It’s hard to describe the creative process. Sometimes the urge arises out of boredom, an idea that creates a blip in the matrix asking to be acted upon. Just do it!

It was so much fun when I was kid, and when I can get back to that place of playfulness combined with experience and skill – that feels good. 

That saying, “How you do anything is how you do everything,” feels about right. Art, music, performance, readings, teaching, learning, relationships – same approach. 

Creative Process and Intuition

Since I made the video, I finished and named the painting.

Downtown Beat
oil on canvas, 36″ x 36″ or 3′ x 3′

Once I’ve determined I’m satisfied – which will take a few days, I’ll name the piece.

Here’s what I had to say, without the “likes” and the “sort ofs” plus a little clarification on a few things:

I am almost finished with this painting! I just have a couple of very minute finishing touches that I’m going to do this afternoon. Wait a few days, and then I’m going to varnish it and it is done.

It is done.

So excited, I started this painting in (June) 2016. (It is now the end of August, 2021. Three different homes/studios and two different boyfriends later). When I began, it was a completely different painting initially. The idea for it was completely different. I just kept following my intuition and painted a layer and then painted over it and let some layer show through. That’s just how I work. There’s a lot of beginning and tearing down and starting over.

And sometimes that process takes a long time. And so I’m thrilled to be almost done.

I’m thrilled to be done.

10 minutes of some finishing touches, and I’m finished.

One of the things that I’ve been learning from painting is, if I’m working on something, and I get that urge to paint over the whole thing. I just, I just have to follow it. There’s a reason. And sometimes it’s like, oh my god, but you just worked on something for a month, and now you’re doing something different.

This painting? Gosh, there are several layers that are coming through with this painting. There are at least five layers. So, there were five times I transformed it in something different.

Sometimes you just have to start over completely. And it’s all okay. It’s all okay. So, there’s this sense of relief and joy that culminates when I come to the end of a painting. And I’m just about there. Trusting intuition is part of the process.

I went to school for art, and after graduating, I couldn’t paint for 10 years. I couldn’t do anything for 10 years that had to do with [visual] art. I had to let everything that I learned percolate. And so I’m glad that I’m back and making work. It feels good to me.

I hope you’re having a beautiful day!

This painting will be featured in an art show on October 1, (2021). The show is at the HeartBox in Flagstaff, Arizona, so check it out. I’m pretty stoked.

All right!

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For one month, the show will be up at the HeartBox Gallery, beginning October 1st, 2021. 

The HeartBox Gallery
17 N San Francisco St Suite 1B, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Phone: (928) 600-6290