How come some days I paint well, easily, in the flow… some days I surprise myself and paintings show up, arrive into life and other days painting is clunky, the paint goes muddy, the image unformed, lack lustre?
I have been thinking about it as I am running out of time to paint this exhibition and this is what I have come up with… I recognise that it is when I am in two minds about something that art struggles!
I took yesterday afternoon off to stop and tune in to myself Alexander Technique style as carrying on painting rubbish is not an option!
We have our everyday habitual chitter chatter mind and we have inspiration, a higher state of conscious flow … (for want of a better description).
If there is something bothering me in my everyday thinking it clouds the inspirational mind, it clogs the flow … just as much as a sore neck might ruin the day, a nagging annoyance does so too, and if we keep ignoring the white noise of our chitter chatter we lose the flow and become uptight anyway!
We have to deal with stuff, and that takes courage!
The artist as warrior not worrier!
This is harder than we may think … it takes self awareness, listening skills, honesty, vulnerability, trust …
We dismiss the background noise as unimportant –
‘I am just being silly’ …
‘There is no need for me to get worked up by that nonsense’ …
‘It will go away if I ignore it!’.
‘So and so will think badly of me if I make a fuss!’ ….
‘I can’t decide whether it is a good idea or not … I am in two minds’
Yet it persists, like an annoying tune, the persistent irritation sticks in our head for days, it gets louder and more distracting, more disturbing …
The art, whatever the form it takes, does not come through as a clear signal …
We are trying to paint when the mental receiver is out of tune …
An old fashioned image, but we become like a radio picking up two radio stations at once, the thoughts of our two minds come in and out of focus …
It is exhausting, confusing and uninspiring …
I get grumpy when I am like this!
No wonder the poor paint gets muddy, the image ugly!
No wonder I can’t find completion of the piece!
Learning to paint, or any other creative endeavour, I truly believe calls for us to listen deeply, not only to our higher self but to the sometimes white noise, chalk on a black board, chitter chatter of our thinking.
When we become consciously aware of the background noise, we come into tune and can decide whether we want to listen to that station and respond accordingly or chose something else …
Now we have choice!
Now we have action!
When we truly listen to the everyday mind and get clear, then the inspirational mind seems to tune in and delight …
Creativity as one mind …
Yup, I don’t mind that … That is work in progress!
‘Fire and Water’
Oil and Sand on Canvas
A little painting that arrived quickly, in he flow and took me by surprise!
Free Creativity course – link below ….