Author: Cheryl

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day that says, ‘I will try again…'” (Thanks @NoraWhalen) –  It’s tough being a beginner. That applies to painting too, and I think especially if you have seen a lot of great art. You know what you like. You know where you want to go with painting – but the brush doesn’t seem to get it. There’s an expression: the sooner you finish your first 100 paintings, the better. That expression acknowledges that gaining skill takes practice. You wouldn’t expect to play a Bach masterpiece after one piano lesson, and in the same way, making a great painting means putting in the brush time first. Don’t be too hard on yourself, and remember, even the most amazing famous painters were beginners once too. 

There’s no denying that historically, some artists have been crazy. Poor tormented Vincent van Gogh is the most famous case. But really, I think that has given the rest of us artists a bad rap without good reason. Here’s my theory. In the west, traditionally logical thinking has been valued highly. Take A plus B and you get C. However, logical thinking is only type of thinking. Most artist spend time in what I call creative chaos mode. Since being creative by definition involves combining previously uncombined items in a new and useful or aesthetically pleasing way, creative chaos thinking does not go step by step. It’s thoughts such as ‘what would happen if I poured rubber into my waffle iron’. Which led to the invention of Nike shoes, and made a lot of money for the inventor. This kind of thinking tends to look really crazy to any observer, but can lead to creative work that could not be discovered in a more traditional manner. So don’t be too quick to label us artists as crazy. Creative chaos can be a very good thing – you should try it! 

There are 2 terrible words that strike me through in a way that no others can. They are: “too late”. We’ve all done it. Missed opportunities with those we care about. Missed chances for making the lives of others, and our own too, better. Yet I don’t want to be consumed by regret – that’s no way to live. So instead, I take hold of those “too late” memories and try to use them as high octane fuel to power my life in a better direction from now on. It’s a new day, every day. On a happier note, it’s not too late to follow your dreams. Have you always wanted to learn to play the piano? Why not now? Have you always wanted to learn to paint? You can do it. It’s never too late to unleash your unique creative potential, and make the world a richer place for us all.