Is this Just a Stage?

This question came from a reader:

As I look round my studio it looks like it's shared by 3 or more different folk, my work is so diverse as I chase different levels of abstraction/texture and surface/creating space... Carrying on the hope it will all converge, but maybe this is a 'stage' and you have some wise words to say about it?

It's such good timing to ask me this question as I am in the same boat.You don't say whether you have had a consistent style in the past and this is now changing, or whether you have not yet reached that point. But either way my answer is the same: it's fine - keep going!Beginning artists (or those returning to their work after a long time away) naturally have a variety of styles. As we start to find ourselves, we do so by trying things on for size. We see something one person has done and we like that so we try it - we steal an idea from another person and we try that. We watch a Youtube video about a new technique and we give that a bash. Over time, we learn what we like and what we don't. Over time, we find ourselves.But, we rarely stay in that place for too long. Because curiosity kicks in again and we want to go somewhere else and try something else. And it all begins again ... at this stage we are not necessarily borrowing from other artists (although we might be). Instead, we're exploring different parts of ourselves, testing out ideas until something shows us a new way forward.That's where I am now.During a bit of a block with my painting, I decided to let go of all intention and just see what happened.First came two paintings (still in-progress) that seem to relate to one another.I'm excited about both of these. They have things in common with past work but they also represent a step forward. They make sense to me.But then this one arrived:What? That makes NO sense!I also started making collage papers this week and, for some reason, they kept arranging themselves into strips like these:Clearly none of this relates in terms of aesthetics - but nevertheless, I trust that it does relate. What all these pieces have in common is that I absolutely loved the process of making them. And if I loved the process of making them, then I believe they each represent part of me.Not every part of us is meant to wind up in our finished work of course - we edit and choose what we want to share. But I believe this exploration is vital if we are to discover who we are and what we have to say.So the only thing I would say to the reader who asked the question is this: are you enjoying the 3 different types of work equally? If not, maybe pursue the work that truly lights you up and leave the others for later. But if you are enjoying all the styles that are emerging, then keep pushing them, keep learning, keep testing, and see where it takes you. If you are truly open to whatever is happening, the focus will come in its own good time.