I have always wanted to paint. But I never felt comfortable with the medium. Even though I immensely love watercolor paintings, whenever I tried to paint them myself, it just made a smeary mess. And when I tried acrylics, the tiny tubes of paint felt so precious that I had this incredible fear of “wasting” paint.
Enter…abstract art.
I’ve always been attracted to abstract art. I appreciate how it can bypass the mind and go straight to the heart and soul. The experience of looking at abstract art is so different for each viewer and can speak to us in ways we can’t even articulate. Abstract art can be powerful.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been feeling the call to pick up some paints and give abstract painting a shot. So I set an intention to manifest some instruction and guidance and it wasn’t too long after that when Christa Forrest synchronisticly appeared in my Instagram feed. Her work resonated deeply with me and when I discovered she taught a FREE Artful Inspirations Course on Floral Abstracts I knew it was meant to be.
Exploring this new form of expression took me on a swift but deep journey where I was able to learn some concrete truths about myself and my life. I wanted to share what I learned with you and I encourage you (if you have interest in abstract art) to try Christa’s free course and see what emerges for you.
Truth 1: Just “going for it” = liberation and joy
Before I even began painting, the experience of buying supplies terrified me. I was encouraged to purchase a canvas larger than I felt comfortable with and as I stood in the craft store, the size and price of the canvases scared me. “What if I wasted my money and just made a mess?” After trying to negotiate myself to a smaller size, I eventually just went for it and bought TWO 24” x 36” canvases and paints!
The $80+ purchase made me nervous, but afterwards, I felt so free! I had invested in myself and my joy. And driving home with that feeling was priceless.
Truth 2: Change is inevitable (and leads to growth)
Each creative experience transforms us, taking us beyond the level we were at before. Sometimes the change is small. And sometimes, the change is HUGE and noticeable.
As I worked through my abstract layers, each one painted to a different genre of music (Pandora/Spotify stations shown), a different part of myself was unveiled and each experience was entirely different. Layer 1 was freeing and fun, totally loose and flowing. Layer 2 was soothing and spiritual, completely meditative and trace-like. But then came Layer 3 and…HELLO CREATIVE BLOCK!
Truth 3: Discomfort is a signal (not an invitation for judgement)
Shortly after I began work on Layer 3, I started to feel totally lost. Something was blocking my creative flow and the experience was not pleasant. I could have stopped in that moment, said “screw it” and decided that I was not cut out for abstract art. But rather than judge myself, which I knew would get me nowhere, I decided to pause, tune inward, and compassionately ask myself what was wrong.
Truth 4: It pays to listen (to yourself)
As I got quiet and tuned in to listen…my intuition, my inner guidance, my higher self began to speak.
What was wrong, I realized, was that I was clinging to the work I had done in Layer 2, even though I didn’t really love it. I felt obligated to stay committed to the direction my piece appeared to be going. I was torn between what I had started and what my heart really wanted.
In an instant, I saw so many parallels in my life. Jobs I had clung to, even though I hated them, but felt “locked in” and “trapped”. Obligations to other people that I knew I should have never agreed to in the first place, but felt chained to now that I said “yes” when I should have said “no”.
This was a moment for me to stand up for myself, for all those times I had let obligation and commitment rule me, instead of following my gut. So…I mixed up black and blue, picked up my brush and started making irreversible dark marks on my canvas. It was then, I realized I had come full circle by once more applying Truth 1, and going for it. Liberated and free, I allowed creative flow to return.
The last two layers (4 & 5) came quite naturally, and I even spent some time in the company of my family as I worked the final layers of my painting. As I look at my finished piece I am reminded of the incredible journey it took me on from start to finish.
I love the symbolic nature of the lotus flowers that emerged (and the subtle nod to the Tower card in tarot). If you don’t know, lotus flowers grow in the muddiest, mucky waters and through all that, they bloom this pure, gorgeous expression of nature. I also see a lot of chakra messaging in the colors of my painting, mainly the blue (throat), green (heart), and violet (crown), encouraging me to speak truth to my heart’s desire in order to experience divine alignment.
Years ago, I could have never moved through this experience so easily. I feel fortunate to have a firm understanding of the Cycle of Creative Flow, a framework that came to me at the beginning of my creative journey, and has proven invaluable to my creative process. I apply the principles of the creative flow cycle to every creative project I undertake, including working on Awakened Creators content. And the best part is, that once you integrate these teachings, they stay with you forever.
I share all the wisdom I have come to understand about The Cycle of Creative Flow in my online course, which features 15 quick video lessons, 3 guided meditations, and 5 amazing PDF printables to help guide you on your creative journey. All for the accessible price of $37.
If you feel like your creative projects are constantly being derailed, delayed, or not even started due to creative blocks, you can easily apply the principles taught in The Cycle of Creative Flow course to your creative journey and transform your creative process for good.
If you are interested in what else Awakened Creators has to offer, follow us over on Instagram. We are an active community of artists, singers, writers, photographers, makers, and more. All committed to pursuing our creative truth and supporting each other to do the same.
