Art and Gratitude

“The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

There’s still some Halloween candy left (well maybe in your house) and the sprint is already on to get through the Holidays. We won’t even have digested our turkey dinner and most of us will be worrying about our schedules and to-do lists. Thanksgiving shouldn’t be just passed over, it should be a reminder for us to slow down and really take stock of the important things. A reminder that gratitude should not be limited to just one Thursday in November but practiced daily. We regularly need to take a breath, focus and enjoy feeling gratitude for something in our life, even if it’s just being able to take that breath. In our busy life, we forget to focus and enjoy the flow. We forget that our life isn’t a destination, it’s an experience. Art is the same and doing art can actually help us to learn focus.

One of the things that I have to remind my students often is that they will not be happy with their finished drawing if they rush through it, talk while doing their artwork and are not completely focused on what they are doing. It will not be the best work that they can do. If we rush through the moments in our life, checking off things on our list, trying to do too much, we won’t be living our best life. Focus can be learned and cultivated. Even I struggle with this and need to remind myself that I need to do a drawing or painting one line or stroke at a time, not worry about the last drawing I did or what the finished piece will look like. We get lost in the flow by not getting ahead of ourselves or worrying about past mistakes, doing just one line at a time then making a decision on the next and then the next and before we realize we’ve, seemingly effortlessly, created something. It won’t be perfect but will be a step in the process and we can be happy that we did the best we could to do in that moment.

Just like that drawing when we dwell on the past or worry about things in the future and are rushing to get it all done, we aren’t experiencing the flow of life and it becomes a struggle. We need to remind ourselves to take time in our day to stop and focus on the moment and all the good in our life, one breath at a time and then make a decision on the next and the next, we will then experience the gratitude and flow of a happy life. It won’t be perfect but will be the best we can do in that moment.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Just Do It!? No, Just Allow It: Do What You Can

I’ve been going round and round with what to say, what to write to give some perspective or inspiration during this global Pandemic. Getting perspective, finding the right words or knowing what to do with our new schedule of time is so difficult especially while pandemic news and restrictions lead to changing emotions, lack of energy or too much energy or boredom.  How can we even be creative or find joy in this difficult time? Is Art irrelevant or even indulgent now? I have so many questions and am realizing that putting more pressure on myself is not helpful. There isn’t just one right answer or one route to take when dealing with our new lifestyles. I know from experience the answers lie more in the journey and not the outcome.

Four weeks ago, I had grand plans for all my extra time. I didn’t plan though, on how fear, confusion, uncertainty and self-doubt would affect them. A few weeks in, having done a bit of all those things on my list, I was also doing a lot of worrying, struggling with feelings, procrastinating, and then being frustrated and feeling guilty. I was beating myself up for not getting nearly enough done. These circumstances have also made me feel more vulnerable and insecure which has been depleting my creativity.  Working with this has been hard but acknowledging the pain has been helpful. I realize that most people are struggling in many ways and are only doing what they can, so I’m trying to put aside expectations. I’m celebrating little accomplishments, allowing myself to enjoy small things. I’m finding working in a sketchbook and experimenting with new things more doable than a big project.

 I  think one role of an artist is to be a witness to something, and then express it in their own unique way that can resonate, validate, touch or inspire others. For most people, being creative and at play is stress relieving and beneficial. It can also be a way to express and work out feelings and emotions that we cannot express verbally.   This is a time to be gentle with ourselves in processing all this massive change. Sometimes my thoughts and fears can stifle me. When that happens, I remind myself what I tell my students often. Many great artists have struggled with failure. Making mistakes in art and life is a part of the process of growing and learning.

Always Learning: Playing and Embracing the Beginner's Mind

“In the Beginner’s Mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s there are few.”~Shunryu Suzuki

“Every child is an Artist. The problem is how to remain an Artist once we grow up.”~Pablo Picasso

Shoshin is a word from Zen Buddhism meaning “Beginner’s Mind”. It refers to having an attitude of curiosity, openness, eagerness and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner would. I think of it like a young child playing. Their busy mind focusing and then getting lost in the moment, opening to the creativity and the flow. I truly believe in the benefits of staying curious and being a lifelong learner. Continuously becoming the student is a skill and practice in humility which helps make me a better teacher and better human. It’s hard to admit we don’t know all the answers but really, how can we?

It’s difficult to give up our preconceptions and our fears. To give up one’s control is both scary and liberating—this is learning. I will be taking classes myself for much of my time off from teaching this Summer. My first thought was to say “working holidays,” but I need to think of them as playing holidays. I need to strive to having an attitude of fun, to keeping my mind open for new possibilities…always to have the Beginner’s Mind. I hope to be as much of an example to my student’s and their loved ones as they are to me, to do the same in life and learning. To listen and not know everything. To see a different way or from a different perspective. To try something new or in a new way. Be curious, learn something and have fun this Summer!