Making art isn’t always easy. And sometimes it can feel like nothing’s going right when we get out our gear and start painting. But the practice of Mindful Creativity helps us to think about mindset as well as creative inspiration. It offers an invitation to take a step back from our immediate feelings about our work and take a breather before judging our efforts.
Non-judgmental creative observation is a pathway to feel-good creative play. It’s exactly what it sounds like, and in this post I’m going to offer some tips on how to look at your own work with curiosity, kindness and an open mind. Not only is it healthy – it can lead to fresh approaches and fresh ideas.
Let’s consider this scenario. You’ve been dabbling in acrylics, and you’re working away at a dozen experiments. But everywhere you look, you feel like you’re seeing good ideas gone wrong. Nothing is working, nothing is flowing and you’re wondering if its time to throw in the towel for the day. Well, hold up. There’s another way to think about this.
It might be that you’re working outside your comfort zone – well, that’s great! It might feel strange or uncomfortable, and things may not be turning out exactly as you’d planned – but it could be early days yet! You might be experimenting – also fabulous, and great for creative evolution.
Observation creates space. Space creates opportunity. Take it and run with it!
There’s a lot to observe when we’re making art, and a lot of ways to use our eyes and our bodies to do so. Stand back. Get in close. Take photos. Move around the room. Go out for a bit and come back with fresh eyes. Open the blinds and add more light. Close the blinds and reduce the glare. Turn your artworks upside down. Put them on a different background surface. Put them next to another experiment, and then swap it around with another. Keep going, make yourself dizzy and let your gaze come and go, change and shift, as you observe your work.
Keep an eye out for thoughts like these:
- Am I doing this right?
- Does this look like it’s supposed to?
- Am I making a fool of myself?
- I have no creative talent
- I’m not good at this
- I don’t know what I’m doing
- This is hard
- I don’t have the time for this
- Everyone else is better than me
- I should try something else. This obviously isn’t my strength!
- I’m wasting precious time, money and art supplies!
- I’ll never be any good
- I don’t know why I’m bothering with this
- That doesn’t look right
- I can’t show this to anyone else – I’m embarrassed!
- I’m going no-where
- I haven’t made any kind of improvement
Flip the script! These phrases are much kinder.
- I am my own unique person and all of my creative experiments will look different to other people’s
- I’m not focusing on creating a finished artwork so it doesn’t matter what it looks like
- This is interesting – what could happen if I try this?
- I wonder what’s going on here – I like it!
- This is fun, I’m opening up and just being playful
- The universe is with me!
- This is a great way to loosen up and build creative stamina.
- I’m enjoying this because it’s time out with art and colour.
- Everyone has creativity in their human DNA. I’m exploring my own take on creativity.
- This doesn’t have to be good or bad. It’s just an experiment. I may do more of them, or less, it doesn’t matter. It’s just to see how it goes.
- I’m probably making more progress than I realise.
- This is going to look different tomorrow. I’ll hold off deciding how I feel about it till then.
- I’m experimenting with new ways of working because in the long run it will help me to be a better artist.
It might feel uncomfortable, but there’s a good chance that you’re growing your skills – so give yourself time and allow your experiments the opportunity to evolve. We can’t change our behavior, or our self-talk, or our ways of thinking, until we actually become aware of them. So observation of ourselves is key. This is why our mindfulness practice so often invites us to slow down, because it’s not untill we really slow down that we can really observe these automatic behaviours.
What is Mindful Creativity?
Hello, my name’s Jordan. Mindful Creativity is a great way to relax, unwind and enjoy creativity to enhance our sense of wellness. If you’re looking for a way to connect with your inner voice as you develop your own personal creative practice, it might be just the thing for you.
My Mindful Creativity blog, resources and tools provides ways for you to deepen into a more nourishing creative practice!