When You Think Things Should Be Different Than They Are – EP 291

What would your art practice look like if it were a judgment-free zone? Imagine how much better your art would be if you redirected that energy toward the creative process! Fresh off of an incredible week at the Epona Rise Retreat Center in British Columbia, I’m going to share a few takeaways from my experience to help you stay present, grounded, and inspired in your art practice.

Outline of This Episode

  • [1:11] Why artists have to live in the moment
  • [6:07] Sealing up the energy leaks in your art practice
  • [9:29] The power of painting without judgment

Don’t carry the past with you

Spending an entire week with over 20 horses was nothing short of magical. The best part of the experience was spending time with these incredible creatures on their terms. For the first couple of days, there were no harnesses, no leads, and the horses were free to interact with us or ignore us as they wished. One of the most beautiful things about horses is that they don’t spend energy on anything that isn’t necessary. They are constantly living in the present moment and only respond to what is. One of our biggest energy leaks as humans is thinking that things should be different than they are. We often don’t see what IS because we’ve already decided what’s missing, and we allow previous outcomes to impact the present. When we fixate on the past, or worry about the future, we rob ourselves of where we are right now. And right now is where your power is.

Get grounded

Painting is an invitation to ground ourselves in the now and practice using our intuition. It allows us to become familiar with the complete person we are today and the person we aspire to be in the future. This is the best fuel to make decisions in your art practice! However, I often hear artists say things like they should be better by now or they should be more successful. Stop fighting with reality! Our brains are smart. They are filled with loads of processing power. If we constantly tell our brains that something is wrong, our brains will constantly present us with all the possibilities for why that’s true. We cause our brains to leak creative energy by diverting it to find evidence for something we don’t even want. Meanwhile, that same energy could be directed to what’s happening on your canvas right now.

Just let go

As humans, we love to think that we can control things. When we have an idea about how things should be or should not be, we spend an enormous amount of energy trying to figure out what is wrong. However, we always have the option to redirect our thoughts and our energy to what is. Instead of fighting against reality and replaying the tape of where we should be right now. Or what should have happened with our art. Or what we should have done to sell that piece or get into that gallery. Or promote our artwork better. Or any other mentally manufactured drama. What if you just let yourself be, just as you are? What would your art practice look like if you dropped the judgment, let go of the reins, and trusted your higher self to know the way? Let that wise part of you guide you home.

 

 

Resources Mentioned on this episode

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  • That was superb, Antrese!

    “What if you just let yourself be, just as you are? What would your art practice look like if you dropped the judgment, let go of the reins, and trusted your higher self to know the way? Let that wise part of you guide you home.”

    Just the antidote to “figuring out” my path between representative and abstract. Trust my internal nature, like animals do. A reminder much needed.

    Many thanks!
    Sharyn

    • Yes Sharyn!! I don’t know about you, but I notice I often make things SO MUCH HARDER than they need to be (another thing horses don’t do 😆)

  • what a beautiful episode! I recently found your podcast and i find it very interesting and different from other artists podcasts. On todays topic, i would love to hear your feedback also on safety, feeling safe while you are being yourself. I am practicing being myself and loving all that i am, in my life and my art, but whenever i go deeper into another layer of self acceptance and freedom of expression, my body responds with feeling physically ill. As if its not safe enough for her to express herself fully. What are your thoughts on that? Yes horses dont judge each other, but people not only that they judge, but they have harsh society rules and sometimes punishments for those who are too much out of the box. I know my freedom of being will challenge these rules and is hard to trust all will be well. For example, for me, art and expression is all about exploring through physical senses and in this process everything becomes sexual almost, as an extention of my body. Which can be interpreted in negative ways by others, hence, i would feel exposed and threatened sexually. Curious about your thoughts on feeling really safe in this world to pursue being our true selves.

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