fearless Creating: Day Three

"Pears"

8"x10"

$50

 I have been very conscientious about "hushing", enough that my poor husband was a bit unnerved and asked if he had done anything wrong--as in why was I giving him the silent treatment.  I explained that I was "hushing"--I was thinking and non-thinking and painting in my head.  (He is a writer, so he understood immediately.  I just forgot to tell him I would be dropping out now and again.)

Now for the second part of "hushing" which is "holding".  Holding is described as "following your idea".

"...once you nurture your wish to create, once you hush and go into these periodic trances in which ideas gestate, you will begin to possess emergent ideas which, in order to grow in vivacity, must themselves be nurtured.  

You hold precious both the feeling of working and these nascent ideas.

Work is happening underneath, in this place of inner quiet (which is also a wild place), but work is not happening independently of you.  You are holding it:  giving it space, giving it a container, offering it life."

I am nurturing the idea of beautiful marks.  Each brushstroke is meaningful, in and of itself.  Each brushstroke must be a beautiful mark, not just a technical tool to create a wash or layer values.  Every time my brush touches the page, I try to leave a mark that if made on a fresh sheet of paper would be pleasing to look at.  It's a tall order and I can see where this "idea" could easily overwhelm and over-complicate a painting.  It feels like conducting a symphony--each note must be beautifully played and layer together to create a harmonious whole.  I know there will be a lot of missteps and discarded paper but when it works,  I love it!

"Apples"

8"x10"

$50

"Filling a space in a beautiful way.  That is what art means to me."

Georgia O'Keeffe

fearless Creating: Day Two

"What you have to do now is work.  There's no right way to start."

  --Anna Held Audette

Mind, Body, Spirit

JaSabin

So far I have three brave creators interested in joining me on this journey.  I know you will see their comments here and by linking to their blog.  (Please visit Roxanne at River Garden Studio, you can hook up with her by clicking on her blog just to the right of this page, under my blog roll.)  In the meantime, I will continue to share my experiences. 

The first chapter of "fearless Creating" is titled "Hushing and Holding" and just under the title, Nurturing the Wish to Create.  Ironically, I spend a lot of time thinking about the "wish to create" during our farm season.  I spend hours and hours and hours alone, delivering our flowers, and thinking about my work, thinking about painting, paintings and being creative.  Reflecting on this today I realized I am like people that long to visit a foreign country, but never buy a ticket, or pursue an intimate relationship with someone already committed.  

Hushing is a practice described in the book as a "quieting and an opening".  The artist is encouraged to practice quieting the mind, the author calls it "hushing".  Familiar with meditation this was not a new concept but I am making a conscious effort to practice "hushing" each day, especially before working in the studio.  If one hushes long enough, perhaps something will come along that is "vivacious", then one is encouraged to take that thought deeper and "hold" it.  The author uses the term "holding" to follow and explore that idea.  He says that "if your idea is vivacious and your mind hushed, you will discover that you are not wishing to create, but creating".  

Reflecting on this I know that some of my best work has come to me in this way.  I was not consciously hushing and holding, but by incorporating this practice in a very precise and regular way will encourage more vivacious work, work I can be really excited to do.

"I have to lose my mind to be able to concentrate."

--Hannah Wilke