Be You

"The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are."

-- Joseph Campbell

I Want To Be Great, But I Can't Get Started!!!

"You don't have to be great to get started,
but you have to get started to be great."

~ Les Brown

Today I'm having trouble getting started. I have what I need to paint...time, a clean work surface, quiet and no distractions. My environment and my heart say "Yes" please paint, but my brain says "NO!" My computer isn't cooperating and I don't feel like cleaning-up the Christmas decorating disaster that has taken over the house and I don't work until 1:00. So what's keeping me from painting?????

FEAR? Yes, it's got to be fear! Fear of frustration, fear of not being able to let go and just paint, just play, just enjoy the process. I'm reading "Trust the Process: An Artist's Guide to Letting Go" by Shaun McNiff. Everything he talks about makes sense and while I've been reading I've been really excited about trying some of the exercises. The only thing is...while I've been reading the book, I haven't painted once. Nope...not one single time. I'm all about getting ready to do NOTHING! I'm always so worried about the end product or making a mistake that I freeze up and can't think of anything to paint. If I approach the painting with no expectations, how can I mess it up...right? Why can't I just LOOSEN UP? My gosh...is it that hard? Why can't I just paint 50 paintings of nothing and not care? I'm not getting ANYTHING done anyway...what harm could it do? I'm kinda getting frustrated with myself...can you tell? Anyhow, I'm just in that kind of mood today...do you ever get that way? Please say "YES."

Courage To Begin "The Journey"

…there is no better way to develop skills than through trial and error. It is a matter of having the courage, in every painting, to try something new and to work without fear of making mistakes. Results are invariably more effective and ideas tend to evolve with far greater energy and impact when the painting process is positive and uninhibited. The ability to work with confidence and skill relies on experience, and this in turn comes from a willingness to experiment and learn from the consequent successes and failures.  – Artist, Claire Harrigan

While reading Clair Harrigan's book "Abstract and Color Techniques in Painting" the above passage really spoke to me and about me. I'm so concerned with making a mistake that I hardly get anything done. I tell myself that a canvas with anything but a perfect painting is wasted. I fear ruining something I worked really hard to achieve by adding the wrong color. I'm so afraid of screwing up that I can't paint freely. I know art journaling helps the creative process and helps develop skills, but I think I hide in my journal because it doesn't matter what I create...it's just a journal right?

I will:  

• have the courage to develop my skill through trial and error ON THE CANVAS
• work without fear of making mistakes and try something new
• think positive and work with confidence
• think of failure as a stepping stone to success
• put in the brush time to gain the skill to accomplish my goals
• JUST DO IT!