When I am working on something new I am only thinking of the response to the marks that I put down. The intention is to feel joy when I am painting, but it is often a battle of facing the old demons...what if this ruins it? what if it goes wrong? what if I can't rescue it if it covers up the best bits?
Fear of failure is all too real, even if you have been painting for a long time, and each painting is something new to learn, another journey to take. The key is to enjoy the process, however nail biting that may be because that is how we grow, develop new ideas and justify the glass of Gin when the brushes go down for the night!
I often see this fear of failure if I am running a workshop that encourages free thinking, self expression and an open mind. If an experimental approach is very much the order of the day, I am often met with bewilderment. We are taught to colour between the lines from such a young age, and if I had a pound for every person that told me that their art teacher at school told them they weren’t good enough, and were encourage to follow a career in something ‘solid’ and didn’t come back to art until later in life, I would be a rich woman! Can you imagine how good they could be now if they had just been encouraged to keep practising, keep trying, keep drawing, keep looking!
I am passionate about helping those that have come back to art later in life - they may have neglected their creative side to follow a different career path, or been busy bringing up the family. To take time for yourself can feel like a guilty pleasure and it is hard to prioritise yourself if you have spent most of your life pleasing others.
All it takes is 10 minutes a day, an open sketchbook waiting by the kettle maybe? There are plenty of artists like me, that have seen first hand how beneficial a creative practice is on mental wellbeing. It helps us to understand ourselves, and grow as a person, and become more confident.
If you think you would like to explore your creative side (we all have one and I will argue until the cows come home to anyone that says otherwise), then why don’t you think about joining me for one of my in person events at Clonterbrook Studios, or sign up to my newsletter to hear about Sketch Club dates and venues! You don’t have to be able to draw or paint for most of my workshops, and Sketch Club is designed to just get you out into the fresh air with a pencil and sketchbook and just observe, and record what you see. It has become the most wholesome date of the month as likeminded people gather to chat, swap ideas and share the experience. Although it is a non tutored event, Allie Pottinger and I are on hand to give tips and guidance and you will soon make new friends.
So back to me feeling the fear!
I am currently eyeing up some large canvases in the studio! First thing is to mix some colours, get some big brushes, deep breath and go!
Wish me luck!
