A Silent Conversation
THE WHAT-IF QUESTION COMES TO LIFE….
Are you ever bored with your painting process? Or is how you’re painting become routine?
I get it, sometimes I’m there too, and what helps me come out of it is reading this little short story I wrote.
It’s called “A Silent Conversation.”
I’m sitting in a beat-up, color-stained old chair six feet away from a large blank white canvas, staring at it in a trance-like state. As the minutes tick by the blank canvas and I are locked together in an unspoken, silent conversation.
Filled with self-doubt I’m about to begin another group of paintings but I have no idea of what to do or where to start. How do I begin and do I even want to? Why am I even doing this? The downward spiral of questions continues and I’m unable to answer any of them and don’t know how I got to this frightening place.
The old chair is my friend. We’re comfortable together as we’ve spent endless hours sharing moments of joy and moments of terror. Together we’ve weathered a lot. I’m waiting….and waiting….and waiting…for that magical moment of inspiration to hit me. Waiting for a spark, an idea, SOMETHING!
But nothing comes running in…
Then…I think, “Okay, what if I change things up?” What if (my favorite words), I did the exact opposite of what I typically do, which is to fill the canvas with texture, then go over it with a dark background, add layers, edit it down with neutral colors, and then I’m done. What if instead I challenged myself to do only one layer, with a pattern, in a color I rarely use.. yellow… What then?
It felt like a bolt of lightening had just struck…zip, zing, WOWZA! All of a sudden I felt energy, curiosity, adventure lay ahead, and it came about half an hour later while I was still sitting in my color-stained old chair right smack dab in front of my large blank white canvas.
What changed?
What changed were my thoughts about approaching the beginning of something that had lost it’s luster. What changed was my being willing to take a risk, doing something that was unfamiliar and daring.
So I gave myself an assignment…begin without a safety net, without the familiar, and see where it takes me. Pretend I’m in a jungle searching for a different route, but where I’ll find and experience new things. I’ll do all of this, be free, have fun and paint this painting no one will ever see. It’s just for me.
It’s just the three of us here — my chair, my canvas, and my new adventure…
And not one word was spoken, it was just a silent conversation between the three of us.
Doing something daring, taking a risk and being vulnerable can bring energy and excitement back into your work, and also into your life. I hope you give yourself the freedom to become vulnerable and try something unfamiliar and be open to where it takes you.
Now, I’m ready… let’s get started!!!
Have a safe and fun weekend,
Love,
Adele
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