Playing it Safe can get you into an uncreative rut!
It happens to all of us. We learn to do something, we get good at it, we know the tricks that people like to see, and then never leave the course! Repeatedly doing the same things in the same way, even if it’s something creative like painting, ceramics, writing, journaling, or cooking, will drop us down the well of uncreative, unoriginal rote actions, similar to a dull 9-5 job. Just because we learn a trick to do something, doesn’t mean we should stop there. Paintings done in 20 min at some Art Throwdowns that are gaining popularity as a form of entertainment, are just a fast trick to assemble something pleasing. Following a formula for doing something, without deviating from the path, is about as uncreative as a person can get.
Keeping everything new, fresh, and vital allows intuition and exciting ideas to flow. My new painting of poppies was a challenge in so many ways. By experimenting with arrangement, figuring out how to make those pussywillows look natural, changing out the kind of vase I liked, and playing with layering/removing color, I finally reached a point where it was done! Not another dab of paint needed to be added. Even though I was never drawn to painting flowers before, taking on this vase of flowers revealed so much to me about how I approach a problem, about strokes that come naturally for me, and whole body movements I must make to achieve a desired result. Each creation is like our own personal signature, our own mark making, unlike anyone else. The entire process is a self learning tool that takes you to another level.
So don’t get into the quick draw cartoon style they used to advertise long ago in magazines as a way to approach your creative self. Make changes, take risks, try new things, shift things around, and you’ll find an exciting you on the other side!
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