Spending a whole Saturday doing nothing but painting, and painting anything I felt like, however I felt like. It was fabulous. Allowing imperfection in the midst of perfection, which is an idea that makes me just a little bit nervous – not worrying that everything is “just so.” Sheesh. It’s exhausting (and usually pointless) to agonize over every little detail, especially those that don’t matter a hill of beans to anyone except me!
So last weekend, I took a “Process Painting” workshop at Creative Nectar, which is the studio of two fantastic local artists, Stephanie Gray and Jenny Hahn. I found Jenny’s previous studio, Breathing Color, when I was searching for painting workshops in Kansas City. What a lucky break for me!
“Process Painting” is all about allowing and appreciating the experience of painting, with no rights or wrongs, or have tos or shouldn’ts. It’s funny. I dreamt the night before the workshop that a friend of mine was doing these huge, spectacular, vibrant watercolor paintings that hung from trees. And I said loudly, with all the feeling I could muster, “I want to paint!” I’m not sure if I was emphasizing “I” or “want” or “paint” – or maybe I was choosing all of them.
So, that’s what I did on Saturday. I painted. And I loved it. And I want to do more. I bought some inexpensive small canvases on sale, and as God is my witness, I’m going to paint!
After I work on my photos and screenplay and videos… oh, and while I’m doing that pesky accounting by day. Still, I feel so much joy when I paint, I’m going to find a way to work that into my daily life. Oh and while I’m at it, I plan to stop struggling and worrying that everything I do must be “perfect.” Since nothing, and no one, is. Maybe I need a spectacular failure.
Okay, that made me shiver. Guess I’m not quite ready for that. (I know you know what I mean.) But it’s probably just what I need!