Anybody can paint, so why don’t they? It can be stimulating, inspiring, rewarding, joyful even life changing. But we choose to ignore these points and picture the future clear up, and the desperate loneliness of the artist. In fact, painting can be extremely social, if that’s what you prefer - the last life-drawing class I attended was buzzy with activity. I like both, but there are no set rules. So long as you enjoy it, does it even matter?
Neuroscientists inform us, that by immersing ourselves in something requiring our full attention, we alleviate both pain and depression. So why is painting seldom promoted as a lifelong asset like keeping fit? Many children, stigmatised by the education system, have convinced themselves by adulthood, they are talent free when it comes to art “My father/ brother/sister got all the artistic genes” or “I’m just not creative” but to suggest they must then be destructive, will only result in a look of confusion. If you can learn to drive, speak a language, negotiate a business deal, or cook a recipe from scratch, you already have all the skills necessary. As with a hundred other pursuits you need only a tiny amount of skill, to begin with, the rest is imagination, learning, repetition and perseverance.
I believe, the majority are missing out on one of life’s great pleasures. So, what’s stopping us? Children are rightly encouraged to draw, paint and make all kinds of weirdness, from playdough. We get a kick out of their daubs, especially the portraits. But as we enter adolescence, that hands-off approach morphs into “constructive criticism”. We have now come into the “Yes it’s good, but…” phase. The spark of light hasn’t exactly gone out, rather, it has been temporarily dimmed. If we accept, that good intention can lead to unwanted outcomes, is it possible we followed the herd and not our intuition?
So, when did you last pick up a paintbrush? or a stick of charcoal? For many, the unique circumstances of 2020, rekindled an innate desire to express oneself. Perhaps you have friends or family who did just that? The internet was crowded with portraits and still lifes, landscapes and sculptures. It made a change from selfies. Was this a search for something meaningful? A return to happier times? Perhaps an inkling, that in some way, it would help. We don’t need excuses though, start tomorrow. You may already have the tools - or some of them. Picture your own place, is there a jam jar, stuffed with pencils? Nearby, an unopened sketchbook, gathering dust? Importantly, we also have the talent, the ideas and the imagination to get going. There is plenty of time. Draw what’s in front of you, draw what’s in your head, draw someone else’s head. Use tried and tested techniques, starting with black and white. It doesn’t have to be pencil or charcoal, it could be ink or marker pen, how about reviving the quill? The choice is endless. Start a diary. Tell a story, through pictures. Illustrate someone else’s story. Practice, day by day, and keep trying new stuff. The internet is a great resource, choc a bloc with practical help, and mostly free.
In the back of your mind, a fuzzy idea sharpens into focus. You like what you see, but instantaneously, a doubt surfaces: How difficult would it be to reproduce? Instead of rolling with the initial idea, our minds look for a justification to stop. Do I really need to do it? What is the benefit of starting something I may never finish? Apart from the joy of it, quite a lot. From stress reduction, and decreasing the likelihood of Alzheimer’s, to rewiring your brain to problem solve. How to ask for advice, and how to work in a team. Even disasters - we all have them - teach us how to deal with disappointment. There is never a bad time to start painting. And you cannot know where it may lead.
PLJ Designs
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