The possibilities for finding our creative voices are endless. With paint splashed across a page in my art journal, (extra palette paint always finds a way onto a blank page) waiting for something to happen, the process begins. Usually there is not a plan, at least for me it works that way. I let the paint, wherever it has been brushed onto the page and the color be my guide. It is amazing how something so simple can be so much fun and work our creative muscle too. By starting a page with utter abandon I feel free to paint from an intuitive place. I think that is why so many of us are drawn to art journaling, we are keenly aware of how making pages enables us to TRUST our unique, one-of-kind, beautiful creative intuition. This page started with Quin. gold paint, and pthalo turquoise, layers of text from a vintage encyclopedia, a rectangle piece from a larger painting that failed, a floral drawing, a couple of stencils and stickers, acrylic glazes and then journaling with a paint pen. When I look at this page I remember how it felt to let my imagination run free and to let the art just flow. Learning to trust our creative intuition is the first step to becoming authentic with our work. Indeed, the tools of the trade such as drawing skills, composition, value, and color are vital…there is no way to side step those skills. Creative intuition that is cultivated and worked and trusted combined with an understanding of the “must haves” is what makes us whole. When I look back over history and see the masterpieces of Matisse, O’Keeffe, Monet, and Picasso, each one is so different. It truly is a visual array of imagery, each one with a different voice, yet trusting what they know to be “theirs” as right, and enough. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get stuck right there in a place when I start asking myself is this okay? Is my art good enough? Is it unique enough? How am I going to stand out among the crowd of talented artists and let me just say right here, there are A LOT of talented people in the world!!! When that starts happening I remind myself to enjoy the process, keep learning, experimenting, doing what I love, read inspiring blogs, stay true to my creative intuition, create more pages in my art journal, and pray. Before long, I am back at it, having fun, painting, playing, and onto my next art piece. How do you move over these little bumps in the road on this artistic journey? Please let me know, and as always….let’s enjoy the journey.
