Lost dreams have become all too common in the last few years. People have lost homes, jobs, chances at schools that have stretched the strength of families to the limit. The news has been so bad, it’s hard to imagine that anything good can rise to the surface. As an artist, I can tell you, that the last thing people buy when they have been lowering the thermostat and cutting out groceries, is art. What happens when an artist loses his dreams? Bad work, that’s what happens.
Artists are reputedly different from regular guys. Everyone has cherished dreams, but because the play of dreams is so necessary to the artistic process, the loss of dreams can cripple the process. Or you can paint about it. If the loss is too painful to express in your work, this could take a while. If this is the case, try redoing old work using a new medium. Simpler still, is using a new technique. We all favor a set of brushstrokes. Experimenting with new styles of brushstrokes on a familiar subject can relieve some of the stress of lost dreams. It can return a feeling of control to the artist over a situation you have no control. You are choosing to change your style. You are choosing to expand your abilities. Lost dreams don’t have to have the last say. If you live long enough, you’ll realize later that they rarely do have the last say.