I don’t want realism, I want magic
Day 44 of 365 days of art: There are many different ways of being an adult
A few days into the year I announced on social media that I would be doing a 365 days of art challenge. I shouldn’t have done that. Because after 3 or 4 days I stopped. I thought that posting about it would “keep me accountable” but I quickly realised that I wasn’t seeking social media followers and that stress that arose from trying to play the allgorithm game was slowing down the actual art making. So I stopped posting and really thought about my intentions for this project. And the art making continued.
I want to shake things up. I’m not impressed by my ability to paint something relatively photorealistic. I respect my skills and I’m proud of the improvements I have made over the years. But what impresses me is abstract art, weird, obscure, complex creations that lean into imagination and expression. I know I am capable of going there and I really want to free my art in this way. I don’t wish to completely abandon my style because a lot of things are working, but I just know there is more underneath the rigidity of painting from photographs and I believe once I mix a little bit more of that surrendered state in with what I have. Truthfully, I don’t want realism, I want magic. And I can already feel it brewing.
Day 12. I was very tired but put some marks on the page anyway.
Art doesn’t have to be good. I know that as someone who is objectively “good” at art, this is annoying to say. But I believe that any creative person (everybody) can improve their art skills with practice. Sure, some people are naturally gifted, but talents also need nurturing to grow. I have used the arts as a means for healing my whole life but it wasn’t until recently that I recognized the importance of the process as opposed to the product. Sure, it's nice to make something nice. But it turns out, it's pretty liberating to make something that doesn't look nice too; something full of heart and born of emotion, whether it is bad or good. It’s hard for me to surrender to this but it often feels good afterwards. Or if it doesn't, it at least feels meaningful, sort of like a workout. That is why I have daily practice. I’ll let you in on a little secret-I still have to convince myself over and over again that it's ok to make shitty art. I’ve reconciled this by knowing that I can still work on my “serious” pieces too. I believe there is something important about exercising this other part of my brain too.
Art is subjective. I often have hidden artwork that I don't like and then I’m surprised when somebody is attracted to it. I’ve seen this so many times over the years and it is a wondrous discovery. One man's trash is another man's treasure. What you think looks garbage, somebody else might love. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder etc.
Accidental art day 32, colours on paper towel after cleaning the art table
Making art part of a daily routine means I’ll actually do it. Sometimes I think about how weird it is that children are encouraged to play and somewhere along the line, as we grow, this permission is retracted. Adulting is hard. I get it. I do it. Responsibilities are real and often all consuming. I’m someone who needs to have things scheduled sometimes to take them seriously and so, setting aside time to play has had an amazing effect on my mental health and I strongly encourage others to make time for it too.
I made this piece recently with a group of kids in an expressive Arts Therapy group I assist to facilitate. It's called “There are many ways of being an adult.” I mirrored one child’s work by putting my age in the corner and had fun with shapes and textures and glued things and didn’t over think it. It hangs on my wall as a reminder to put my ego aside, surrender to the art making process and make time for play. It might not be my best work but 53 days into my 365days challenge is revealing a lot. In fact, my portfolio of art pieces I didn’t over think is growing and with it so is my confidence, skill and inner peace level. I might just be onto something.
Day 24: Playing with watercolours and salt
