transformation through painting
the wisdom of intuition in art
As an adult, do you ever question the concept of intuition? That the notion is actually a human sense, and not some made up idea? Do you ever doubt that what you need to know about yourself and your body is available within you.
As a professional artist and designer, a newbie scholar and neuroscience enthusiast, I like comparing what I know intuitively, with science. Like many other artists who understand the value of a painting, beyond the product itself, I’d like to share with you the wisdom of painting and its creative process; the actions, thoughts and emotional processes.
Painting is about the ability to be attentive, to be focused, to imagine, to plan, to act upon it, to meditate, to set goals, to fail, to learn, to be aware (and even meta-aware), to switch between layers of consciousness, and thus grow and transform. It is the way you hold brushes and knives, while using dexterity and movement. It is also about seeing colors, feeling canvas, understanding art materials and what those are made up of.
But how can painting and art-making be a powerful tool for life? Through painting, you will realize internally, how to apply the processes highlighted above in other areas of your life. You can use it as your secret weapon towards growth and transformation.
It is an innate wisdom and is there for you whenever you need it.
Painting is visualization, imagination, and intuition – instruments that are probably the strongest tools we have for problem-solving. Visual representation of our lives is embedded within our mind and spirit. Our life stories are told in words, music, food, and scents, but also through vivid images. To succeed you need to have a vision. When you paint the sky, the human body, flowers, fruits, lines, shapes…or anything…you become more observant of your surroundings. You become mindful of what you look at. And you start to appreciate the complexity of life.
You can’t help but be amazed by the beauty and perfection of nature. You see details you ignored before. Colors have the power to alter the state of our being. And the process of painting with colors can become the ultimate daily practice to sooth or excite your nervous system.
Art is an absolute pure energy used for letting negativity go through you without making deep cuts, providing you with an opportunity to transform negative charges into positive and constructive ones. In addition to creating beauty, any painting is available for enjoyment later.
I’ve always stated that we are all born creative – and by that, I don’t mean just artistically speaking. Creativity lays in all that you do, it is a survival mechanism. Our creative intelligence is undoubtedly a tool that we use in order to navigate, evolve and thrive. We grow and transform through learning, and how we learn depends on our available resources, and the choices we make.
When we are not automated, intuitively, we apply our creativity in all areas of our lives.
When we want to transform and grow, yet are afraid of failures we will have to face, we get stuck. We are actually afraid to be criticized by our worst enemy – ourselves. So we stop being playful and we box ourselves in. If we don’t play and put our dreams on a canvas, out into the world, we leave our happiness to chance. We put our hopes in other artists or in other creators instead.
So, why art is so healthy? Because when we practice art a couple of hours a week, we practice gratitude towards life. We improve our health by reconnecting to something that is positively contagious.
Just like The Alchemist, you can look for the hidden treasure elsewhere, only to discover that it’s been under your nose all this time. And you learn this, only if you set yourself on a journey. The painting will be your map. So get up off your seat and start painting.
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