Be Exactly Where You Need to Be
When my youngest son was small, we would go to the mall, and as I looked at the big map at the entrance to orient myself, he would mischievously point to the stationary arrow marked “you are here” and gleefully ask, “How does it always know where I am?” Well, with the advent of smartphones and GPS, the anecdote is no longer quite as witty, but I think of it often when I paint, as I often stop to remind myself “I am exactly where I need to be.”
So often during our creative pursuit – especially in this era of YouTube Tutorials – we are scrambling toward a specific end. We are trying to create the perfect, frameable, painting. We spend our time judging how close we are to the finish instead of relishing the process.
When I find I am enjoying the creative process and experiencing what some people call flow, I find that the most joy comes from the feeling of being “at one” with the tip of my brush or drawing implement … exactly where I need to be. It is in that place that I find myself learning so much from my practice.
People ask me how to make the time to paint or draw, and I have some suggestions:
Try to set aside a regular, dedicated time for your creative practice (even if it only 15 minutes a day).
If you don’t have a dedicated space to work, put together a little cart on which you keep your supplies so that you don’t always have to gather them up and put them away. Putting your supplies where you see them will make you more likely to use them.
If painting feels overwhelming, draw. Have a sketchbook that fits in your pocketbook or backpack.
Join a class or a critique group where you will get a creative charge out of seeing what others are doing, and perhaps be accountable to show your classmates.
Now, two shameless plugs:
Weekly classes:
After the worst of the pandemic was over, I decided to continue teaching some of my classes on ZOOM. Rather than painting along with me, students do exercises with me during the online class, observe an interactive demonstration during which I apply and explain the application of techniques we have discussed, and then participate in an interactive review of work which they have worked on independently, according to their own creative rhythm.
New classes start every eight to ten weeks and signup for Spring classes is now available.
Summer workshop in Vermont:
A real boost to the creative process is to take a workshop. This Summer, I am returning to the Landgrove Inn in Vermont, July 29th – August 1st, to teach my popular four-day “Joy of Watercolor, Plein Air” workshop. You’ll find plenty of inspiration from being in beautiful surroundings with the camaraderie of fellow artists. The food is fabulous. No meal prep, no laundry, no to-do lists, no distractions! Sign up NOW so you can tell yourself that you will be “exactly where you need to be.”
Information About the Landgrove workshop is on my website MarilynRoseArt.com/Classes or on the Landgrove’s site https://www.artworkshopsatthelandgroveinn.com/watercolors-with-marilyn-rose
Please share this with the artists in your life.
