Is my artwork good enough?

Mar 10

This post is a part of On Making - a weekly project where I answer questions about how to think about and develop your body of work as a visual artist. Each answer is intended to be a brief read that concludes with a guiding action you can consider immediately. If you’d like to subscribe to this ongoing support, consider joining me on Substack. Each question will be cross-posted for delivery to your inbox.

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There are a few big questions that can arise in creative practice. Usually, they are questions containing the words should, could, and enough. And when these types of hesitations arise with my artist mentees, I encourage them to seek the real reason for the question. Are they passing judgment on themselves or are they genuinely asking a productive question?

Many times, should, could, and enough questions come from a place of judgment. They let emotional processing displace a disruptive feeling - like an application getting rejected, sales not meeting expectations, or peers excelling in a similar field. The anxious part of our brain takes over to supersede logic and reason. If you are asking this question in response to a feeling, I encourage you to instead address the source of discomfort in your creative practice.

If you are productively asking if your work is good enough, then you should be asking solely for yourself. Does your work meet your standards? Creating your very best work will help bring confidence in your skills and determine when you are ready to advance your artwork.

Your artwork should fulfill you physically and emotionally.

When asking if your work is good enough to meet your standards, I encourage you to ask if it fulfilled you physically. Consider your approach to your artwork. Did you enjoy the entire process of creating your work? Does your process reflect who you are as an artist? Did physically making your artwork bring you complete satisfaction?

Additionally, when asking if your work is good enough to meet your standards, I encourage you to ask if it fulfills you emotionally. When you view your completed artwork, you should not only see it visually but also feel it. These feelings should be, for the most part, positive. Do you enjoy viewing your own art?

You have made every creative decision to the best of your ability.

When determining whether your artwork meets your standards, you should also feel confident that you have made every creative decision to the best of your ability. I defined creative decision in the post titled What Exactly is a Body of Work? A creative decision is the process of problem-solving and finding solutions in your artwork. This means, in order for your artwork to achieve its intent, you will have made the best creative decisions to communicate your ideas. You thoughtfully considered your materials, your approach, and your process. You believe you have made the best choices to fulfill your vision and what it is you'd like to communicate.

Asking if your work is good enough is often a question that can derail momentum in creative practice. Find the real reason for asking your question. In order for your question to be productive, it should be in the context of knowing for yourself. Your answer will help will build confidence in your creative practice and know when you are ready to advance your work.

If we haven’t had the pleasure of meeting - I’m Lauren Sauder, a landscape artist and artist mentor. If you enjoyed this post, here are a few more ways you can connect with me:

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