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We all find ourselves in that mode; I have to order supplies, I have to get work done for the next changeout, the national calls are coming up, I need to loosen up in my work, I'm becoming redundant in my work, everybody is doing more social media how do I engage my audience more. We also find ourselves looking, analyzing popular artists and their work, their palette and their style. We try glean something from what seems successful and ask ourselves "can I incorporate some  nugget of that in my work?" Looking over our sales, our overall business. All this left side of the brain work. It can worm it's way into our creative process, hijacking that intuitive spark. 

Don't get me wrong, we need to do those things above. They are part of being successful and growing, learning. But, there are times when we just need to let it rip. To stand on the scaffolding we've been meticulously building and  sing our aria. For me, it seems that  sort of thing happens  when I have no other choice. No chance to pause, no chance to over analyze. Just let it rip and that was the case last month on a vacation to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

We had gone up for a vacation, although I fully intended to paint (business vacation.)  I had decided that I would do some plein air work the first two days then we would hike and explore the rest of the week. First two days were duds, scrapers. In those attempts I was analyzing what I needed to paint even before we got to the spot. Then I was overthinking composition and color. I had initially set up in a very high traffic area hoping to hand out as many business cards as possible and at the same time wow the onlookers with a nice piece. All this pressure, all this planning, was killing my creativity. It was on the second day, late in the day when we were hiking back after the motherlode of scrappers, we came upon this little waterfall.  I was stopped my tracks. "Man, that is just beautiful!" 

Like I said, it was late. We really only had an hour or so of daylight left. I looked at my wife and said "I want to paint that!" She reminded me that I had at best, an hour. Didn't matter. Nothing else mattered. I sat up quick and just let it rip. I really don't remember deciding on the composition or the colors. I just intuitively dug into these rich undertones  with a #12 flat and made these strong strokes. My wife watched me and said later she couldn't figure out where I was going  with all that purple and brown flying everywhere. To be honest, I didn't either. I let go and just used that scaffolding I had been building over the last 4 years do it's work. I wasn't thinking about the crowd (really there wasn't one initially, but more came hiking by watching what I was doing.)  I never stopped to hand out cards. I just painted. The result was a strong plein air piece and even more importantly the realization that this is fun! Just letting it rip without any expectations. Just trying my best to capture that moment in time. And that really is what it's all about. Sometimes you have to shut off the "likes" or lack there of, the thinking "can I sell this?", the overthinking of everything. Just turn it all off and let it rip. Not all the time, but sometimes, you'll surprise yourself and come back to the reason we do this. And it is great!

all the best,

Curt