Release your creative self and have more fun!
What keeps us - you - from releasing our creative selves in their fullest? One of the best excuses many of us use is: “I don’t have enough time.” The reasoning goes that if I can’t have an hour, two hours, four hours - you fill in the blanks - then it isn’t worth my time to pull out my art and do anything with it. This is how many wonderful pieces of art never get started, much less completed.
The truth is we all have the same 24 hours a day. Rembrandt, Piccaso, Michelangelo, all had the same 24 hours in a day that we do. Sure, they might have had fewer pressures like the ones we have, but don’t you think they had their own versions of time-thieves that we do? Yet, they created. They found their own way of using time rather than allowing time to use them.
Another favorite is: “I need ___________ before I can move forward.” Maybe it is a special type of paper, pencil, eraser, sharpener, you fill in the blank. Or, “I can’t create when the kids, husband, parakeet, is home. They distract me so I can only create when no one else is around.”
How about this one, “My work isn’t good enough anyway so why should I keep trying to make art?” Oh, dear. That’s a showstopper for sure. The truth is your art is as good as anyone else’s, even if they have won ribbons in shows and you haven’t; even if they teach classes and you don’t; even if others gush over their Facebook posts and people scroll past yours with nary an “atta-girl!”
For whom are you making art? Please say you make art to have fun and to please yourself. Yes, I know some of you might make art on commission and must please your clients. However, you can find ways to have a good time and be pleased even while dancing to their music rather than your own. And I am willing to bet those pieces will earn you the most compliments.
Here's three tips to enhance your creativity
*Incubate your dreams. When you’re working on a project and seem stuck, you can suggest to your subconscious before going to sleep. Give the direction that the elusive answer be revealed during the dream. When you awake, be aware and watch for the answer to come to you in some way. This also works for getting ideas for new projects.
*Find a buddy or two. Having at least one friend who shares your passion helps keep you excited and motivated. I know some artists who meet weekly. They work on their art, visit, and give one another feedback and encouragement. Some groups meet by Zoom these days so physical location isn’t as important as it once was.
*Keep Beginner’s Mind. Beginners have open minds and are receptive to learning from others. When we’re new at something, we soak up a lot due to being excited and interested. Sometimes when we’ve been doing something for a while, we become know-it-alls and new information can’t find even a crack to sneak in. Keep Beginner’s Mind and you’ll have a lot more fun.
Keep on creating with joy, grace, and ease,
Krysta
"Go into the arts. I'm not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something" Kurt Vonnegut I constantly remind myself of this quote, preferably before a blockage!!
I had decided my wall painting days were over until I realized my mindset was making it way too much work when it can be about playing and having fun with colors that please me. Instead ,the process has turned into delicious days of stepping back from the mad, mad world as I paint while listening to beautiful music, nourishing books and podcasts. I feel like a kid again creating my beloved playhouse in the woods behind our house 70 years ago.. It's coming along nicely, and I look forward to possibly dusting off the sewing machine in order to create some one if kind window treatments. Thanks for helping me reframe what I've been putting off and reclsiming a part of myself.