Author: Cheryl

GlacWat250

The Creative Life

Cheryl
Developing a creative spirit can impact your art – and much more. Taking a creative look at any aspect of your life can present previously unseen solutions and opportunities. To benefit the most from this, it is best to go into a ‘no judgement’ mode – a way of thinking that permits all ideas and says, ‘there is no idea that is too crazy or too stupid at this moment’. The ‘what if…?’ question is a great starter. This is the same mode that famous scientists and inventors go into while seeking that new idea that is just genious. They also know that a lot of ideas will be useless, but understand the necessity of complete openess in order to get the most out of potential new thoughts. In the same way an artist who wants to open new possibilities for their art needs to throw out previous conceptions and explore the freedom of ‘what if…’ with their chosen media. It’s a little scary – but can be oh so worthwhile! 
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Inside

Cheryl
You can’t see inside another person’s heart. Some plants have deep roots that have found a hidden source of moisture. They are just waiting for the right circumstances to burst into bloom. You can’t see into someone else’s heart. You don’t know anything about them until… until you see some fruit from them. Then you begin to glimpse the depth of their roots. And if there is no fruit at all, you still don’t know if some circumstance may happen to bring them into bloom, and bless everyone with their goodness because – you can’t see inside another person’s heart. “Rooted in Love III” Oil 60″ x 30″ available from the artist. 
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Rain

Cheryl
Last night I was painting in my studio when it started to rain – big drops. I immediately wondered if I had left the windows in my car open a crack. No sense wondering that all night, so on went the raincoat and out I trudged. Once outside, the rain was gentle and warm. The smell of freshness in the air was exhilarating. The half light was magical and the trees swayed a rhythmic ‘thank you’ as the rain swished through them. I marvelled at the immense blessing of this ablution – and my heart said ‘thank you’ too. The windows? They were closed, but it didn’t really matter. 
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Go For It

Cheryl
There is an interesting response that sometimes happens when an artist or art student really dislikes their painting in progress. Letting go of expectations (well, it’s a mess anyway), suddenly they put in some bold strokes of colour. The painting takes on a new life and can quickly move toward one that is not just likeable, but actually very good! It doesn’t happen every time, but is worth a try. Next time you think a painting is unredeemable, why not pull out all the stops? There’s nothing to lose, and there could be a lot to gain.