Esfir Pievskaya (or Fira)

Is there a formula for how to be an artist?

Well, if there is, I’d love to know it.

You can spend years perfecting your technique, only to see someone sketch something on a whim and gain endless recognition. But is that really the point? Every artist longs to be seen, yes — but if recognition is the only reason we create, then maybe we are in the wrong field.

Art, to me, is not about a flawless end result. It is about the process — about asking questions and searching for answers through color, line, and form. Just like in writing, there is pressure to “do it right,” to follow rules, to measure yourself against centuries of authority. But why should there be only one “correct” way to express what we feel?

The truth is, we all see the world differently. And that difference is the point. Even in the most exact sciences, there are multiple ways to solve the same problem — so why should art be confined to formulas and expectations?

I make art because it allows me to analyze, to pull apart emotions and ideas I don’t yet understand. The canvas is where I negotiate between what I feel and what I cannot say out loud. It’s where mistakes, experiments, and contradictions matter more than perfection.

For me, creating isn’t about following a pattern. It’s about refusing to let fear, comparison, or expectation silence what I want to express.

Because if there is a formula to being an artist, it must be this:
To keep creating, even when you don’t know how.