Thoughts on art creation as storytelling

July 15, 2025

I participated in the MMOCA Art Fair on the Square event this past weekend. I’ve not had luck finding buyers for my abstracts. I get it that abstract art isn’t for everyone so that limits my buying pool. Many art fairs, though they claim to jury artists for acceptance, include a wide range of low-end craft and home décor along with art and photography prints.

There’s nothing wrong with that, but I’m not likely to find buyers for original and unique paintings at higher price points. I may get a number of visitors who ask if I “have that in blue,” or tell me that a piece won’t work with their furniture or their color scheme. For the most part, we citizens have limited mind space to appreciate and value art if it isn’t functional in some way.

My art is functional, but it functions as inner world storytelling. What? Exactly!

I am a storyteller. I believe that all our experiences are reflected back as a story into the whole of every receiving life, which in turn builds new life, perhaps in new forms. I also believe that we have cut ourselves off from sharing experiential stories by editing absolutely everything we do before we allow the expression into the world. We are afraid that we will be criticized or punished for sharing our true experiences. What we don’t understand is that everyone is having the same canceling experience. The space between us no longer holds an expectant silence but instead is dead, empty.

My paintings are stories, noisy with color and energy. They wait for someone to respond with their own story. My buyers are individuals who feel the painting. They may not understand the soul of abstraction, but there is an inner world recognition.

As I’ve reflected on the art fair this weekend, I feel challenged to aggressively curate my collection of abstracts for the next exhibit. Why? There’s too much story noise. Think of a room packed with five-year-olds eager for show and tell! That’s my art.

Then the question becomes: should I even bother trying to introduce the public to this way of being? While I’m in my element, others may be put off or confused. It’s a long bridge to cross to understand what is essential to the existence of the universe in us! OMG

Do I pivot and create less noisy work? Graphic abstracts can tell a story in a more direct way without all of the raging energies that can erupt from an intuitive abstract.

Today? I don’t know the answer. I don’t even know if there is an answer that matters. I do know that I will continue to encourage others to freely express their inner stories. If we do not relearn how to hear each other and sense each other, we will become a singularity = a mono-species that will consume itself. Maybe that’s okay. That’s another thing I don’t know.

Your thoughts are welcome. Look at my art at mefuller.com and decide for yourself how much is too much or not enough!