Identifying your personal values can be really helpful in many aspects of life. Our core values can change as we and our lives do but they can help us make decisions and steer us through difficult times. They can also help us create art that feels meaningful and guide us when we feel stuck.
This article aims to help you to identify your artistic and creative core values, whatever level your at.
Grab a note book and pen!
What does it mean to have core values for your art?
Not everyone needs to have their core values identified and written down but I’ve found it a useful exercise. It really helps me if I’m feeling disconnected from my art or if I’m lacking direction.
On the surface we create a list of words that reflect our intentions, desires or purpose. These values hold meaning for us personally.
They are the central ideals of your art, maybe your business and how you show up. For example, a value of “learning” can lead to a different experience to someone with a value of “relaxation”.
What you choose might depend on your motivation for creating your art. Do you sell your work? Are you making gentle intentions or ambitious plans? Your values might change over time.
How do I find my artist core values?
I recommend reading through a list of potential values such as the ones I’ve listed at the end of this article. You can find lots of similar lists, for general personal values, on the internet. The suggestions I’ve pulled together have a creative practice in mind but there are many more words that could have been added to this list!
Use my list or do an internet search for personal core values as a way to get started.
Discover your core creative values
Grab a place to make notes and find a list that looks like a good starting point.
Check my list of examples here
Note down any words from the list that immediately catch your attention. Don’t censor yourself. If any other words come to mind while you do this, add them to your list.
Work quickly. If you need time to check what they mean that’s ok but often our first response is good. Try to avoid overthinking.
Be careful not to choose words that you think would sound good to other people. This exercise is not about pleasing your audience, followers or friends. If you’re thinking about how you might appear to others, go deeper, really listen to yourself. What feels true to you?
Your list might be long, that’s ok.
Narrow down your list of creative values
Now try to narrow this down to three to five core creative values. Take your time. Here are some tips to help.
Your values aim to guide you so they should feel personal and meaningful.
Which are the words that get to the heart of your art and where you want to go with it? Some words will seem less important now and can be crossed out. Some will feel more important, highlight them.
You might find that some are quite similar. If that’s the case, weigh them against each other. For example, I might add “learning” and “knowledge” to my list. I realise that my preference is for the learning process not for the end result. So learning is a better fit than knowledge.
Cross out words that feel tight or restrictive.
Do some of your words make you feel uncomfortable, negative or even tired? Is this because they push you out of your comfort zone and ask for courage? Or because they lead you somewhere you don’t want to go right now? Remove anything that doesn’t feel like a good fit.
Take your time choosing this list, these are the values that should get to the root of what you do and why.
For some people, one word is enough. Do what works for you.
What do I do with these words now I have them?
When you have your words, you might want to list them in a journal or sketchbook, or write about these values and what they mean to you. Date your entry and maybe set a date to reflect on them.
Now it’s time to find a way to keep them in mind while you create.
Here are some suggestions that I’ve tried but do what works for you, your art and your space.
- Write them on the front of your sketchbook or journal
- Add them to a pin board or wall
- Write them on Post It notes or record cards to keep in your work space
- Display them on your laptop or phone
How to use these values
This will depend on your circumstances but the purpose of the words is to guide your creative path. Consider them if you need to make a decision about your art or maybe your art business.
Think about your next piece of art. Are your values showing up in your idea or your choices?
For example, if one of your core values is “Brave”, you might think about how you are showing courage or taking a risk with this painting. Start small but let your values show up throughout your practice.
- Does your idea for a painting or series fit with these values?
- Does an exhibition or opportunity match your core ideals?
- Are your values reflected on your social media or on your website?
- Does your creative process reflect your values?
- What about your work space?
Feeling overwhelmed? Start with a small step. Choose one of your words and apply that to one piece of work or even a social media post.
Reflecting on your values
Once you’ve put them into practice for a while, it’s time to check back in with yourself.
- Did you remember your values after you did the exercise?
- Were you reminded of them frequently?
- Did they feel meaningful and clear?
- Were you making decisions based on them or creating art that reflected them?
I really recommend taking some time to look back on them to see if they are actually a good fit. The right words should feel supportive and helpful, not a rule or chore.
If you keep a sketchbook or journal, write notes about how them. When they aren’t working for you, you can always choose different, more or maybe less words. You might just need one word for now.
Tips for choosing and using your artist core values
- Choose values that feel good for you, not what you think should be the “right” ones.
- Keeping the words in mind is important so write them where you can see them often.
- Go back to them to make a decisions about your art and let them guide you.
- If they don’t fit the reality of your day to day art life or something changes, choose again.
- Don’t be imprisoned by them, they should feel encouraging, not difficult.
- Change them when you need to.
A list of example values to choose from
- Abundance
- Adventure
- Ambition
- Authenticity
- Balance
- Beauty
- Bold
- Brave
- Compassion
- Challenge
- Colourful
- Comfort
- Community
- Competency
- Confidence
- Conformity
- Contribution
- Courage
- Creativity
- Curiosity
- Determination
- Excellence
- Faith
- Fame
- Friendship
- Fun
- Gratitude
- Growth
- Happiness
- History
- Honesty
- Humour
- Influence
- Inner Harmony
- Justice
- Kindness
- Knowledge
- Leadership
- Learning
- Legacy
- Love
- Meaningful Work
- Openness
- Optimism
- Patience
- Peace
- Pleasure
- Popularity
- Rebellion
- Recognition
- Reputation
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Safety
- Scale
- Security
- Self-Respect
- Service
- Spaciousness
- Spirituality
- Stability
- Success
- Status
- Tradition
- Trustworthiness
- Wealth
- Wisdom
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
