The Whole Paint or Not to Paint Question

The Whole Paint or Not to Paint Question

Some days the pursuit of painting is easy.  An artist might have a vision for a project or have an inspiration for a work and cannot wait to start.  If we are honest, we all have days where we want to use our creative muscles as it were but are not able to for any number of reasons.  On those days when I cannot find the motivation to paint I remind myself that its okay to not paint.  Depending upon any number of life events, I allow myself time to reflect, recover and hopefully renew my spirit.  One thing that helps me stay close to my art during difficult times is to work on small projects.  Sometimes doodling is helpful, sketching a tree, drawing circles around letters, or connecting squares and triangles.  My preferred medium is watercolor, occasionally I will use scrap pieces of watercolor paper to create small paintings or vignettes.  Working on smaller projects allows my creative mindset to work without the commitment required of an artist for a major work.  Some of my recent small projects featured shells, leaves, flowers and feathers.   Completing small works goes a long way to help me move past the obstacles that seem to be in my way.