What happens on your canvas is a direct reflection of what is going on in your mind. That’s why it’s so important to be intentional with your thoughts about your art. On this episode, I’m going to show you how to curate your thoughts so that you can create whatever emotion you want in your studio.
Outline of This Episode
- [2:27] The myth of multitasking
- [7:32] Why the HOW isn’t that important
- [13:31] Choosing what you want to feel and how you want to think
- [21:59] The cumulative effect of curating your thoughts
Practice new thoughts
Everything we create starts out as a thought. That thought sparks a feeling which inspires action or inaction. This is where our results come from! The thoughts you have about yourself and your art directly correlate to the results you see in your studio. That’s why we need to curate our thoughts to get the results we desire. Managing our mind means directing our thoughts instead of letting our thoughts direct us. But it takes practice…a LOT of practice. Don’t expect to hear a concept once and be able to apply it every single time. Just because you intellectually understand an idea does not mean your behavior automatically changes. It takes time, effort, and intentionality to create new thought patterns. Part of what we do in Growth Studio is intentionally and purposefully practice new thoughts. Be patient with yourself and your art!
You already know how
Getting the results you want from your art practice has very little to do with knowing how to paint a painting. While that may seem counterintuitive, the problem isn’t that you don’t know how to paint a painting. The problem is all the things you tell yourself that block you from making the painting. If you are feeling scattered and overly critical about your work, that is what the finished product will look like. You don’t need a different action/how. You need to change your thinking. When we allow our minds to be unmanaged, we waste so much time re-orienting ourselves back to the painting. Choosing to be focused means staying in a healthy thought process so that your insights and decisions become faster and faster. When you curate your thoughts and choose them intentionally, you remove the friction between where you are and where you want to be with your art. You already know how to paint. Start practicing how to think!
Trust your body
Not only do we have the ability to choose our thoughts about our art, but we can also choose how we feel about it too. The key to a managed mind is finding the thoughts that work for you and your art practice. Just because something works for one artist does not mean it has to work for you. One of the best indicators of a healthy thought process is how it makes you feel in your body. If you’re anxious or tense, it may be time to find some new thoughts! I know it’s right for me when I feel my shoulders relax or my jaw unclench. Trusting your body to tell you what you need is a great way to point you towards a managed mind. While it’s impossible to curate every thought, your body can help you get a sense of which thoughts are impacting you the most. Listen to this episode for more insights on how to curate your thinking about your art!
Resources Mentioned on this episode
- The Savvy Painter Growth Studio
- The Savvy Painter Community
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