 By: Matthew Sabey Smith
Why Art Art has been a part of my life longer than anything. When I was happy, sad, bored, busy, stressed, worried, lonely or elated- as a kid you would find me in my room drawing, playing music and studying artwork. I’ll never forget I skipped school social events just to get ahead in my work in middle school. My free zone, play zone and finding my flow state. Fear The truth is a career in art scared the shit out of me. All I would hear is that I would be a starving artist, I would never make a living and while I had support from some, I let the concern of others take me over at times. I used to doubt a career in art because it came easier to me than anything else. I made the mistake thinking work that is hard is the only kind of work a person should be able to do to make a living. I Got My Doctorate I ended up on a path to receiving a doctoral education in traditional Chinese medicine. I myself was very sick at the time, I wanted to heal and conventional medicine alone was failing me… I knew there had to be a better, more natural way to heal. Little did I know that move to become “Dr. Matt” would actually heal me from chronic disease that was ruining my life on a daily basis AND solidify my life path as “Artist Matt.” The truth is, you may never know someone’s life path or purpose for doing something, but in the end, we all have our reasons. I know a lot of people on the surface think I’m crazy for not trying to grow a massive medicine clinic after spending so much money to go to school but that’s only a part of my life that I needed personally. And yes, I still do house calls- I am licensed after all. But my creativity is what has driven me all along. I had to go through the hard stuff and get beaten down so hard I had nowhere else to turn. That resulted in a massive healing journey that almost broke me. Why Nature & Wildlife? So why do I focus my art on Nature and Wildlife? I went back to nature’s basics- Taoist diagnostic and observation theories I learned in my schooling, natural medicine and a willingness to heal are the reason I am still alive, now healthy and equipped with meaning in my life more than ever before. Within just over a year timespan I have faced the death of my father Rocky, the death of my first son Oak, the pregnancy struggles of my wife Kristen and the health struggles of my second son Koa. I am a changed man and there is no question I have faced the death of the old me… Life is unpredictable. You think you may have control but in the end, it is fragile, a gift, and way too short to wait for the conditions of “I’ll be happy when…” Charcoal Ashes My charcoal work has a whole new meaning for me now. My father is now ash, my son Oak is now ash and one day I too will become ash like them. Like drawing with charcoal dust, our lives are delicate. When our essence grabs onto the canvas in the right way, we can stick to it, build upon it and become something beautiful. When the wind blows too hard we may begin to disappear and lose a part of what we once were. But what becomes erased by the wind can be replaced with a greater beauty as a result of that charcoal ash. We have a choice how we create the composition of our lives. With each stroke we add an imprint on our life canvas, and with each challenge, we erase and try again. Life is a gift…an opportunity to become a master of our craft. Fear, happiness, sadness, material things- will all disappear in a matter of time. Run Free This is why I too have chosen to transform myself, my life and how I live it- I wish everyone knew of the choice they have to do the same. We are all wild, and we deserve to run free…
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 By: Matthew Sabey Smith This Is Controversial This is something that can get a bit controversial in the art world and that is being a multidisciplinary artist. There are some artists who would recommend mastering one medium and then once you are a master then you may move on. On the other hand there are other artists who would recommend letting yourself expand your horizons and take risks in multiple disciplines. The truth is that both of these statements are correct. This is not only something that is applicable to creating artwork, this is applicable to life. If you take the example of wanting to be a millionaire, do you think it would be easier to have a teacher who can teach you exactly how to get there or to have ten teachers to teach you all different ways of how to get there. Well for one, it will probably be up to your personal preference, but at the same time, having some direction may be helpful too. Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone The truth is, as an artist it is important to keep pushing the envelope in order to stay out of your comfort zone. If at any time your art becomes too comfortable, it likely gets boring for you and that usually comes through to viewers as well. After all, the whole reason you decided to become an artist was so that you could live out your passion right? So this is where we come to the fork in the road. Do we stick to a medium or do we branch out? In fine arts it is not uncommon for there to be carry over utilizing different techniques and mediums. Drawing and painting for example pair wonderfully together to understand form, structure, chiaroscuro, and space. Sculpting on the other hand could help you better understand a three dimensional form. When I was in art school I spend many semesters focusing on figure drawing. As we would practice, we would observe the model and pay attention to the curvature and angles of the physical body. What enhanced my understanding was learning the bones and muscles underneath as well! As someone who has loved art and science together, it was a perfect match! Sometimes I would draw the bones, then draw the muscles over it just to get a clearer picture of what I was working with. Physically touching example skeletons, and even using your own body as an example is wonderfully helpful to simply gain an understanding. While I focused a lot on drawing and painting, I had friends who focused on figure sculpting, something I did not get into until I was out of art school! So here is what I learned from that experience. Become A Master By getting a really solid foundation in drawing and painting, it was much easier for me to dive into sculpting. Why? Because of my time spent learning anatomy and physiology! The first time I created a clay bust, I created an actual human head out of clay without much experience working with it. As I am sure you can see, the approach was the same. Using your senses of vision and touch to understand your subject matter is indispensable. After exploring with clay I then go back to my drawing and painting with newer three dimensional perspective. Break Through Your Barriers By Changing The Stimulus So here is the conclusion I have found in all this. I decided to master drawing and painting as my foundation. I have spent several decades working on these skills. However, I dabble in sculpture in order to change the stimulus in my brain if ever my drawing and painting hits a plateau. And if it really hits a plateau, I make a sculpture then draw it! As we know with any athlete, the stimulus in training must continuously be changed in order to improve. If an athlete trains the same way every single day it creates an imbalance and eventually something will break down due to a lack of recover time. You can look at your art this way as well. I would argue that it is necessary to change the stimulus of your art training in order to improve your craft much like an athlete changes their training. The two are no different in this sense. So whether you are an experienced artist, a singer who wants to try and paint or a viewer who has been focusing on the same subject I am here to encourage you to switch it up! You will not lose the skills you have gained but instead you will find new meaning, appreciation and purpose to whatever it is you are primarily focused on. Make Art! Matthew Sabey Smith  Matthew Sabey Smith is an artist and educator who combines his love for the outdoors with his education as a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine to create artworks that involve themes related to holistic health, mindfulness and spiritual transformation. He enjoys utilizing his knowledge to educate artists and creatives on how to perfect their craft and pursue what they love.
