A Shared Experience

[Delofasht]

So recently I was hanging out with some friends in a Google hangout and had an unusual occurrence, I was asked what software I was using, as the UI is particularly different than most it is really not so uncommon a question for me. What I found odd was that when I told them what I was using, and started to answer their questions as to why I was using it over X Y or Z, one of them said "What do you work for them or something???". I was a bit taken aback by the question, and answered them honestly that no I did not, to which they said it seemed like I was trying to sell people on it or something. I really didn't and still don't understand this line of thinking from some people. If someone is excited about something they like why wouldn't you be happy for them, and further if you know people asked to know why one thing over another would you think to accuse them of trying to sell something?

This all got me thinking that perhaps there is something deeper to be gleaned from this, is doing something in a different way that frightening? Are people so insecure that I should have to take care of how I am seen?

These questions interest me because I have found in my lifetime that I have always been doing things different than others, and have often been shunned for it by many others. In areas other than art I could understand, you can only walk a bit odd so long before a police officer is going to end up stopping you and asking if you are on drugs or something (don't walk like you are from a cartoon, they will stop you). Here in the world of art though, there is no wrong way, just different, why would people become literally offended for doing it different?

Ultimately it doesn't matter so much to me what others think, because I have reasons for doing things the way that I do, most of them revolve around the fact that it works for me. I have been very successful in my life living the odd way that I do, making art in an odd way, and now using an odd choice of software that isn't the industry standard (yet). I really wanted to share this thinking and thoughts with you all because I think it very clearly illustrates an important point that all of us as artists should keep in mind, "There is no 'wrong' way, only the right way for you". So in all that you do, do it for you, and as long as it is working keep with it, one day your way might end up being the 'right' way that everyone is trying to do.

All that said, has anyone else ever had a time where people thought you were doing something different and were questioned heavily on it? How did you respond? What did you learn from it?

I learned that people are often very insecure and will accuse someone who is confident of pushing their beliefs on them. I feel we should always be learning from everything and sometimes things like this need to be shared so we can all learn from it.

- Delo

[D Akey]

Well, it's an interesting point certainly for taking 'the road less traveled'.

I try to pick and choose my shots. It's less work. I'm quite sure that your intentions were very friendly and with an intention of sharing a joy with others. If they come back with an answer like that what that tells me is that you and they were having two completely different conversations in the same space. And that always gets a little sticky. They may have just been fishing for someone to say what they believe already. That's quite often what's at the heart of all of these kinds of conversations – – people are just looking for validation for their own way of thinking.

Anyway carry-on listening to your own inner voice. That's the one that matters when it comes to areas of art especially. There are no absolutes in art – absolutely not.

Besides, if you're happy about ArtRage and want to express that, you certainly came to the right place. But there is lots of software to do lots of cool things out there as well. It's a very abundant time and were very fortunate to have all of this at our fingertips in this great society. I never tire of reminding myself that it hasn't always been this way. Far from it. So you get a lot of software flag wavers similar to in the very earliest days the kind of our team versus their team sort of youthful rivalry as with the Amiga computers versus IBM versus Macintosh. The IBM cheering squad was less extreme I think. After all it was a business machine. But Macintosh and Amiga devotees were over the top as a cheering squad. Same energetic, different packaging. People get vocal because they find it the coolest thing ever for them at that moment in their progress through life. But, yeah, when one finds the Elixir of Life or wins at Bingo, it's hard to remain blazé about it.

It's rather intoxicating isn't it? Riding this grand wave of enthusiasm makes painting one of the coolest pursuits imaginable. It's new, it's fresh, and it's ours to do with as we will.

So I can understand your enthusiasm for this program fully. We all have a little bit of that joy inside as we use this software, and we paint that energy from what's welling up inside, and when we're not painting, the energy on it is still there, so we talk about it because it keeps the high going. So enjoy! We are on your side, and we're hopefully high on the creative electricity flowing through us!!!

Paint on, my dear fellow. . .