To Finish or Not to Finish

We had a great conversation in the studio yesterday about whether or not to finish every creative endeavor we start if results start heading south or the piece becomes too frustrating. What do you tend to do?

We have talked a lot about process, naturally, as this is where most of the benefit of making art lies, in the experience. I personally do not trash a canvas or other project until it is in its finished state. Let's be real. Unfinished projects can start to take over, but we will save that for another blog post. I think we can agree that finishing is time well spent for projects we start with a loose plan or no plan at all. One might call it exercising. It doesn’t always have to be fun to be beneficial. After all, art processes are only perfected through repetition. There are definitely times where the plan insists, we start over, especially if we are throwing clay on a potter's wheel or measurements fail us. Aside from technical failures that compromise the stability of a finished piece or failures that we know will not get us to the outcome desired, I say finish. Not saying I always do, but I have experienced the benefit of finishing even when the canvas is destined for the closet or trash.I rarely make something and look at it thinking, this I exactly how I imagined and I wouldn't change a thing. Without exception, there is some imperfection to overlook or one/many things I would do differently in hindsight.

This is why the phrase "Art is Life" resonates. Each day, every moment we learn and grow and every masterpiece teaches its master. And every new day we wake up, we have a chance to do more and do it better, having learned.So are you a faithful finisher?