Inspiration Fridays! Mastery Is Not Just For The Masters

Mastery Is Not Just For The Masters

Opportunities? I’ve had a few. I particularly like the vacations and barbecues. Throw in some friends, family, and a competitive game of lawn darts and I’ve found my happy place.  But the moments that really stand out for me when I reflect on my life, are the times when I leaned in, and went beyond what I thought was possible. In most of these situations, I got a nudge.

“You can only exceed your limits if you’ve discovered them.” – Roel van Sleeuwen

These moments stick out for me because they changed who I am. The realization that I could stretch, and still come out okay caused a shift. This shift was rarely achieved by myself. Someone had to point into the unknown and show me my potential. Change is inevitable and learnable. Bravery comes with practice. But it’s not comfortable, and we can all use some encouragement.

There is no better place to learn how far you are willing to go, then, when you’re standing in front of the easel, facing down your limitations.

Inspiration Fridays Mastery Is Not Just for the Masters

When I respond to the call to create, I’m never disappointed.

Taking a big risk on a painting can feel terrifying but it’s actually a very safe place. When you break through your blocks and your paintings are landing, there is nothing better.

Here’s the catch. We all have some idea of what we’re good at and what we’re not good at. This understanding helps us navigate life’s hurdles efficiently for the most part, but there are also times when that self-knowledge (or assumption) stops us in our tracks. If we know we can’t, then we can’t.

That’s the time for risk. There are people farther along on this journey that can help you springboard forward and go beyond what you thought was possible. Mastery is not just for the masters. You have something incredible to share with the world. But you have to lean in, and take the leap.

What do you particularly like?

Have you incorporated risk into your practice?

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Inspiration Fridays! Get Past Your Blocks and Find Your Inspiration

Get Past Your Blocks and Find Your Inspiration

It’s 2:00am.  I’ve been on the computer all-day getting ready for our free workshop tomorrow, and I’m inspired.

“I think that the power of art is the power to wake us up, strike us to our depths, and change us.” – Jhumpa Lahiri

Sometimes inspiration leaps out from the unexpected and bites us right on the neck.  As I grow older in my artistic practice, I realize more and more that inspiration is always waiting for me. She’s waiting in my flat files and hiding between my old paintbrushes. I sometimes worry that I’ve been stood up, that this time she’s not going to show. But she does.
“Where have you been?” I yell. “You don’t write…you don’t call…”
“But I’m here,” she says. And then she bites me.

I like to think of it as a love bite, but sometimes it hurts.  When I feel inspiration has gone, I feel abandoned. I feel lost.  It’s a feeling that stems from the naive and irresponsible belief that inspiration is no longer interested in me.  That she’s run out.

8paint Inspirations Fridays When I respond to the call to create, I'm never disappointed.

When I respond to the call to create, I’m never disappointed.

We all get creative blocks from time to time.  And during these ugly droughts, it can be easy to convince ourselves that we are alone. We stare at the empty corner and see nothing but walls. But the truth is, we’ve probably just turned our backs. We’ve made ourselves busy with housework, and accounting, or maybe we’re just scrolling through our phones.

Creativity is everywhere. It pulses at the atomic level. All we have to do is turn around, and look for it. I discovered it alive and thriving, dancing with my team.  I work with an amazing group of creative people. Inspiration finds them all very attractive.  The synergy that’s ignited when we surround ourselves with friends, artists, and colleagues who welcome inspiration is transcendent.  I never really understood how powerfully I needed a community until I found one.

If you’re feeling uninspired or blocked, try connection. We may all work alone in our studios, but art is collaborative. Inspiration lives in all of us, in our ideas, and in our passion.

Do you ever feel like you’ve run out of creativity?

Who is your creative friend?

Where does inspiration live in your house?

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Inspiration Fridays! Into The Abyss

Into The Abyss

Sometimes, when I find myself standing on the precipice gazing out into the abyss, the only thoughts my mind will entertain are: I want to go home, I need a nap, or at least a snack. I could really use a Snickers right now.

“It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work
and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey.” – Wendell Berry

Sometimes a blank canvas looks like a brick wall. It’s our job to bravely throw ourselves at it like the Jackson Pollock of crash test dummies. All of that possibility can be overwhelming. Where do I go from here? These kinds of questions can go on forever. And that’s just a canvas. The unknown can feel big. The big multiplies when we pair it with our unrealized hopes and dreams. This is what makes art feel scary.

We’re making marks on paper. We are squishing clay between our fingers. We’re mixing colors on a tray. How can any of this be intimidating?

It’s intimidating because we are creating something that has never been created before. We’re trying something new and we don’t know what we’re doing. It becomes even scarier when we, often unknowingly, tie our value to the value of the piece. If this isn’t a success then I’m not a success.

Inspiration Fridays! Into the Abyss

When I respond to the call to create, I’m never disappointed.

Creativity is a gift. Sure, a beautiful painting is wonderful to look at. But before that painting ever finds its way to the wall, we get the privilege of creating it. This is where the magic is. Gathering up our courage, giving ourselves the room to be ourselves.  Make that first mark. This is when we get to discover who we are. It’s the crash test dummy in reverse.  Beauty emerging from the chaos.

Just a heads up, who you are is beautiful. Creativity is beautiful.  So what gives you pause? I would guess it’s that vacuous space between the unknown and taking action. It’s easy to fill that space with responsibilities, naps, and snacks. But in my experience, the most profoundly rewarding thing that we can give to ourselves and the world is the permission to create.

Have you thrown yourself into your painting?

How do you get past the unknown into action?

What does a blank canvas mean to you?

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