“Painting isn’t an aesthetic operation; it’s a form of magic designed as a mediator between this strange, hostile world and us, a way of sizing the power by giving form to our terrors as well as our desires” Pablo Picasso
“Life happens” on the way to something you look forward to, and when the situation abates, then freedom to create again; the freedom just to be in the creative moment, reawakens. I am there now, or at least I hope I am.
Sometimes however, it is self-imposed boundaries, we put on ourselves, not life circumstances. Those are the ones we need to be concerned with, unfetter ourselves from, and be aware of: after I do the laundry, clean the house, get this organized, get better light, make more space, have more time.
“The only sensible way to regard the art life is that it is a privilege you are willing to pay for…” Robert Henri
Garden Wall
Sometimes that payment is putting things on the back burner, and be in the moment, so you can create. This is especially true, if you are dealing with self imposed boundaries. You don’t need to finish, you just need to start. Sketch an idea, pull out supplies for a project and put them in a bag with notes, prepare surfaces for later use, dye or embellish some paper, take reference photos and edit.
A “start” can ignight an idea, motivate a project, lead to experimentation, or just give hope to future work. It keeps the creative spirit alive.
“I paint with the stubbornness I need for living, and I’ve found that all painters who love their art do the same” Suzanne Valadon
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