Four Life Lessons I’ve Learned as an Artist
At times in my life when it seemed that everything around me was draining my energy, making art was something that gave energy back. Putting a paintbrush on the canvas, a pen on paper, or stepping onto stage helped me tap into the creator within me. Knowing that I had a tool that could help me move from anxiety-ridden, chronically-stressed, and incredibly sad to feeling alive and inspired has pulled me through so many difficult times and has given me a reason to want to live.
If you’d rather watch than read (and also see my oil painting process), check out the YouTube video here.
Here are four life lessons I’ve learned as an artist:
how our minds perceive things is much different than they actually are
One of my favorite things to paint is the human body. Its shapes and colors are so rich, complex, and always changing. Sometimes I choose to paint myself as a form of self-love. As I paint, I often encounter those negative thoughts about myself. But as long as I continue, I will start to see what I actually look like and it’s quite beautiful. One of the basics of learning to paint or draw is the knowledge that how our minds perceive things is much different than they actually are. To create an accurate depiction of the human body you must become a really great observer. And through this deep observation, I can almost guarantee that you will see the beauty in your own form.
be patient with the process
When it comes to painting, there’s almost always a messy middle where I question my worth and ability as an artist. I realize now that this is because I’m constantly pushing a growing edge, challenging myself to do things that I don’t yet know how to do. Knowing this makes it easier to relax into the mess, knowing that I’ll find my way though. This philosophy has transferred over into my approach to life at large as well.
The process of acknowledging our emotions, changes them
I love how painting offers me the space to not only process complex emotions, but to actually change them as well. I often notice that as I’m painting a feeling onto the canvas, it evolves - typically into a more grounded and loving place. The images evolve as my perspectives shift.
Where there is joy, there is healing
Creativity is such a place of play and experimentation for me. In a lot of my work, I combine realistic elements with more abstract elements to create something where the physical meets the ethereal or mystical. Wherever there is joy, there is healing. If I could give one piece of advice to those who want to harness the power of creativity in their healing process, it would be to follow the joy.
Art is such a beautiful tool for knowing ourselves and processing emotions in a way that adds more beauty to the world. Personally, I have struggled to process my emotions with others. Whether it’s the interference or projections of their personal realities, not being able to clearly articulate what I feel in words, a lack of understanding, or just not liking their advice, getting other people involved often made things feel messier rather than clearer. Sometimes I also saw the difficult truth that the heavy things I was experiencing weighed heavily on the hearts of those who loved me.
A blank canvas is a non-judgmental space where I can express without further complicating my situation, without needing to change my situation, and without weighing on the hearts of others.
There’s so much I could say about the healing power of art, but I’ll leave you with this for today. I hope that you always know that creativity is there to support you.
And if you would like to connect with your creativity, to find and express your unique voice with the world, and you’d like some support throughout that process, I am here for you. Follow this link to learn more about Creative Mentorship and/or book a discovery call.