Mind Playing Tricks

Posted June 17, 2009 by Cindy

Hi all, Inspiration time again. Just a note about your mind playing tricks on you. I think it is about time now for you all to surely say to yourselves ‘What nonsense Lol!’ When your mind says negative things about your drawing ability.

The fact is that there is absolutely no doubt that you can draw anything you like. You just need good reference material and a tiny bit of guidance to help you keep growing. The subtle changes you are all being advised to make to your work help you to develop even more, but you can already draw.

Chances are that your mind will have you in that awful state of disbelief every time you try something new for many years. It is a perfectly natural state to be in and your mind is just protecting you from change. The thing is, we learn to accept that the voice will be there filling us with doubt or fear whenever we draw a new subject or new texture and we draw anyway. We draw while the voices tell us we cant…that we should give up…why bother….etc. It will get easier but in general you need to realise that the voices will sometimes be there and you have to just get and on and draw anyway, just like you have done here.

You see, the mind will always be threatenned by anything new – and that includes new drawings which contain subject matter or textures that you haven’t previously drawn.

Understanding the role the mind plays in art is crucial to your success with drawing. Two significant things hold us back from accomplishing great things as an artist; 1. Lack of self-belief and 2. Fear of Success. If you can overcome those two things you are well on your way.

I acknowledge only too well that there of course, times where we have no choice whatsoever to draw or not to draw (time wise) as other commitments arise and responsibilities require our energies elsewhere. Our bodies are only physically capable of moving and working for a certain number of hours a day so therefore sometimes we can’t physically show up at the table. The important thing is that you eventually get back there when you are able to create a pocket of time for yourself. All I say when I harp on about ‘showing up the table’ is to be aware of whether or not it is your physical limitations preventing you from getting there. I encourage you to keep an eye on procrastination. Procrastination feeds on fear and will give you plenty of other things to do rather than show up at the table:)

Art is not an add on in my life, it is a part of my life, an intrinsic aspect of my very being. Not to create is to deprive my soul of the very essence that it needs to live. After a while you may feel the same. We need to create to feel balanced, healthy and whole. Many times I work a full day on my computer as well as clean the home, feed, bathe and nurture my family before returning to draw and paint (to nurture myself) in the three hours left before sleep time. This is my pyjama time:)

Cindy