Art in a World Powered by Anxiety

Unlike anything else in the world, art is equally healing for both the consumer and the creator. Whether intentional, or by coincidence, we bring about change, joy and understanding to the world. Being a part of that is the driving force and why I work, continuously at creating and being an artist.

I create as a means to combat chronic anxiety and depression. With my process of stippling I am able to find a safe place in which I can work through what brings about these – sometimes debilitating – feelings. The repetitive, methodical nature of stippling creates an almost meditative state that eases the mind. Despite the cliché, I would be remiss not to say that stippling, and by extension art, saved my life.

The stippling process I have developed takes it's influences from the methods of Maxfield Parrish, Seurat, Van Gogh, and more broadly; the process used for high-quality printing and screen-printing. My pieces are created using only four colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (more commonly known as CMYK).

I gravitate to this process because it helps the creator and viewer gain a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of color, value, and hue. One key point that I try to remember when life seems too much, or the anxiety/depression comes back, comes directly from my art style: Our problems, our negative thoughts, our physical existence is just one or two in a vast sea of many others that ultimately make a much bigger, often beautiful picture.

Creating comes so easily to me because I have an ocular disorder that impedes my vision in a myriad of ways (Ocular Albinism). I always remember that my visual acuity is temporary and to get the most of it while I can still take in all the beauty around me.

Ultimately my journey leads me to these key points that may expedite your journey:

· If you have it; Listen to the call to create. It’s there for a reason.

· Money and income are important, but if you work hard enough at something and truly believe in yourself, the money will show up eventually.

· Don’t give up because others are better than you.

· Enjoy the process and journey, don’t focus on the end product.

· Don’t give up because there is some, seemingly undefeatable hurdle.

· Before anyone else, create for yourself.

· Know your worth.

· Every style and process has their own set of difficulties. If you find one you really love; stick with it! Over time you will navigate those difficulties and be an expert.

And finally, don’t you dare forget that being an artist and owning who you are is the bravest thing you can do.

To see more about my process, how pieces come together, and to talk more you can visit my TikTok @daleydots , my Facebook @DaleyDots, or my Instagram @daley.dots.

To see more portfolio and learn more about me and my process you can visit my website daleydots.com.