There is a creative force within you that lives in the moment. It is quietly longing to be held in your presence and expressed. Allow yourself to connect with it. Let it permeate you and watch what happens. Give yourself to it; there is a chance you may be astonished.
When allowed, this innate force will pour colours, movements and expressions into your life so that they may remind you of your true self. It will speak directly through your senses. We are, after all, sensual beings, aren’t we? It may be shy at first, but if you trust its flow, it will eventually express your overflowing heart like a swelling tide. Are you willing to share your heart with this world? For this is why you have come here, to express your uniqueness!
One day, when you look back at your canvas, when you are feeling the freedom in your body’s movements, remember this: “You are what you love and it now loves you“.
For me, painting and drawing have always been, well, unavoidable. I sometimes feel an inspiration rising like a tide, consuming more and more of my attention. In time, it becomes irresistible and I just take out my pastels or acrylics and let the expression flow. I used to be a perfectionist and would never admit to finishing a painting or a drawing. I did not place my signature at the bottom of a canvas out of fear that the completeness of my creation would invite a judgment. Eventually, I realized that the only person judging was me!
I’ve always enjoyed looking at sketches of famous artists. A sketch reveals the creation process. It tells a story of trial and error, of how the artist arrived at the desired shape. I believe there are no errors in art as it is a pure expression of how we are in the moment. It can be a profoundly freeing experience, to create something, if you are willing to let go of the self-judgment…
“When asked for advice on painting, Claude Monet told people not to fear mistakes. The discipline of art requires constant experimentation, wherein errors are harbingers of original ideas because they introduce new directions for expression. The mistake is outside the intended course of action, and it may present something that we never saw before, something unexpected and contradictory, something that may be put to use.” – Shaun McNiff
With love,
M.
Image: One of my favourite creations (pastel on paper & 2h of focused expression)