It has been a constant amazement how the process of being creative conjures up all kinds of voices. Saw a post on FB today with a picture of crazy Jack Nicholson that said, “I know the voices aren’t real, but they sure do come up with some great ideas.”
What I’ve found is that the voices don’t come up with any great ideas. They are usually all the old tapes we hear over and over again. You know them well…what makes you think you are any good at this…you sure screwed that one up…compared to others, your paintings aren’t that good…and, why do you keep doing this when it’s obvious you have no idea what you are doing?
What I’ve learned in the process is to simple nod my head and smile…and then quickly move on to the real question…what are you going to create today? How are you going to interpret the world in which you live? What is the vision, the mood or the feeling you want to interpret with your painting?
When I can stay focused on these questions the creative energy starts to flow. And so, the second step is to let your imagination loose and let it roam the creative landscape of your mind. Soon an image or colors begin to appear…until finally you are ready to sketch the image on a clean sheet of watercolor paper and let your brushes/paints do their magic.
When I am able to stay focused on this process…the moment right in front of me…something new is created, the voices fall silent and once again something never before seen in the universe springs into life…with my DNA imprinted all over it.