How I started painting.
And a few actions you can take if you feel the ‘nudge’ to create.
3 min read
A few people have asked me how long I have been painting and how I got started.
Around 4 years ago, one day, quite suddenly, I had a very strong desire to buy paint and canvases. It was the strangest feeling… very overwhelming. I remember being so animated when I was telling a colleague at work. We talked about how this might be a small remedy to my song writing drought at the time.
So in response to the strange, visceral feelings that I needed to paint, and with no real direction or plans, off to the art store I went.
This was my first offering that still lives in my bathroom today:
I started to do a few paintings here and there. Nothing serious. Some were ok, some were just a big experiment of colour. Many didn’t turn out very well at all. I had a lot of canvases in my garage that formed part of my art graveyard. One or two of them were raised from the dead, but most of them were categorised under “experiment”.
In January 2019 I started to paint a bit more consistently, just for fun. Not to sell. And even then, with my job, I had periods of time where I put down the brush and then picked it up a few months later.
As I began to feel the pull the paint, it was also time for me to process my thoughts and emotions which needed to come to the surface and be felt. Or sometimes, painting would provide a much needed respite from my million mile an hour hamster wheel of thoughts. It was space where I only needed to concentrate on the creating the next shape, colour or texture.
This instinct to paint didn’t come from a long line of people encouraging me to. It didn’t come from prior experience or skill, and I don’t really know how far it will go or where it will lead. But my hands are open to receive whatever is in front of me.
I believe this prompt came from the part of my soul that needed to express something new- and it needed me to honour that desire.
A few thoughts for those of you who have anything from a ‘nudge’ to a sudden urge to do something creative:
Just start, don’t overthink the decision too much. Listen to your intuition & gut. It’s speaking, are you listening?
Be patient with your skill set and cut yourself some slack if it doesn’t look/sound like what you imagined initially, or even for a quite some time.
Repeat after me: “ I. Don’t. Care.” I’ve discovered how powerful these words are to me in relation to creating. Whilst caring is good… too much caring about if something is perfect, or right, or good enough won’t necessarily get the best result.
You don’t have to make it your full time job. It can go as consistent or inconsistent as it works for you. There are seasons where you might do more, and others where your focus is elsewhere. If it’s meant to draw more out of you, the desire will return, and then the choice is yours.
If there is something in you saying you need to be creative…. pay attention.
Your soul is speaking and there is something in you that needs to be expressed. Who cares if it’s good or not? Does your soul need world wide recognition? No. It needs to be heard, and whether it catches you off guard or has been simmering in the background for years, it will thank you for being courageous.
The unearthing of your true & authentic self is worth the risk.
I love seeing emerging artists step out - musicians, painters, writers…. tag me in your post @graceworthcourage, leave a comment below, or send me an email. I’d love to encourage you on your journey.
Peace & Love,
Elissa
