Relax
Loose sketching with ink and washing over it with watercolors is my version of relaxed creativity. I’m not in competition for museum space; heck, I’m not even hoping to land a billboard on the side of a highway. This kind of relaxed approach to sketching allows me to look at this piece and still connect to all of the wonderful memories I have of Italy, which is where my reference photo for this was taken.
It took me quite a while to reach this relaxed state with almost all the creative activities I engage in these days. I realized time was not going to wait for me to get over my fear of sharing or for me to learn how to be perfect. Time is wise enough to understand that the “perfect time” never arrives.
“Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.”
William S. Burroughs
I have wished a lot of time away in my life. Most of us do an excellent job of it by wishing it was Friday when Monday rolls around each week. We have all heard the dying wish stories of people sharing how they wished they had taken more time to do what they liked. It seems to be a natural occurrence for folks who reflect on the life they had control over yet failed to exercise the opportunity to do so.
“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going fast; you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.“
Eddie Cantor
It’s never too late, though! We can still use our time and stop wishing it away. We can be deliberate and let stress pass through us instead of stealing time from us. When I stopped to think, the easy answer to create was to make sure I was having fun. Fun and relaxation go together quite well.
“We humans have lost the wisdom of genuinely resting and relaxing. We worry too much. We don’t allow our bodies to heal, and we don’t allow our minds and hearts to heal.”
Thick Nhat Hahn
Color outside the lines. Throw your paint-by-numbers in the trash. Open up a museum of one, exhibit your best self every day, and relax.
“Relax. Just relax and have fun doing what you’re doing. Don’t worry so much about being results oriented. Just commit yourself to the moment.”
John Goodman
Talk soon…
G