Hello lovelies and happy Sunday! When it comes to creating things that people consume, are you worried about 'being perfect?' Don't be. When you try something new, do you attempt to hit a home run, every time? Don't. It is in the release of all personal expectations for perfection that growth and breakthroughs come. I have taken a few plein air days and spent the entire time creating outrageous art that was so 'out of character' for me. I dove deep in to my own limiting beliefs and fears about perfection. I made a mess and used materials I had never tried. I goofed around and figured things out. I learned what I did not like at all (acrylic paints). I didn't create anything to write home about nor did I post anything to social media. Nothing I created that week garnered ooohs and ahhhs. In fact everyone looked at my art and my creations and me and thought, WTF??? Working in to the deeper corners of my thoughts and personality was something that I set as my intention in joining the plein air week. I let go of all pressure. I had never before joined a week long plein air class. I had a LOT of fun. I made amazing friends! I felt amazing because I knew my WHY for being there and it had absolutely NOTHING to do with any of the other painters - many of whom were esteemed artists exhibiting in fine galleries in London. Liberating myself from envisioned outcomes is what actually catapulted me, personally and artistically, thereafter. I let go of worry. I was not there to create pretty things. I was there to explore. And I stopped self-sabotaging thereafter.... Through my art practice I have essentially healed my perfectionist tendencies simply by saying two things to myself: I give myself permission to create ugly art; and, I am showing up with a beginner's mind. These two statements are powerful mindsets and they have changed my life. How? Well, when you start something new it is easy to feel like all eyes are on you. It is easy to feel like you have to perform and produce so that the people you have taken time away from see the benefit, and the money you have invested 'comes good'. When you practice anything with a beginner's mind your approach is one of curiosity. You learn. You make happy mistakes. You try. Your energy is not cleaving to an outcome. You allow. You reflect. You grow. When you give yourself permission to fail your judgment goes out the window. You expand. You learn. You pivot and reflect. Rinse and Repeat. Our brains are elastic. Preconceived outcomes can actually prevent the growth. You get in your own way. By reminding yourself that you can be a beginner, you let things go. You loosen up. You play. You discover. Your energy stays high rather than feeling defeated which can happen when you are taking on something new. In my view the creative process is actually about the intangibles. You produce a product that people see but the process, the deep work beyond the painting? That's the personal stuff. And the more you figure that out, the better your art process and practice becomes, the more you can share ON the canvas with people. And it's all about connections. What story will I share in this painting? How does this colour make me feel? What journey can I reflect upon, while painting this work? How can I empower the viewer to feel safe enough to dive deep in to themselves, and perhaps discover something new? Similar to yoga, you take all those lessons and that empowerment off the canvas, out of the studio and in to the Real World. You work through fears, feelings, hiccups on a canvas and you dive deep, while working alone, in to your thoughts: the good, the bad, and the challenging. I will share something honest: I really struggled when I first started. People close to me thought I was nuts and I was told by those closest to me that my work would never sell.... that no one would pay $5,000 and moreover that no one would buy large works....Imposter Syndrome and "Why Me" ran rampant. every. single. day. I even self-sabotaged. I will share that story another time. The personal belief that I was worthy enough to do this AND achieve success was absent. I kept thinking, "Who am I to believe I can do this, I get to do this, I am allowed and empowered to do this?"...I worried about privilege, a lot. I come from immigrant parents who worked really hard. The idea of making art and making a living selling art....not really ever an idea that was presented on the table. So in some ways, I am healing generational beliefs about work, social contributions, financial prosperity. Just by showing up every day, working hard, being humble and being kind, creating works that resonate and fill up homes with positive energy, I am demonstrating that art is the vehicle for the internal growth and the more I grow, learn, slow down, share and improve, the more my art connects with people. It's all about connection. The art tells a story. It either resonates or it does not. But you cannot tell YOUR story if you have not worked through and found your hard truths. Your visual language is your unique imprint and it comes with time and patience. Just like learning to write emotive works, cook food that tastes like love, sing such that your voice sounds like a angel....It's all about the practice of getting out of your own way. I love how the practice of creating art (note how I very specifically said, PRACTICE), can unblock and reveal inner truths, limiting patterns of behaviours, and wisdoms. Feeling like you want to try something new but are hiccuped by perfectionism? This is your permission slip to let that go. Repeat after me, "I celebrate my beginner's mind". Jamila xx
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