Yesterday I was painting and about 30 minutes in I got stuck. Sometimes when I don’t know what to do I try to think through the possibilities. I try to rationalize the next best move and work out in my mind why this possible decision would work or not.
The conversation in my head goes something like this…
“If I paint this red circle in the middle right now it will make the painting look too much like a bulls eye. If I make it a square it will be too shapey, but if I paint it green then maybe it won’t notice too much but then I already have 3 other squares and do I want this painting to be about squares? If I do this might it possibly look a little too much like that artist’s work I saw last night that paints mostly squares? Is this why I am choosing squares? Well maybe I should paint a squiggly thing instead? But I never do squiggly things. That is not really me. Or is it? Maybe a small light colored one in the corner to try it out? But that seems kind of hesitant. Shouldn’t I be bold?”
Just from writing this tiny strand of dialogue I am instantly reminded of how it feels to be stuck and out of the creative flow. It is like trying to plan out how you are about to dance while trying to dance. It just doesn’t work too well. I know, of course, that this conversation goes on inside all of us whenever we problem solve. However, too much of it, for me, is actually exhausting. It is just not fun. I used to do it much longer than I do now.
The reason I limit the time I spend in this way of thinking is because it didn’t help me make my best work. My Art improved when the experience of making my Art improved. And that happened when I shifted more of my decision making from the rational to the intuitive.
[Tweet “”Sometimes the things that seem too good to be true actually are true.” -Nicholas Wilton”]
Intuition is defined as “the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning.”
Amazingly, once you let go of “conscious reasoning” there aren’t a whole lot of barriers standing in your way. Can I really just make a decision in a nano second according to a gut feeling and this actually will lead me somewhere different? More authentic? More easily? Really?
It seems too good to be true. No wonder Albert Einstein described intuition as “the most valuable thing” in life.
What is amazing to me is that I sometimes forget. I stop trusting this knowing. And when I do I tend to avoid the studio and instead choose something easier that doesn’t require me answering questions.
But what if you already knew all the answers? What if the more you answered the questions, the easier, the more joyful they became. What if these questions that only you have been ordained to answer were used to make Art that was so authentic, so like you that it allowed not only you, but everyone else to see the world in a brand new way?
Sometimes things that seem too good to be true actually are true.
How does intuition show up in your creative process? I would like to read some of your thoughts and comments on this.
In gratitude, Nicholas
54 Comments
Hi! I’m
Nicholas Wilton
the founder of Art2Life.
With over 20 years experience as a working artist and educator, I’ve developed a systematic approach that brings authenticity, spontaneity and joy back into the creative process.
Join me and artists from all over the world in our Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group or learn more here about Art2Life.
My work has shifted in the last few years from being planned out (and experiencing great frustration along the way and with the final product) to being mostly intuitive – especially with colour. My work these days is based on my colour choices. I usually put on some great music, get in touch with how I’m feeling for the day – journal write – meditate – and then get on with it!
Nicholas, I definitely recognize this process! I go through periods of feeling stuck, mentally planning each next step and not liking anything I’m doing & it’s sometimes hard to make the transition to not thinking. Sometimes I have to explore all the mentally thought out options and come to a dead-end over and over before I finally remember OH YEAH, stop thinking! Then I have to be ready to let go of some of the areas in the painting that I love and have been trying to preserve but which may have been holding me back. Once this happens, i’m often able to paint something unexpected and exciting.
Yes it is sometimes out of desperation that we finally make th eright move–you are right–in the end that is the only answer that works..
Nice…thx
My work has shifted in the last few years from being planned out (and experiencing great frustration along the way and with the final product) to being mostly intuitive – especially with colour. My work these days is based on my colour choices. I usually put on some great music, get in touch with how I’m feeling for the day – journal write – meditate – and then get on with it!
Nicholas, I definitely recognize this process! I go through periods of feeling stuck, mentally planning each next step and not liking anything I’m doing & it’s sometimes hard to make the transition to not thinking. Sometimes I have to explore all the mentally thought out options and come to a dead-end over and over before I finally remember OH YEAH, stop thinking! Then I have to be ready to let go of some of the areas in the painting that I love and have been trying to preserve but which may have been holding me back. Once this happens, i’m often able to paint something unexpected and exciting.
