Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Andrew Sjodin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Andrew, thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?
I have always been a pretty self motivated person. I like having goals and working toward them. I also like to push myself and improve. When I started my formal training as an artist at The Atelier Studio Program of Fine Arts in Minneapolis, MN it quickly became apparent to me that it would require a lot of self-discipline to pursue a career as an artist seriously. Creating objects out of one’s imagination is by nature a rather open process.
While in school students have a fair amount of structure. They are given specific tasks, guided through them, have a daily schedule, and have the support and encouragement of the teaching staff as well as the other students. I did well with all of that. Also I recognized that after I finished my training I would be out there on my own, sitting in a studio with no guidance, no one to tell me what to paint or how long to take on any given project, no set times to start and finish working. Because I recognized this as a significant potential pitfall I intentionally developed really ambitious working habits while in school and forced myself to maintain those habits once out on my own. I was always there early, ready to get going as soon as the model was up in the morning. I stayed late and worked into the evening as often as I could. I would coming in on the weekends. I was hungry to improve so I developed habits that would best position me for forward movement.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am an artist. I am a classically trained painter and draftsman. I create original work and do commissioned work. I primarily create oil paintings; however, I also do drawings in charcoal and graphite, create the occasional water color painting, and once in a great while play around with a mixed media approach. I create representational 2-D work. My subject matter varies but generally falls under the following categories: still life, portraiture, and figurative.
I enjoy creating work that is contemplative. I strive to create slow spaces that the viewer can dwell within. The feeling of the light in the spaces I create, the varying textures of the paint, the mood of my subjects – these are among the key elements that I focus on while creating work. Modern life often feels more and more congested, busy, and superficial. Through my work I strive to slow down. Hopefully my work can provide this for the viewer as well.
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?
Just three, that is hard. I’m going to have to go with self-discipline, resilience, and patience.
Self-discipline is huge for pretty obvious reasons. Mastering a skill is an immense amount of work. It takes so much time and focus. People who achieve mastery typically have really ambitious an well-informed work habits. It takes a lot of self-discipline to maintain a high level of performance and to continue to push to improve over the many years it takes to reach mastery. It isn’t always fun. We don’t always feel like doing the work, even if we love it. And often we feel like we are not succeeding. Most of us don’t have it in us to play the long game in the way that is necessary to achieve mastery. I continually struggle, doubt myself, and fall short as I strive toward this goal.
This brings me to the next important quality: resilience. Those who want to be great at something are often incredibly hard on themselves. I fall prey to this often. It is very difficult to continue forward when everything I am doing is not up to the level that I feel it should be. As an artist I am also subject to a lot of rejection. I submit to competitions, juried shows, grants, and to galleries on a fairly regular basis. More often than not, particularly in the early years of an artist’s career, the reply (if you even get one) is basically “not interested”. This is hard, especially because we are creating something that is so personal. Putting it out there into the world for it only to be rejected is painful, defeating. In this regard resilience is necessary. Artists need to work to develop a callous so that they can continue to create work that is vulnerable and authentic, and to put this out there for the world to see, despite whatever response and judgement comes.
Finally, patience. Patience allows us to be open to self-care. Without patience, the driven person will simply keep pushing, even when that puts them into a hole. We cannot be our fullest self if we are broken down. I continually remind myself to be patient, to recognize that I am improving, and that I can only perform at my best if I am on a firm footing within.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
Authenticity. I know that great art is a truly honest expression of the artist; it is authentic. I feel that my work gives glimpses into my own honest expression, but only glimpses so far. I am struggling with impediments I don’t fully understand yet. One aspect of this struggle has to do with the specific artistic training that I underwent.
My training was highly technical. As a result of undergoing this training I am driven to continually push myself technically. I love the technical aspect of the process and deeply crave a higher and higher level of craftsmanship in my work. Now that I am trying to push myself artistically as well I am often conflicted. I am afraid to allow the technical to slip in favor of honest artistic expression. I see others do this and love it, can’t get enough of it. For reasons I don’t fully understand I am hesitant to let go fully and allow for a freer balance between the technical and the artistic. I think it will revolutionize my work when I am finally able to let go.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sjodinfineart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sjodinfineart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/A.SjodinFineArt
