How to find your voice

Keeping up with the internet

Years ago I read an essay by Seamus Heaney that said that your ‘voice’ is just your speaking voice. That was (and still is) a life changing concept for me.

Heaney was writing in the context of poetry of course, but I think it applies to visual art too. This is strikingly clear if you ever take an art or writing class. (I’ve done both more times than I can count.) The teacher might set an exercise for the class. She might set up a still life: a vase of tulips, a few oranges in a blue bowl and a couple more laying on a tablecloth. This is specific, factual, tangible stuff but does everyone produce the same painting? Not at all! You can’t help but produce work in your own voice. It’s completely automatic.

(As a side note, I do believe that you can refine and strengthen your voice through practice, but the amount you practice might be the only thing you have any control over. )

I find I also can’t control what things appeal to me which I believe directly informs what ideas and colour palettes spontaneously (or so-called spontaneously) occur to me. I’m drawn to plants & gardening, veg, fruit, animals, sports fields, narrative and machines ... Yes, a very random bag but I think this is my material and I’d be foolish to ignore it.

So, remember what the poet said. Your voice is already here, right now. You don’t need to do anything except produce work. Even if you stop for years and then start again, it doesn’t matter. Your voice will be waiting.

p.s. I haven’t included the name of the Heaney essay because I couldn’t find it online. I have a printed copy somewhere so I’ll update this post when I find it, promise.

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