Yes it is sometimes out of desperation that we finally make th eright move–you are right–in the end that is the only answer that works..
Nice…thx
My work has shifted in the last few years from being planned out (and experiencing great frustration along the way and with the final product) to being mostly intuitive – especially with colour. My work these days is based on my colour choices. I usually put on some great music, get in touch with how I’m feeling for the day – journal write – meditate – and then get on with it!
Nicholas, I definitely recognize this process! I go through periods of feeling stuck, mentally planning each next step and not liking anything I’m doing & it’s sometimes hard to make the transition to not thinking. Sometimes I have to explore all the mentally thought out options and come to a dead-end over and over before I finally remember OH YEAH, stop thinking! Then I have to be ready to let go of some of the areas in the painting that I love and have been trying to preserve but which may have been holding me back. Once this happens, i’m often able to paint something unexpected and exciting.
Yes it is sometimes out of desperation that we finally make th eright move–you are right–in the end that is the only answer that works..
Nice…thx
i have found for me, intuition is the key while creating… evaluating those marks comes later in the day. So I have two techniques i have used to help me stop “thinking” while working…. 1. i call someone on the phone and talk to them while i am painting… interesting things can happen during that call. 2. while listening to a song, i tell myself I have until the end of the song to, finish the painting. Now, I tend to know myself and that working fast for me is better than plotting.
Wow that is amazing…I once had a friend sit on a stool and talk t ome while I painted -I made a really great painting that day..kind of suprized me
i have found for me, intuition is the key while creating… evaluating those marks comes later in the day. So I have two techniques i have used to help me stop “thinking” while working…. 1. i call someone on the phone and talk to them while i am painting… interesting things can happen during that call. 2. while listening to a song, i tell myself I have until the end of the song to, finish the painting. Now, I tend to know myself and that working fast for me is better than plotting.
Wow that is amazing…I once had a friend sit on a stool and talk t ome while I painted -I made a really great painting that day..kind of suprized me
i have found for me, intuition is the key while creating… evaluating those marks comes later in the day. So I have two techniques i have used to help me stop “thinking” while working…. 1. i call someone on the phone and talk to them while i am painting… interesting things can happen during that call. 2. while listening to a song, i tell myself I have until the end of the song to, finish the painting. Now, I tend to know myself and that working fast for me is better than plotting.
Wow that is amazing…I once had a friend sit on a stool and talk t ome while I painted -I made a really great painting that day..kind of suprized me
I listen to audio books when I am painting.I find that it keeps the left side of my brain busy with the book and the right/intuitive side can paint.
I listen to audio books when I am painting.I find that it keeps the left side of my brain busy with the book and the right/intuitive side can paint.
I listen to audio books when I am painting.I find that it keeps the left side of my brain busy with the book and the right/intuitive side can paint.
Oh wow, how timely your post is. I spent all day being frustrated trying to “think” through a painting and in the last half hour picked up a painting, painted over it without thinking and it was delightlfully better than the one I worked on all day. The hard part is believing it can be easy so thank you for the reminder.
Oh wow, how timely your post is. I spent all day being frustrated trying to “think” through a painting and in the last half hour picked up a painting, painted over it without thinking and it was delightlfully better than the one I worked on all day. The hard part is believing it can be easy so thank you for the reminder.
Oh wow, how timely your post is. I spent all day being frustrated trying to “think” through a painting and in the last half hour picked up a painting, painted over it without thinking and it was delightlfully better than the one I worked on all day. The hard part is believing it can be easy so thank you for the reminder.
I agree with Einstein! If I can allow my inner critic to shut the F up, I can find my way. Intuition, or being in the groove without thought is like meditation. I find certain colors lead me to this devine place. I don’t like to slam into things without a plan though, so it’s a bit of a catch 22 to start. Dilemmas from the swamp!
