I’m officially declaring this a No Funk Zone.
In the past, I’ve written here of a sort of letdown, a sort of glumness or funk that occurs in the aftermath of even highly successful shows. It’s no stranger to me and I’ve talked to other artists who describe the same thing happening to them. It most likely results from working so hard to meet the deadline for a show, having everything so geared up for a specific moment so that when it has passed a void is left. A new purpose and immediacy must be found quickly to fill the vacuum left.
However, I’m finding that this hasn’t been the case after this most recent show at the Principle Gallery. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I am already deeply immersed in my next project, my annual show at the West End Gallery. That gives me a sense of purpose and a target at which to shoot. It leaves little time to mope around.
But I’ve had this same show after the Principle show every year for eleven years now and I have fallen into a funk several times after the first show. But this time I ‘m back in the studio with a renewed vigor, eager to work and feeling oddly upbeat. It feels good but worries me a bit– I’m not used to finding myself in this territory.
I have no good explanation for this mild elation except that perhaps this last show has made me feel somewhat more confident in the direction the work is heading. I often speak about validation of ones work and perhaps that is what I’m feeling. I have often lost confidence at certain points over the years, as was the case for a period of time coming into this show. It’s a self-doubt that creeps in and nags incessantly, making me question every move I make as well as the validity of my work. So when people respond in a way that you hoped they might, seeing the work as you wished them to see it, it validates what you yourself see there. The self-doubts turn to self-assurance, which is energizing.
That’s the best rationale I can offer. I’m trying to not overthink this. I just want to enjoy this moment and take full advantage of the energy it supplies because I know all too well how quickly it can be gone, replaced by those questions and doubts.
So for now, welcome to the No Funk Zone.
Redtree Times 