Vulnerability, The Courage to be an Artist

Beyond the act of creation, there exists the equally important aspect of sharing one’s art. It’s an act that demands immense bravery, revealing the artist’s vulnerability and desire to connect more deeply with the world.

I had the honor of photographing David, Reinke, sculpture artist and graphic designer. David shared with me about the burn out he experienced as an artist and how it led him to open Pizza Mambo in Douglas, Michigan. We explored the emotional connection and the experience of his journey in our photography session.

“As an Artist, I try to become one with the material that I’m using before I even start a peice. Mixing the plaster with my bare hands and feeling the substance before it hardens is a kind of spiritual connection with the future piece.” ~David

“Then comes the anguish of conceptualizing the sculpture knowing that the end result will be critiqued and judged by the viewer. I feel that the sculpture created is a direct reflection of myself. I have the feeling of “will it be good enough, and will the people viewing it fee the emotion I felt creating it?” ~David

“I put my heart and soul into the work so that the viewer feels that spiritual connection or some kind of relationship to the piece. If they have connection then my work is complete.” ~David

David shared that he experienced healing during our creative session in a way that he was not expecting. I know that I relate as an artist to the heart of David. I am thankful for the artist community that we share. Artists have a powerful purpose in our world.

Keep on Creating,

Kim