That is interesting that a color can signal to you about intuition–which ones?
Well, it is an interesting question…as it seems every year I am intensely drawn to one particular color….but always I love yellow, a most spiritual color, and orange always. Aqua is also an ongoing passion.The Luscher Color Test is an interesting study on why we are attracted to various colors. Color is something that we can respond to in a most abstract way…and different combinations can appeal at different times and situations. Kind of fascinating. Recently I love pale gray, pale ranges draw me in.
I agree with Einstein! If I can allow my inner critic to shut the F up, I can find my way. Intuition, or being in the groove without thought is like meditation. I find certain colors lead me to this devine place. I don’t like to slam into things without a plan though, so it’s a bit of a catch 22 to start. Dilemmas from the swamp!
That is interesting that a color can signal to you about intuition–which ones?
Well, it is an interesting question…as it seems every year I am intensely drawn to one particular color….but always I love yellow, a most spiritual color, and orange always. Aqua is also an ongoing passion.The Luscher Color Test is an interesting study on why we are attracted to various colors. Color is something that we can respond to in a most abstract way…and different combinations can appeal at different times and situations. Kind of fascinating. Recently I love pale gray, pale ranges draw me in.
I agree with Einstein! If I can allow my inner critic to shut the F up, I can find my way. Intuition, or being in the groove without thought is like meditation. I find certain colors lead me to this devine place. I don’t like to slam into things without a plan though, so it’s a bit of a catch 22 to start. Dilemmas from the swamp!
That is interesting that a color can signal to you about intuition–which ones?
Well, it is an interesting question…as it seems every year I am intensely drawn to one particular color….but always I love yellow, a most spiritual color, and orange always. Aqua is also an ongoing passion.The Luscher Color Test is an interesting study on why we are attracted to various colors. Color is something that we can respond to in a most abstract way…and different combinations can appeal at different times and situations. Kind of fascinating. Recently I love pale gray, pale ranges draw me in.
I opened with great anticipation your newsletter today, “How the Other Half Thinks About Your Art”. I thought it might be about an artist’s audience that does not understand abstract art, or, a spouse, etc. To my great surprise, you spoke about the left brain; the analytical, logical, verbal, and critical side. Since returning from your workshop, Nicholas, I often recall how you (with reckless abandon) covered over area after area to achieve something richer, better, seeking contrast and working toward “great” rather than “good”. You were quick, deliberate, passionate and completely engaged as you continually renovated the panel in hand. What I saw was that the more you put on and took off, the “story” or essence of what you were doing became even more rich and historical; each layer in some way finding a place in the final conversation. When I returned to my studio, there had been a few paintings I was pretty stumped on, and although I was previously going to accept “good”, I grabbed both of them (on different days) and decided I had to risk losing what I had in order to follow my intuition and perhaps achieve something better. The painting which required the longest period to renovate became the topic of my most recent blog post entitled, “Painting is a Journey; Intuition is my Map.” Thank you for your timely newsletter. It is never easy to quiet the left brain, but your workshop really helped me see how important it is to let intuition runs it’s course, rather than letting the left, critical brain, (impatient for results!), put the brakes on too soon and spoil the ending to what could be a “great” journey, vs. a “good” one! I’ve attached the pre-Nick’s workshop painting and post-Nick’s workshop painting images below. (“Journey”, 36x36in, Encaustic). My blog post, if anyone is interested, is here: http://www.pamelacaughey.com/blog/painting-is-a-journey-intuition-is-my-map
Hey there–so thanks for your comments here..your blog is fun to read …good for you for pushing this..ok I agree that the one on the left had to get stronger..the blue one is better but I feel like you can clarify the values more so it has more definition…what is really light? what si clearly dark?also pay attention to tangents–shapes that jam into each other creating tight spots–perfect fi you want us to stare there but not good if you want our eyes to roam around…how can the light side be more clearly different than the dark side..? Here is a quick rough adjustment…your painting is so much better right now so again this is just food for thought…
Whoa!! Awesome! Thank you so much! I didn’t expect that you would have the time for feedback but yippee!!! I’m thrilled and love what you did ;)!!!!!! Best to you, Nick!! You are an amazing instructor–much appreciated. Pam
