How can you resist?
Hello Sweet T,
How are you? I am doing well. This week at my Art Salon I got a well needed pep talk/reminder about that evil little word called resistance. I realized once again that my perfectionism (another form of resistance) has been slowing me down and keeping me from moving forward in many areas of my life.
I first learned of resistance in the much talked about book, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Have you heard of it? It is an absolute must read and my go to book when I feel stuck or have any negative self-chatter with anything creative I wish to work on. Pressfield does an amazing job of explaining resistance, why it exists and how to move beyond it.
"The more important a call or action is to our souls evolution the more resistance we will feel."
~Steven Pressfield
I love this quote so much and should post it everywhere to remind myself that what I resist is hindering my growth. Since B-School I have felt completely inspired and overwhelmed (in a good way) at the same time. Insights and ideas for painting, our collaboration, teaching, writing, my art salon, our newsletters, my garden, home projects, summer gatherings, open studios, etc... have been flooding into my psyche. I try not to take ideas for granted as I believe they will be passed onto someone else if we don't use them.
I believe ideas are gifts from the Universe letting you know you are on the right path. Some work out and some don't but they help you grow should you act on them. I know I have been holding back what I share, whether that be my art, photography, home projects, reflections on what I am learning and even my instagram and facebook posts. I have been letting my head come before my heart and my perfectionism keep me in a holding pattern.
“Vulnerability is the birthplace of creativity, innovation and change.”
~Brene Brown
Because creativity is organic you can't expect perfection or know how things will turn out, yet our egos will tell us differently. They will tell us we should have all the answers and that everything from having a perfect studio to the right art materials should be "just right" before we even start.
Being creative means being vulnerable. It means allowing your soul to be revealed. Like love there is no formula for creativity. It cannot be taught or measured, just encouraged, fostered and practiced. It can only show up if we create time for it and allow it to happen. I think creativity is MAGIC and a porthole to our spirit. I am grateful for the reminder as it helped me "get over myself" and trust that it is not my place to judge how good something is, it is just my job to show up and do the work.
“To create is to make something that has never existed before.”
~Brene Brown
I am balancing my B-School work with studio time and promise to write and share more, even if it isn't "perfect." The paintings you see in this letter were done with a palette knife, a tool I rarely use. Not sure where they are going but I have loved creating them and challenging myself in a new way. Here is to "trusting the process".
xo
