Helpful tips for a more joyful creative journey
It’s a quandary I have seen many times with painters as they grow their art.
I speak to painters, but I would not be surprised if these concepts could be applied to other creative arts.
The Beginning
Most beginning painters start out aiming for realism in their work. It’s a great way to start.
You like your photo reference and try matching the colors and shapes with paint. Sounds easy, but there are a multitude — no exaggeration — of skills that need to be conquered to do that well. There are books and classes to help you with that.
No need to rush. The beginning is a captivating process too.
Folks mostly understand that learning any skill takes time and practice. They expect a challenge at the first. So what’s the problem?
Beyond Basics
The painful place happens when a painter has the basic skills and begins moving from a realistic artistic expression toward an expression of their unique voice.
To be clear, I have nothing against realism. It can be stunningly beautiful. But what I am speaking about is the most common artist’s journey.
The majority of artists do not want to remain realists with their work. They would rather find their unique voice between pure abstract (i.e. no subject) and expressive realism.
Putting in the brush time, that individual voice will begin to assert itself, quite naturally.
The Painful Place
What happens next are paintings in progress. Paintings that are on their way to change; on their way to someplace else that is more uniquely ‘you’. I call them ‘almosts’. This is a hard place to be.
For the painter who has labored long hours toward realism, it’s not easy to know when to let go of realism and run with their unique expression, especially when initial attempts don’t yield much to be excited about.
If this speaks to you, be comforted, you are not alone. Even accomplished artists who welcome evolution in their work can experience ‘almosts’ and the frustration that goes with them.
The Fix
The place of ‘almosts’ is when you need to take a deep breath and carry on. You’ve got the basics down, now it’s time to fly by the seat of your palette.
Set yourself free to play with colors and shapes. Let intuition take control. Give up on that constraining expectation of making a masterpiece. You don’t have to go there. Instead, dive deep into ‘what happens if’; with no expectations for any particular result.
Exploring will allow your brush the freedom to find a style you will love — one that expresses who you are. A voice that could belong to no one else.
Go With The Flow
Be patient with the messes as you journey toward someplace special with your art. The stirred batter does not look like the cake.
If you become too frustrated, return to realism for a while. Creativity gets flowing more easily with what has been practiced. Then leap into the new.
You can’t lose by aiming for realism again. Who you are will still become evident as you put in the brush time. Just as your signature is unique to you, it will happen.
Summary
Let your degree of satisfaction with your work, guide you toward the need for change or the need to return and reinforce what you already know.
Creativity can be a conduit for joy. Note what makes your heart skip and do more of that. Find joy in your art and you will come back to it. Your paintings will become more and more true to who you are and what you want to say with your art as you put the miles on the brush.
Most of all, it’s your journey. It doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s journey, just as your art doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
Don’t give up. No one else can say what you want to say with paint. Speak your creative truth with confidence and joy.
Happy painting!
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