 By: Matthew Sabey Smith Beginning Your Art Career Can Feel Like Panic Buying Often when an artist decides they truly want to pursue art to make it into a career, they think they need to get a bunch of materials to start. In a way it is similar to panic buying. You may feel like you need to have all the basic necessities met so you don’t run out of material when you need it most. However, all around us, there are materials at our fingertips. Take an artist like Jean Michel-Basquiat for example. Many artists are familiar with his work as it was very noticeable, unique and his story is rather magnificent. Quite often Basquiat would use materials he could access on the street, sometimes he would just use chalk and write his “SAMO” signature on a brick wall and people would begin to notice. However, aside from gracing the world with his wonderful work, he was living proof you did not need much to make your art when you were starting out. 1. You Can Make Anything Work If You Have The Passion If you are a passionate and creative individual, then you probably can make just about anything in your life work to your benefit regardless of the situation. If you have the ability to adapt, why can’t you do that for your career as well? When you have enough passion and drive to create your artwork, there is nothing that can stop you from doing that. Some artists gravitate to using trash (Remember the saying “one man’s trash, another man’s treasure?”), natural materials, or even simply their own bodies for performance art, the opportunities are truly endless, all of which require little to no money, just time, focus and dedication. 2. Be The Artist, Not The Fan Club No matter the material and medium you choose, let the art come from you, the unique, individual, artist that you are. It is very often artists can get caught up in “what’s hot” that they change their work over and over to fit into a certain mold or audience, it mixes up the signal to the audience and you don’t keep sending a consistent message through your work as a result. Instead of looking at sources or individuals that tell you WHAT you should do, it is always going to serve you better if you create work that YOU believe YOU should be making. The bottom line is if you are driven and confident about the work you create, the medium and materials won’t matter. The messages and beliefs exuded through your work are what will create attention to your niche audience, just be patient and put your face in the right place consistently. 3. Is It Really Art? Well that is for you to decide as the artist. The more far out an idea or controversial the subject, the more your viewers will begin to love or hate you. Staying true to your message is what sets an artist apart from others. Artists open up a viewer’s mind in ways they never thought they would. To evoke emotions or create new ways of thinking for viewers are reasons why artists are such a unique, integral and necessary part of society. If you are an artist, no matter where you are starting from, send your message and own it. 4. Say It With Conviction The reality is this. If you are controversial about something, you are going to get a lot of love and a lot of hate. However, this is one of the oldest tricks in the book when it comes to smart marketing. The more alarming a message you have that catches someone’s attention, the more hook you grab them with to reel them in. If you are solid in your convictions and stay true to your core beliefs, there will be no way haters will be able to crack your shell. Whenever you create your art, stay true to yourself and your spirit. If you make art that is of your highest self and of your highest good, then you will not even feel the need to listen to anyone who disagrees with your mission. All insecurities will fall to the wayside if you are 100% behind what you are doing. 5. Don’t Be Afraid To Get Paid So many artists are afraid to ask for money when it comes to purchasing their artwork. If you think you want to make a living by creating your artwork, then go for it. I have seen way too many artists sacrifice their own wellbeing in order to save a dollar for their buyer. The trouble here is, if you cannot support yourself to make a living and buy materials, then you are going to spend more of your time elsewhere to make money to support yourself, to buy materials and thus, spend less time creating your art. Let’s Sum It Up If you are an artist, or have a creative calling, then don’t ignore it. It is in you for a reason. Even if you have never created a painting in your life, don’t be afraid to start, pick up a brush and attack that canvas with everything you’ve got. Art is a constant learning process for every artist, no matter what level they are at. It takes guts to show your true self through your work, but the satisfaction that comes along with showing your deepest convictions is indescribable. Remember the quote, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take?” Well in this case, you miss out on 100% of the paintings you don’t start creating. Go for it and if there is a way I can support you, contact me and I would be happy to help you. Never Stop Creating, Matthew Sabey Smith  Matthew Sabey Smith is an artist and educator who combines his love for the outdoors with his education as a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine to create artworks that involve themes related to holistic health, mindfulness and spiritual transformation. He enjoys utilizing his knowledge to educate artists and creatives on how to perfect their craft and pursue what they love.
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