The Case Against Consistency
“I look for maximum lack of control, so the paint will do something I didn’t think of.”
Robert Rauschenberg
Consistency is a term that is bandied about endlessly on social media by marketing gurus. You MUST be consistent in your “branding”. In other words, find something that others will validate and then keep doing that endlessly.
Hmmm.
In the past 25 year career as an artist, I’ve tried out many different ways to make a living as an artist. At one point I had 4 galleries nationally selling my work, with 1-2 solo shows annually.
To some, that sounds like a success. But to me, it became a grind, a production cycle that robbed the joy out of the work.
A recent mixed media painting created in Tallinn, Estonia ©Amy Guion Clay
So I dialed it all back, and let go of many of my art commitments.
When I began my art/travel journeys, I allowed myself to open up to whatever the moment (place and time) whispered to me. That surrendering launched a new way of creating, and I have never looked back.
2 small paintings created in Tenby Wales, 2026
Learning to trust the subtle beckoning of the process, has always been the WHY I create. I want to explore new possibilities, not take a shuttle to the same destination. Curiosity is essential to creativity and, I believe, is the path to honest art making.
A recent mixed media painting created in Tallinn, Estonia ©Amy Guion Clay
Of course consistency has it’s place, especially in a world that wants marketable commodities. And it’s wonderful when artists genuinely love to create work that stays the same over the years.
We all have our own organic “signature” that shows up repeatedly in the work that we do. I know that I do. But that’s different from locking oneself into a formula and limiting the possibilities because of the marketplace.
I am only truly free in the process when I open up to whatever presents itself in the moment, and follow it through without fear of change or being “inconsistent”.
As in art, so in life - we are always evolving, always changing, and the creative process can reflect that ability to go beyond who we have been to discover who we can become.
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This is what I teach in my workshops. My goal is to turn each student on to their creativity. To play, explore, learn and evolve - whether you are a beginner or a seasoned artist and want to go beyond what you already know.
If you want to learn more, join me and other creatives in my workshops to explore YOU! I have 1 spot left in my upcoming workshop May 22-24 - click on the button below to learn more.