Let go of what others think.
If there's one thing I want to share more than anything with people, it's that making beautiful, meaningful Art is truly available to everyone.
I feel genuinely sad when I hear people tell me they'd like to make Art, but they can't even draw a stick figure. Who would want to sit around all day drawing stick figures anyway?!
The pressure of perfectly reproducing 'a something', versus letting go, playing, expressing, exploring and painting intuitively, is where many people feel challenged in Art-making.
The way I create - with my emotions - means it's impossible to make 'wrong' art. My feelings are mine, so only I can create them, and only I know what feels true for me!
My goal when I paint is to fully express my feelings, emotions, vulnerabilities, dreams, hopes and loves, in my Art. I learn something new about myself in every single artwork. Yes of course it can be nerve-wracking sometimes to be so raw and honest in my work. People get to see the REAL me, this way, even my dark, scary, vulnerable parts.
But for me, there's no better way to create. When my goal is purely to paint from within me, just for me, everything feels lighter and more achievable, because there's no one to please, but me! If others like my work, then that's just an extra bonus. But the truth is, sometimes they won't and I'm learning that this is okay and no reflection on me.
I've found if I try to make art that other people think is ‘good’, I get all nervous, feel pressured, frustrated and fear that I’ll fail even before I've begun! I simply cannot make something to please everyone and there's always going to be someone who won't like my work, so I best just enjoy what I do and not let that fear override my desire to create. It's about having courage to choose self expression, regardless of how it's received by others.
Your Art is for You to feel good while you're making it!
I understand why Creating with Feeling is a pretty revolutionary process to many people. Participants in my courses either relish in the freedom of creating expressively with their emotions for the first time ... OR ... they find it really challenging to create without a formula to an end product in mind. Many of us just aren’t used to being given full permission to create just for the joy of it! It's quite a bohemian and - well - awesome feeling!
At school we’re often taught to plan and create a ‘something’ and we’ve been ridiculed if we’ve done it all ‘wrong’. I remember at school getting a test wrong, because they wanted students to put bacon on top of a sandwich as a garnish. Eff that, I want bacon IN MY SANDWICH!
These experiences are jarring to the creative soul and painting emotively is the perfect antidote (almost as good as giving that tight arse teacher the finger)!
The best thing is, however we feel is perfect, and these feelings can be explored to help us understand ourselves better and create juicy content in our artworks. Whether we're feeing confusion, joy, peace, uncertainty, bliss - there really is no wrong, just learning.
For me, the PROCESS is the key, and the end product is a beautiful remnant of the creative experience. Not only do I share ways to access emotions, feeling and dreams in my courses, we use freeing techniques to explore and express them. The more we can trust the process – and ourselves - the more free we can feel to try expressive techniques, which grow stronger and better as we practice them over and over.
It feels so wonderful to share my life's work with people in my courses and see them create something truly beautiful from within. It's truly the best feeling!!
If you feel like you need some support to create freely, click here for my upcoming courses. I look forward to igniting your delicious, creative energy. You deserve to feel free!
Love Chrissy x
