A

make you bitter when your own efforts feel unrecognized. I had to learn to believe in myself and my ability to make the art I always dreamed of making.

Speaker A

young, and they really wanted to support and encourage me, uh, so that their group would, you know, attract that younger crowd and keep growing. Uh, so, I, I, I love that they were willing to encourage a starting out artist, but I didn't, uh,

Speaker A

kind of artist I dreamed of being. I had to learn how to choose an empowered mindset, a fearless mindset, one that plunged into painting for the love of it so that I could find the freedom to become the artist that I was meant to

Speaker A

that didn't mean my art was good. So, I set my sights on a different goal, you know, that, that receiving that, uh, feature on the invitation didn't feel like enough. Um, so, I set my sights on the next goal,

Speaker A

prospect because maybe it means that I'm never going to be any better than I am right now and I think that's what we secretly fear. And you know, I'm here to tell you that that's not the case.

Speaker A

which was to win an award. If I could win an award, then I could know that my paintings were good.

Speaker A

becoming rather than looking for outside of validation. I learned that as long as I was painting, I was growing, change was happening and I had no control over it sometimes. It just uh I I could I would keep growing even when I didn't

Speaker A

And, uh, it turned out, uh, that winning an award wasn't enough, you know, a year or two down the road, uh, I think I was selected for some local honor.

Speaker A

made their way into my work. And there's really not a way to say stay stagnant in art if you are fearless. And so that's something that I've pursued as an artist not being content to stay in my comfort zone.

Speaker A

And then I realized that it was just a local art show. It wasn't a national award. It wasn't even a provincial award. So, I had good art in my community, but, you know, maybe that wasn't enough to signify that I was

Speaker A

That there's a rich internal source that you can draw from that's going to mean far more than any kind of outside um validation.

Speaker A

a good artist. And it seemed like every time I would accomplish that milestone that felt like validation, the validation I'd be seeking, that goalpost moved again.

Speaker A

It's going to help you to choose a positive and empowered mindset that's going to help you pursue your own authentic creation uh of whatever art you're making uh with fearlessness, with uh joy and gratitude and intensity. And that makes me so excited. Uh you know,

Speaker A

And I just kept chasing those goalposts, and they kept moving. And it's not really fun to chase a moving target.

Speaker A

you can do it, too. I'm cheering for you.

Topics:art evaluationcreative mindsetwatercolor paintingart validationartist journeyself beliefart growthAngela Fehrart motivationcreative freedom

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I tell if my art is any good according to Angela Fehr?

Angela suggests that instead of relying on external validation like awards or family opinions, artists should focus on their own growth, creative freedom, and internal belief in their work.

What role does mindset play in artistic development?

A positive, empowered, and fearless mindset helps artists pursue authentic creation, overcome self-doubt, and continue growing without being discouraged by external judgments.

Why is external validation not enough for measuring artistic success?

External validation can be inconsistent and fleeting, often moving the goalposts. Relying solely on it can lead to dissatisfaction, whereas internal validation fosters lasting confidence and joy in art.

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