When we think of being artistic we think of portraits with perfect proportions, landscapes to scale, perfectly blended shades of color and lines drawn in precision. And when we think of a particular artist who painted great masterpieces we think of Leonardo De Vinci. But the truth is there is an artist in all of us and anyone can paint.
Creativity flows out of the right side of the brain. People who are naturally right brained are naturally more artistic and may find it easier to be creative. However, everyone has the capability to operate out of both right and left side of the brain.
I don't think I've ever known a child who doesn't color, draw or finger paint, and each child has the full ability to share their hearts' and thoughts on paper as an artistic expression. There are actual healing qualities in painting, its like a journal and is quite often used in emotional therapy for children, called “Art Therapy”. Creativity is inherently in the makeup of every human being. And each child is an artist, but unless we possessed a “real” talent that was noticed by others, we are told to grow up and out of those childish drawings. Ironically, our school systems are designed in a way that all left brain activities and classes are mandatory for graduation and are considered more important that the right brain activities. All the classes that are required for graduation; English, Mathematics and Sciences are left brained activities, while activities considered optional electives such as art, music and dance are right brained activities. By the time a student reaches graduation all creativity has been worked out of them so they are ready for the “real” world. Unless the student has extra curricular activities to be involved in, the right brain becomes weak, and the ability to create and imagine some of the things that are natural to children are almost impossible. The age old saying is true, what you don't, use you'll lose.
Even though each person may lean toward operating out of the left or right brain, we can re-train ourselves to use both sides and re-establish that creativity we had when we were children.
If you haven't picked up a paint brush, or crayon since grade school, creating an artistic piece may even be liberating for you. Not to worry if you feel that you don't know what you're doing, you often achieve the best results approaching it with no expectations or plans in mind. Don't be afraid to play with colors, textures and different brush strokes. Having had no professional training is actually better because there is no pressure to perform and no limitations or guidelines to keep you within a particular style or form. If you want to try a realistic painting, go for it, you never know what you can produce. But don't be afraid to use your imagination and release your emotions and thoughts as color on the canvas. A lot of the most powerful and profound artwork is abstract. Art is never wrong and is an expression of the artist, so is the interpretation.
A Few Helpful Suggestions
- Never change your painting or paint over something until you've seen it the next day. You may not like what you first produce, but sometimes you may find some potential when seeing it a second time in different light. But if you decide you really don't like it, a canvas is never wasted just paint a new creation over it.
- Can't get into the mood, turn on some music, make yourself a cup of coffee, set the stage. Music can really change a person's mood and can help you engage.
- Experiment with the whole rainbow of colors, use them right out of the tube or mix and make your own shade
- Peel the dried paint off of your pallet and keep the pieces, you can use them to create texture on your canvas, just paint your desired color over the top and you have instant texture
- Incorporate scrap booking in your painting. Cut out words, write words, poems or songs on your paintings.
- RELAX RELAX RELAX! Painting should be a soothing activity not stressful, perfectionism will kill creativity, have fun with it, be a kid again, heck forget the paint brush use your fingers, the rules are there are no rules!
- NEVER throw out your paintings because one person's trash may be another person's treasure
Paint on! You may surprise yourself and discover you're more creative than you thought.