I opened with great anticipation your newsletter today, “How the Other Half Thinks About Your Art”. I thought it might be about an artist’s audience that does not understand abstract art, or, a spouse, etc. To my great surprise, you spoke about the left brain; the analytical, logical, verbal, and critical side. Since returning from your workshop, Nicholas, I often recall how you (with reckless abandon) covered over area after area to achieve something richer, better, seeking contrast and working toward “great” rather than “good”. You were quick, deliberate, passionate and completely engaged as you continually renovated the panel in hand. What I saw was that the more you put on and took off, the “story” or essence of what you were doing became even more rich and historical; each layer in some way finding a place in the final conversation. When I returned to my studio, there had been a few paintings I was pretty stumped on, and although I was previously going to accept “good”, I grabbed both of them (on different days) and decided I had to risk losing what I had in order to follow my intuition and perhaps achieve something better. The painting which required the longest period to renovate became the topic of my most recent blog post entitled, “Painting is a Journey; Intuition is my Map.” Thank you for your timely newsletter. It is never easy to quiet the left brain, but your workshop really helped me see how important it is to let intuition runs it’s course, rather than letting the left, critical brain, (impatient for results!), put the brakes on too soon and spoil the ending to what could be a “great” journey, vs. a “good” one! I’ve attached the pre-Nick’s workshop painting and post-Nick’s workshop painting images below. (“Journey”, 36x36in, Encaustic). My blog post, if anyone is interested, is here: http://www.pamelacaughey.com/blog/painting-is-a-journey-intuition-is-my-map
Hey there–so thanks for your comments here..your blog is fun to read …good for you for pushing this..ok I agree that the one on the left had to get stronger..the blue one is better but I feel like you can clarify the values more so it has more definition…what is really light? what si clearly dark?also pay attention to tangents–shapes that jam into each other creating tight spots–perfect fi you want us to stare there but not good if you want our eyes to roam around…how can the light side be more clearly different than the dark side..? Here is a quick rough adjustment…your painting is so much better right now so again this is just food for thought…
Whoa!! Awesome! Thank you so much! I didn’t expect that you would have the time for feedback but yippee!!! I’m thrilled and love what you did ;)!!!!!! Best to you, Nick!! You are an amazing instructor–much appreciated. Pam
I opened with great anticipation your newsletters today, “How the Other Half Thinks About Your Art”. I thought it might be about an artist’s audience that does not understand abstract art, or, a spouse, etc. To my great surprise, you spoke about the left brain; the analytical, logical, verbal, and critical side. Since returning from your workshop, Nicholas, I often recall how you (with reckless abandon) covered over area after area to achieve something richer, better, seeking contrast and working toward “great” rather than “good”. You were quick, deliberate, passionate and completely engaged as you continually renovated the panel in hand. What I saw was that the more you put on and took off, the “story” or essence of what you were doing became even more rich and historical; each layer in some way finding a place in the final conversation. When I returned to my studio, there had been a few paintings I was pretty stumped on, and although I was previously going to accept “good”, I grabbed both of them (on different days) and decided I had to risk losing what I had in order to follow my intuition and perhaps achieve something better. The painting which required the longest period to renovate became the topic of my most recent blog post entitled, “Painting is a Journey; Intuition is my Map.” Thank you for your timely newsletter. It is never easy to quiet the left brain, but your workshop really helped me see how important it is to let intuition runs it’s course, rather than letting the left, critical brain, (impatient for results!), put the brakes on too soon and spoil the ending to what could be a “great” journey, vs. a “good” one! I’ve attached the pre-Nick’s workshop painting and post-Nick’s workshop painting images below. (“Journey”, 36x36in, Encaustic). My blog post, if anyone is interested, is here: http://www.pamelacaughey.com/blog/painting-is-a-journey-intuition-is-my-map
Hey there–so thanks for your comments here..your blog is fun to read …good for you for pushing this..ok I agree that the one on the left had to get stronger..the blue one is better but I feel like you can clarify the values more so it has more definition…what is really light? what si clearly dark?also pay attention to tangents–shapes that jam into each other creating tight spots–perfect fi you want us to stare there but not good if you want our eyes to roam around…how can the light side be more clearly different than the dark side..? Here is a quick rough adjustment…your painting is so much better right now so again this is just food for thought…
Whoa!! Awesome! Thank you so much! I didn’t expect that you would have the time for feedback but yippee!!! I’m thrilled and love what you did ;)!!!!!! Best to you, Nick!! You are an amazing instructor–much appreciated. Pam
Perfectly described! Listening to OnBeing with Krista Tippett while painting
gets me out of any creative wall.
