What “It” is.
by Stefan Baumann
All people have the talent and ability to create. We are born with “it.” You need only to look at a young child sitting on the floor with a box of crayons and sheets and sheets of white paper. We come into the world with an amazing desire to create. In fact, we often spend a lifetime trying to recreate the passion and freedom that we had as a child.
Why do we lose the ability to express our inner selves, and how do we turn “it” on again?
I have been teaching people the art of painting for many years. My PBS TV show, “The Grand View” is seen coast to coast, and I conduct workshops in Mt Shasta, California where artists learn how to paint and to overcome barriers that stop them from being able to create.
When I began re-designing my workshop, I knew that I didn’t want to present the standard weekend workshop where the instructor dazzles the participants with a few fancy recipes, and then, sends them on their way. I also knew that painting is not learning “how to” place a little dab of paint here and there, or “how to” choose the correct brush to use. “It” is “how to,” and a whole lot more.
I asked myself some basic questions. What will help artists paint freely, powerfully, and passionately? What diminishes the passion to create, and why do people stop making art? Why do some people dare to create and others do not? What is art, and why is it important to all human beings?
In my three-day workshop, we explore these questions and I reveal many secrets to painting successfully outdoors. We focus one of the evenings on what “It” is, and discuss how to get “It.” This new approach produces great results, and takes participant’s artistic abilities to the next level. If you are interested in knowing more about my workshops in Shasta, please go to www.thegrandview.com
However, until I see you at a workshop, here are some questions that may help you to break through some of the barriers that stop your creativity and allow you see art in exciting, new ways.
- What would I paint if I had no fear? Fear is a real emotion, and many artists paint what they think is acceptable to avoid feeling fearful. To break through this limiting belief, you must paint as if you have no fear.
- What medium would I use to create art if I had to choose another? If you usually paint with oils, try painting with watercolors or pastel. Many artists don’t experiment, and instead stay with what is familiar. The world offers a grand buffet of possibilities, so try something new.
- Make a list and ask yourself, “What would I do if I had unlimited amounts of time and money to devote to my creativity. What classes would I take? Where would I go? What would I want to learn?”
- List 5 “wants” that you can accomplish this week and choose to do one: sign up for a class or workshop, teach a class, take a trip to a museum, call your local art group to volunteer, paint a painting, or offer to donate your art to a cause or charity.
- What kind of art do you desire? If money were no object, which artist’s work would you collect to hang in your studio for you to see every day? Ask yourself, “How does this artist see the world,” and imagine seeing it as they do.
- Paint the first thing that you see right now: an egg, a lamp, a cup of coffee, a flower. Don’t analyze it or try too hard to get it right. Any subject can become a great work of art. What is important is that the viewer sees “It” through your eyes. Ask yourself, “What if art is easier to do than I think it is?”
- Keep a journal. Draw everyday. Don’t look for the perfect thing to draw. Just sit and draw whatever is right in front of you.
- Keep your camera at home. Too many artists travel and rely on photos to recall what they saw, forgetting to commit to memory what they experienced. Memory is a skill that strengthens with practice, but stays sharp and clear only with use.
- Paint something wonderful from your memory. For example, imagine a time you felt inspired when you saw a sunset that begged you to stop and stare, or beams of sunlight brilliantly streaming through a cloud. Imagine seeing the subject as clearly and vividly as you originally experienced it, and then, remember all the emotions that you felt when you first saw the image for the very first time. Now, paint exactly what you imagine seeing and feeling while you enjoy reliving the memory.
- Paint bold and thick, and paint as if your supplies were free and endless. Try painting with a knife or use your fingers. Give yourself permission to be free with your paint, and don’t worry about being responsible or acting like an adult. Allow your self to be alive in the moment and just create!
