Daunting Ocean of the Blank Canvas
One day last week, I found myself standing in the middle of Michaels, gazing at a 38 x 48 inch canvas that seemed to be calling to me. The largest piece I had done was 30 x 40, but for some reason those extra 8 inches seem to paralyze me with trepidation.
The ocean of blank canvas was daunting. Yet at the same time a surge of excitement and inspiration made my heart race as I felt a strong pull to purchase the canvas on the spot.
Although I understood that part of being hit by the bolt of creative inspiration can often feel like descending on a rollercoaster, this time I needed a little nudge. Like one of those game shows where you’re allowed to use a “lifeline,” I made a call and text a friend, which encouraged me past the paralysis.
Of course I ended up purchasing that canvas however, that experience was a reminder to me. How often do we have the pull to do something creative, but we buckled under fear or didn’t give ourselves the permission to “go for it?”
Sometimes old voices from the past whisper in our ear, “yea, but you didn’t finish that other piece you started” or “you have other more important things to do” or better yet “you’re not a real artist so why bother.” Any of those sound familiar? Trust me, after years of creating art those exact words still run through my head.
What I’ve learn from experience is that those voices never go away we just learn how to turn the volume down so we can continue to create art simply because we love and enjoy doing it! You don’t need any other reason or justification. Because the truth is the act of creating connects us to our true self, produces a sense of wellbeing, recalibrates us towards wholeness, heals us and ultimately feeds us back.
So the next time a bolt of creative inspiration strikes and you find yourself apprehensive like I was, remember these words “Go for it!”