You Don’t Have To Like It! You Just Have To Paint It!

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You don’t have to like it.  You just have to paint it.

That’s one of the most common things I’m telling my FEARLESS™ Painters ALLLL the time.
You don’t have to like it.  You just have to paint it.

And that is my exact sentiment when it comes to the art journal spread above.
Not my finest hour by far–
but one of the most delicious paintings I’ve painted in a long time.

Basically all I did was put on some movin’ & groovin’ tuneage and let loose with my paintbrush.

I grabbed that greenish teal color first and made swirling circles of energy across the pages–
and the circles transformed into a pod like shape–
that gave birth to spirals–
which then grew white spikey spike things coming out of the sides–
like a miracle, more little white circles began mitosis–
and I pulled out the sponge and went whip ass on the page–
finally, finally, finally–
I brought the whole energy together with some black paint and oil pastels…
and when all was said and done…
brushes cleaned…
apron off…
I hated it.
Ugly.
Blah.

But that’s ok.  I had a great time painting it.
(Can’t ya tell?!?)

I left all my wondering what-it-all-means behind–or maybe I was just simply too tired to care.  And instead I let my inner wisdom have a play date with my creativity and I listened attentively to what the painting wanted to be.

And sometimes paintings just want to look like crap.
They don’t want to get all gussied up and pretty or wear the finest techniques.
They want to feel like a kid crying in a sandbox on a hot summer day.
Or like those mornings where you don’t want to get out of bed.

Paintings are not perfect.  Ever.
Ever. Ever.

And news flash: either are we.

So why?  Why do we put so much pressure on making OUR paintings be something–
that sometimes
they just don’t want to be?

Give up the fight–is what I say.

Surrender to the glob of paint that got away.

Worship the brush that lives wild and free.

And know that you never have to like a damn thing you paint.
You just have to paint it.

Because it’s better to paint crap
Than to spend the rest of your life creatively constipated–
wishing you had the courage to just simply have painted something.

Inner Breath starts Sunday!!

There’s still space for a few more FEARLESS™ Painters!

Come join us HERE!! It’s gonna be a lot of fun!

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