A gentle approach to your creativity
I have been reminded that there is a quiet magic in allowing our art to unfold at its own pace.
Rushing to the finish line can be counter productive. I’m often in a hurry to get somewhere and sometimes I just need to remind myself to amble, take my time, slow down.
I’d been working on some paintings. In the last video I shared some of their progress and said they were nearly finished. I left them for a few days to gain some objectivity.
When I came back to them I realised they were very far from finished. I was guilty of trying to rush to completion. I needed to work on them more slowly. I should let them unfurl at a quieter pace. Resist the urge to push ahead too quickly. I should just let them take as long as they take, no expectations, no time constraints. Be less impatient.
And that’s exaclty what I did. I slowed my pace right down and spent many more enjoyable hours on the paintings…over several weeks.
In a world that often encourages speed and productivity, I believe there is deep wisdom to be found in slowing down, in approaching our creativity with softness and gentleness. What if, instead of pushing, we let our art unfurl, gently, quietly, at its own pace.
Flow not force
Creativity is not about force; it is about flow.
I often have to check and change my expectations. Get out of my own way. Approach my work as an ongoing conversation. Make a mark. Observe. Listen. Let the next move reveal itself. Accept that the paintings will take as long as they will take.
Listening for wisdom
When we allow ourselves more space and time for reflection, we create room for our inner voice to emerge. It can be tempting to rush to the finish line. Often our deepest creative instincts whisper quietly, they emerge slowly, when given enough space, they do not shout.
Nurturing creativity like a loving parent
Our creativity is tender, it flourishes with gentle encouragement. I often think we should consider our creativity as we would a young child, offering reassurance, delighting in small discoveries, providing space for exploration, space to try things, replacing pressure and expectation with kindness and compassion.
The beauty of slow
There is no rush. The advice I needed to give myself and am now sharing with you is; Let your art unfurl, slowly and beautifully. Trust in its natural timing. Trust in yourself.
Interesting things and links
In the video I share the book Painting as a Last Resort, about artist Mathew Wong and Vincent Van Gough, written by Joost van der Hoeven, Kenny Schachter, Richard Schiff and John Yau, published by Thames and Hudson, 2024
The Van Gough Museum in Amsterdam has a great page of info and videos about the exhibition which was on in 2024. You can also see the virtual tour of the Mathew Wong exhibition on Youtube.
One of the artist’s Matthew Wong was influenced by was Brenda Goodman. You can see some of her work on the website of the Pamela Salisbury Gallery in New York
Wong was also influenced by the work of Katherine Bradford. You can read a brilliant interview about Katherine’s work on the website of authour Rosie Osbourne
