OK, it’s been a while since I made some art.
Every week I try to plan a day off for working on some paintings. Sometimes that just fails. Because there are too many other things going on: family, things I need to fix for my company, or – and thats the main reason – because I’m too tired.
What I forget is that creating works for me like meditation works for other people. When you are busiest you forget to meditate, while meditation is just most necessary here! For me painting is a kind of meditation. I can enter my inner space and can let go of all weights.
What is going round in my mind while I take the first steps in making a huge artwork?
Are they critical or helpful to me? This was my experience today (some of them):
- I’m not using the right technique for this.
- These color combinations are so bad.
- What perspective do I need for these square paintings?
- I’m just a crappy beginner on all fronts.
- I am not good enough.
- Who will ever buy such a thing?
As you guess, these thoughts were not useful at all! On the contrary, all the time I was thinking, it didn’t feel like my art was really mine. When I let go of some of these destructive thoughts, or let them just pass by, I felt more connected to my artwork. It’s simply working the same way as meditate.
How do you meditate? When reading some blogs and books about it, I find you have to do it often, and start with baby steps. Baby steps, ow yeah. Why do I do a huge painting straight away? Why try to paint every single day? Maybe, I’d better start with one afternoon a week with my art meditation but I’m looking forward to doing it more often!
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