Stab myself in the heart

I'm paraphrasing a lot here (apologies SF!), but last night I had the most amazing conversation with Shepard Fairey in which he likened making art to stabbing oneself in the heart. He said it in the context of how difficult it is to put yourself out there with your art and open yourself to criticism no matter what you do. For example, he tries to maintain the accessibility of his art through large poster editions of his paintings, but the art elite would say that accessible art is not serious art. The mere fact that his art now commands high prices ingallery shows makes some question whether he has "sold out," but it's what makes it possible for him to continue to put so much art on the street.

I suppose the process of making art is like stabbing yourself in the heart too. The good ones delve deep inside themselves and that is not always a pretty process, but it can beget beauty.

I think every one of us ought to stab ourselves in the heart every single day.