Flow

I have been working on completing a show of my recent paintings that is now up. A painter friend asked about my process of painting, and I've decided to share my response.

The journey is unique for everyone. That said I will say that I too get fired up on starting things because the possibilities are still open-ended. I often start a whole bunch of pictures so when I feel frightened that I might ruin a good start, or I get impatient, or precious, or boxed-in, all of which happens on a regular basis, I have other pictures to turn to. I will often abandon a picture for six months or a year to let go of it so when I return I am less precious and I can dive back in. Sometimes I paint a solid color over a picture I dislike and then it becomes a blank canvas again, full of promise (with added texture).

Without a deadline to push me it can be very difficult for me to finish the pictures or know when I am done. Booking a show can help make completion happen. I didn't realize until recently how crucial it is to have receivers view what you have done to complete the process. It also helps to work in a medium that you really like because then no matter how crazy it gets, you still have the sensory reminder of the materials you love, and that can be delightfully grounding. The thing I love and strive for is to be engaged in "flow". Then I am fully immersed in the process. It can take weeks of rough rides to reach flow, and then when I find it I don't want to let go of it. A painter I knew said painters get hooked on flow. Probably the way musicians get hooked on the groove and athletes get hooked on the zone. Perhaps it's all variations of the same thing; that place where life expands and deepens from the magic we're engaged in.