What does this mean?
When it comes to the artist mindset, this is a key creative skill and is a framework for managing all aspects of your art career. This can range from the growing of a brand to finding a way to overcome a personal challenge. In order to think like an artist, you need to define what it is you want to discover before tapping into your creative mind. (Jake You. The Artist Mindset)
When it comes to the thinking of an artist, one of the most iconic examples for knowing what it means to have a creative mindset is Leonardo da Vinci.
He had an insatiable curiosity and the need to examine unfamiliar knowledge. This led him to discover and explore various types of mediums, including; painting, anatomy, engineering and mathematics. His ideal was that the artist’s mind should be limitless, always eager to be involved in new challenges, including learning a wide range of diverse disciplines. These challenges are explored within his masterpieces such as the “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper”. Both works explore the power of combining science and art as he pushed his creative practice in a further expansion of his defining mindset.
Another popular artist who also explores the creative mindset significantly is Vincent van Gogh. During his life, Van Gogh was fighting in a mental health battle, however, he did not let this curb his creative power. Instead he did the opposite and channeled his struggles into his creative work. His artworks such as “Starry Night” and “Sunflowers” were a significant reflection of his mental state and his his different perspective of the world around him.
Many artists use their artworks as a method of self-expression and the concept of healing through their struggling history. In fact I think we could go so far as to say that every artwork a person does is a reflection of their mindset at that point in time.
Van Gogh was just 35 years of age when he cut off his left ear; This was one of the key events that demonstrates just how serious his mental condition was. His artworks that followed this attack have made clear the suffering he felt in those moments of insanity.
Ai Weiwei is a contemporary activist artist who comes from Beijing, China. Different from the previously mentioned artists, Weiwei's artistic mindset is channeled into make political changes in the world. He creates his works based upon finding new methods to serve as a platform for social commentary. Recent views expressed as part of his mindset and intentions are a critique of oppressive regimes and he has started demonstrating the need for artists to use their talents to spark change and challenge what is deemed as societal norms.
To conclude, the creator and artist mindset is a dynamic approach towards life and creativity. Whether this may be a way to explore a new discipline, take risks or a pursuit for their self-expression. Throughout history, we saw artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh and more modern artists like Ai Weiwei have accessed this power of the mindset of an everlasting legacy on the art world. These artists will continue to remind the people in the world that there are many aspects that influence each individual mindset and that everyone has a different idea they want to pursue for their own expression. It’s through the use of passion and imagination that really help out future artists.
References:
History. Renaissance. History.com Editors. April 4, 2018. Updated August 11, 2023. https://www.history.com/topics/renaissance/renaissance
Jack You. The Artist Mindset (think more like an artist in 4 steps). Author: Jake You. October 27, Year unknown. https://www.jakeyou.com/blog/the-artist-mindset-how-to-think-like-an-artist
Slideshare. The Da Vinci Mindset. Sean Griffin. April 15, 2012. https://www.slideshare.net/Sean_Griffin/the-da-vinci-mindset-12550924
The Art Story. Leonardo da Vinci Artworks & Famous Paintings. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/da-vinci-leonardo/
Van Gogh Museum. Vincent’s Illness and the Healing Power of Art