The Dreaded first date: analyzing the artistic process

I just got back from a closet raid. There are clothes piled all over the foot of my bed--discard pile, maybe pile… nothing in the YES pile yet. And I haven’t even started looking for shoes or makeup and jewelry yet!

How do we girls do this? Putting ourselves together for a first date is like decorating the damned Christmas tree! Or worse because you don’t take the Christmas ornaments, lights and tinsel off a thousand times until you get it just right.

From makeup to hair, nails, the colors I choose for my outfit and shoes… Every little detail counts. I, in effect, become a piece of walking talking artwork.

It’s one thing to have an artistic vision. Many of us have great ideas floating around in our heads for artwork of one kind or another. But manifesting those ideas is the hard part, or the part where many people find an excuse to shelf the idea and forget about it.

Think of your artwork like a first date. First you have to get up the courage to ask your date out… (getting started is the hardest part sometimes for me.) You could get shot down before you even get off the ground. If you do get a yes, then you have to plan where you’ll go and what you’ll do. What you’ll wear, what you’ll say and even the kiss at the end… it all requires forthought, preparation, execution, and spontaneity.

Forethought: What are you going to wear? Where are you going? How are you getting there? How long will you be there? It’s second nature for us to consider these questions when we plan a date.

But the artistic questions might not seem as obvious. What is the art you want to create. What are you trying to accomplish with the artwork? What kind of profit is involved, and how much will you have to expend before the profit rolls in? How are you going to put the artwork out there? How are you going to make the art in the first place?

I’m going to use music, since that’s my artform, but substitute your art in wherever necessary. I start with a song. What does the song need to convey to the audience, and how will I make it do that? Chords, melody, rhythm, all have to flow together to create an overall impression. Is it a song I need other players for? How will I pay them? Where will we meet to practice/record or perform?
You get the idea. There’s so many parts to planning artwork. But details are where it’s at.

Preparation: Getting dressed, doing my hair. Be sexy, but not slutty. What color should my outfit be? Does the color choice and cut of the clothes accentuate my good points and hide my imperfections? What colors should I use for my makeup? Hair up or down? Shoes—is he taller than me, or can I get away with heels? Should I make him wait just a little, or be ready right on time?

Again, details make the impression; the more put together and organized your artwork, the better it will be received. The more rehearsed the musicians are prior to hitting the studio, the tighter the sound will be. How are the instruments mixed? are the right people on the project? Is that the right feel for this song? Does the whole song flow well? What kind of snare do I want for this song, tight, or deep and ringing? Even the smallest detail matters.

As you are putting together your artwork, or considering how to put it together, remember that art is a growth process and requires one very special ingredient that snags most people.

Execution: From answering the door, to conversation over dinner, to leaning in for a kiss good night and going out on the date in the first place, a date takes execution and desire. Without that, you’re left home alone on a Saturday night.

Execution is the most important part of artwork. Get out there and just do it! You’ll never know unless you try. Even the best grammy-winning musicians make mistakes (and I have the tapes to prove it!) It takes a thousand wrong notes to hit the right one. Give yourself room to mess up, room to grow, and the chance to do both.

My makeup might not be perfect, but at least I’m trying. This guy might not be my eternal mate, but we’re having a good time. The movie was awful, but at least the food’s good! Art requires fluidity and flexibility from you. Things might not turn out just the way you envisioned them, but that is the fun of life.
Roll with it, and let the artwork happen to you, not the other way around.

Art is an experience in living. You could go on the date wearing Prada and Burberry, or you could go wearing a no-name designer that was within your budget, and really brings out your personality and your coloring. You could do what everyone else is doing artistically, or you could find your own voice and take a little longer to achieve success. Just because your art isn’t the hottest thing out there doesn’t mean it won’t be. And it certainly doesn’t mean you’re right or wrong. Those concepts are null and void in art. There is no right or wrong. It will either fit with what people want right now, or it won’t. It all depends on your execution, and the reception you get.

The execution is your job, the reception belongs to your date or the audience. You may be drop-dead gorgeous, but your date may prefer blonds. You may detest the food, but your date may be in seventh heaven over your eyes, and not notice a thing he’s eating.

Which brings up my last point. Learn to let go of your artwork. Once you’ve done all you can, let your audience do the rest.

I may have a wonderful first date tomorrow night, or it might be a bust. All I can do is prepare, be present, and let God and fate do the rest. Have fun with your artwork, enjoy what it brings you, and don’t be afraid to just watch what happens.

I’m gonna look gorgeous, I’m going to enjoy myself, and if it’s meant to be, it’ll be.

So get your art done right, enjoy yourself, and then kiss it goodbye and let it fly.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go re-organize my closet and clean up this mess! 