We recently connected with Dan Vanderhoof and have shared our conversation below.
Dan, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I had to learn, through trial and error, that creativity or inspiration is not something you wait for or depend on, it’s something that wakes up and grows wings only when you are working. All the problems of lack of creativity or whatnot come from inaction. As soon as you act, as soon as you pick up that brush, that’s when you find inspiration. So the hardest part for me is getting started. Sometimes I hate walking into the studio. The resistance is palpable. I feel sick. But I’ve been here enough times to know that this is just a necessary symptom of getting started. Sometimes I sit at my desk and have coffee. Just sit at attention. Sooner or later I have to make a mark. And from that initial mark flows another, until I find that I am working. And if you’re lucky, from there you might get into a flow state. And from there sometimes you’ll be swimming in so much creativity and momentum and inspiration, that it’ll be hard to fall asleep at night. But you’ll feel happy and fulfilled and know that it really all boils down to work. Just get started, make one simple mark.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a visual artist based in Kansas City, MO. Using oil paint as well as acrylic I build up layers and scrape away layers of paint to find the essential form of what I’m trying to convey. I’ve recently been working on four very large canvases that deal with all the contradictions of life, the beauty and the terror and the in between. I am represented by Eva Reynolds Fine Art Gallery.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The best piece of advice I ever got was when a mentor told me “if you want to shoot for the stars you have to be willing to take failures as deep as the ocean.” If you have big dreams that is a beautiful thing, but to pursue those dreams takes action, and any time you take action, there is the possibility of failure. So get used to failure. Become friends with failure. Welcome failure. Smile in the face of failure. Because A, failure is inevitable, and B, failure is how you learn, and through learning you get better. So number 1 is become friends with failure. 2, would be consistency. It’s important to make a habit of being consistent with your work if you want to make any progress. However, life happens to even the most devoted of us; people come into our lives, people go, breakups, rebirths, groceries, tv, family, doctors, dogs, etc life happens. But if you learn to cultivate a consistent work habit through life’s ups and downs, you will have something that you are shooting for and working towards that will keep you focused on a reason to ‘Be. Number 3 would be Attention. Attention is a very important quality. To stand at attention before a canvas, to sit at attention before your computer dictates the quality of the outcome you seek. Give your work the attention it deserves and it will give you back something special. Number 4 I heard it said somewhere, “happiness is not necessarily the thing to shoot for, instead it’s voluntarily undertaking something that is bigger than you.” That gives meaning to your life. Start that business, work towards that goal, the times spent in hard work, failure, sweat and tears will be looked back upon as the best years, the fullest, the richest.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
When I feel overwhelmed I like to pull out my journal and list every single thing that is making me overwhelmed and causing me anxiety. Then sometimes I’ll just write about these things. Not making judgements or anything, just talking to myself, hearing myself. Then I can get whatever’s bothering me out in the open, instead of pent up inside. Also, any type of movement, a walk outside, jumping jacks, push ups, anything that gets the blood flowing, makes you sweat, will quite literally quiet an overwhelmed mind.
Contact Info:
- Website: danvanderhoof.com
- Instagram: @danvanderhoof
Image Credits
Samantha Carr (color photographs) Vincent Nappi (black and white)
