Exploring Creativity
I’m allowed to have off days where I can produce a tangled mess of scribbles. And that’s okay. At least I made *something*. 😊
And then I turned the page in my Artist’s Way themed journal and read the following:
The words and timing a soothing balm. Grace.
Until tomorrow, xoxo
Squareathon is considered one of Instagram’s most chill art challenges—if you miss a day or break the “rules”—it’s okay, in fact it’s encouraged. So why did I feel some angst when I skipped making a square on Monday?
I *know* it’s “okay” to miss a day. No one is judging me. There are no squareathon police issuing citations. No referees sending me into a penalty box devoid of art supplies.
One thing I’ve learned since I committed to this creative life, is when I don’t spend time making something, anything, I feel some pain. Even if the thing I make doesn’t turn out how I want, I still spent time in the process and I’m better for it.
So maybe that’s why I felt angsty. Or even a little crabby. A day spent not creating is less happy.
Keep painting/writing/drawing/sketching—whatever it is—keep going. Enjoy the process.
It is not the act of making art that is painful. It is the desire to make something and not acting on it that causes pain.”
—Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way
The grace to be a beginner is always the best prayer for an artist.
The beginner’s humility and openness lead to exploration.
Exploration leads to accomplishment. All of it begins at the beginning, with the first small and scary step.
May your Monday lead to a new Begin.
Cheers.
Excerpted from The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.