Are You Painting for You? Or For Someone Else? (Studio Notes)

Every single artist has a unique and powerful artist voice. A style that sets them apart from others. If you have not yet accessed your own individual style, the only things holding you back are the voices in your head – the ones that say "can’t" or "shouldn’t" or remind you of rules from some long-ago teacher, or recall the voices of people in your past who claimed you lacked talent.And then there are the outside voices – the opinions of your friends or family or even strangers on the internet. WIt's amazing to me that we let strangers on the internet change how we feel, but we do. We post something we love and it doesn’t get much of a reaction – or even worse, someone says something snarky - and our mood is punctured.We try to paint an abstract and someone says ‘abstract art’ isn’t real art – or we attempt a portrait and someone laughs and says it looks nothing like the subject. After that, some of us stop painting. The voice that whispers ‘who are you to think you can do this?’ gets louder and louder and we just give up. Or maybe we don’t give up, but we go back to doing what’s safe, something that won’t offend. So we paint a still life when we really want to paint a wild abstract.We tell ourselves that the worst thing in life would be to fail when surely the worst thing would be to not live fully, to not make the art we really wanted to.Often we get stuck. This happens because our soul is calling us to make one kind of art, but we are refusing the call. And in refusing it, we are pushing away that most honest and real part of ourselves.So we get stuck.We start avoiding our paints and brushes. And the longer we stay away, the harder it gets to go back in.If you’ve read this far, there is something inside you that wants to do more, to be more, to create something that feels more like you.So here’s what I want to say to you … do not listen to the negative voices – either from within or without.Do not ask for permission. Do not seek approval.Sit quietly and imagine the kind of art you would like to make.Really picture it.Is it bold? Is is delicate? Is it peaceful? Is it big? Is it small?Get a clear vision of it. And then go get your paints and brushes and paint just for you. Promise yourself not to share your work with anyone for now, so that you can paint without anyone watching.