Here's the initial idea.
And here's the thing wasted.
I am not going to rehash the importance of maintaining hope here. You probably know by now that for my creative practice, hope is pretty vital. Instead, I want to talk about the importance of reconsidering a wasted idea, seeing beyond the initial idea, and the absolute necessity of being flexible in your creative journey of discovery.
I worked many hours on the painting I showed you earlier, and I invested a good quantity of precious oil paints on it. But I noticed by the second stage of the work (after I've laid down the initial pigments), that it wasn't going as I planned. The pigments did not flow or blend as I intended; the outlines I tried to make totally marred the image; the details were lost, and the list began to grow. . . But I didn't give up. Those who know me will tell you that I have the tenacity of a terrier.
But the piece seemed to have a will of its own! It continued to defy me and boom! I eventually lost it and threw the thing in the garbage!
But then I had the encounter with the Spirit (recounted here). My perspective began to shift. . .
As I opened myself to the possibility of trying again, I began to consider why the initial work may not have gone according to plan: was I trying to paint something beyond my skill level, was the idea worked out well enough, was the sketching wrong, was the paint laid out in the wrong order, did I lack patience?
Then I heard the still small voice whisper to me, "Have you considered that maybe you used the wrong medium?"
"What"
"Yes, the medium . . . you know, not everything you see in your beautiful imagination needs to be painted in oils."
Wow! What a good reminder! I had learnt this lesson earlier. Every idea has a specific medium through which it comes to life the best. Some images are brilliant when painted with easy flowing oils; some need the straightforward edges of acrylics, some need the hazy, earthy feel of charcoal, and some are born through digital manipulation.
This last question about the medium helped me realise that the initial idea need not be considered as a waste; rather, the expression, or the execution of it required adjustment.
The only question , which now remained was, was I willing to try it again, this time with a totally different type of pigments.
It was time to let go of the old and embrace a new way of doing things, even though the original image was exactly the same.
Flexibility.
To live a creative life, one requires a certain amount of flexibility not only in one's lifestyle, but also towards the nucleus of one's artwork - the initial idea. Sometimes, one has to, through a little reflection, amend the idea, but at other times, it is the execution that needs to be tweaked or completely overhauled. Whatever it is, the artist must learn to hold his/her ideas lightly. The artist must learn the artistry of letting go . . . of making room for perspectival changes, which will help in what is most important - birthing the brilliant idea simmering within.
As I end this post, I want to leave you with this question: how committed are you?
How committed are you to that burning idea inside? Are you committed enough to allow a perspectival shift? For that to happen, are willing to put your ego - which is often the reason why we hate to give up on our initial plans - on the backburner? Are you flexible and open to try out new ways of bringing that precious inspiration to life?
If you are, you have opened yourself to the dynamic movement of the Spirit, of creative flow.
What do you think?
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