As the antidote to creative block, I stopped painting to paint.
Hang on, what are you saying, Melinda?
I stop focusing on completing paintings. And I just focus on the process of painting, using these self-imposed constraints to get me moving again:
Limited colour palette; three colours.
Stick to one to two brushes.
Pick one subject, and paint five small versions.
Max 15 minutes per painting.
I painted like no one was watching.
I painted on cheap, 80 gsm thin notebook paper. Kinda like those MUJI notebooks, but cheaper.
Through this creative exploration, I realised that the hardest thing in being an artist is not the skills, it’s overcoming the mental challenges.
I documented every piece of the paintings. Here are some of my notes:
“I was wary before even starting this. Like, how can this be done? I closed my eyes for the mark-making, halfway through, opened my eyes to realise I was instinctively keeping to the centre. I went wilder after that. And improv with more marks and heavier paint. Went beyond, scribbled the words, and exaggerated the shapes. I love the feeling of the process. Chaos, chaos, chaos! Can a beautiful mess still be called a mess? Or, are they chaotic harmony? What a paradox. Chaotic harmony. I LOVE this term.”
“The ones with the least drawing and ‘painting’ are the quickest, with surprising results when I let the paint, paint itself. In contrast to the flat block version, this is interesting. The flat block one is clear to the point that it’s boring to me. There’s nothing much left for imagination. Hmm. I like the sense of intrigue in a painting. It invites the viewer to be part of it, to make the story of the painting theirs. I like this idea.”
“Another watery intentional chaos. This one is even more abstract, with merely a hint of shapes as the dry brush distorted the form more. Again, this colour combo of magenta+cerulean blue+lemon yellow worked so well. I love that the chaos is not moody-dark but alive with breath and light. The 80 gsm paper is buckling under the weight of the water. It is good to let go of perfection. What is perfect art anyway?”
Creative block, unblocked.
I’m ready to go again.
Maybe I have a series in mind… Sneaky hint? Join the mailing list to be the first to know.
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