Perfectly described! Listening to OnBeing with Krista Tippett while painting
gets me out of any creative wall.
Perfectly described! Listening to OnBeing with Krista Tippett while painting
gets me out of any creative wall.
I enjoy listening to music while I paint and I sing loud. It seems that the distraction takes the focus away from thinking about what is next in the painting and helps to continue the flow of spontaneity.
I enjoy listening to music while I paint and I sing loud. It seems that the distraction takes the focus away from thinking about what is next in the painting and helps to continue the flow of spontaneity.
I enjoy listening to music while I paint and I sing loud. It seems that the distraction takes the focus away from thinking about what is next in the painting and helps to continue the flow of spontaneity.
Just began following your blog. Really helpful perspectives here. I work in a semi-abstract approach and continue to experiment with going closer to all abstract. The practical, linear half is pretty dominant for me. Here’s an example of what I mean. Love reading comments by your students and friends.
Just began following your blog. Really helpful perspectives here. I work in a semi-abstract approach and continue to experiment with going closer to all abstract. The practical, linear half is pretty dominant for me. Here’s an example of what I mean. Love reading comments by your students and friends.
Just began following your blog. Really helpful perspectives here. I work in a semi-abstract approach and continue to experiment with going closer to all abstract. The practical, linear half is pretty dominant for me. Here’s an example of what I mean. Love reading comments by your students and friends.
The conversation in your head – the thinking – is so funny to me because it is so familiar. I think it is just another aspect of the “monkey mind” that intrudes when we are meditating. I really don’t know how I get it to shut up, but sometimes it is only when I look at the painting and decide that it is all wrong and then set about removing as much of it as possible that I find the painting. It can be exhausting – rigorous scrubbing with paper towel and rubbing alcohol – but I sometimes get the sense that buried under all of this paint is the image I was meant to find all along. It is possible that I have not yet learned to really listen to my intuition from the beginning – on the other hand it may be that it is just my intuition that leads me down the same path every time. I paint, then obliterate, then paint. It seems rather bizarre to me that I can paint for many hours and then just conclude that it isn’t working and try to take it back to the beginning and that is when I find the painting – in the residue of an earlier effort.
I have to add that I love your blog and the questions you pose. Thank you for writing and sharing as you do. So often you ask questions and pose ideas that to me get at the heart of the mystery of the creative process.
The conversation in your head – the thinking – is so funny to me because it is so familiar. I think it is just another aspect of the “monkey mind” that intrudes when we are meditating. I really don’t know how I get it to shut up, but sometimes it is only when I look at the painting and decide that it is all wrong and then set about removing as much of it as possible that I find the painting. It can be exhausting – rigorous scrubbing with paper towel and rubbing alcohol – but I sometimes get the sense that buried under all of this paint is the image I was meant to find all along. It is possible that I have not yet learned to really listen to my intuition from the beginning – on the other hand it may be that it is just my intuition that leads me down the same path every time. I paint, then obliterate, then paint. It seems rather bizarre to me that I can paint for many hours and then just conclude that it isn’t working and try to take it back to the beginning and that is when I find the painting – in the residue of an earlier effort.
I have to add that I love your blog and the questions you pose. Thank you for writing and sharing as you do. So often you ask questions and pose ideas that to me get at the heart of the mystery of the creative process.
The conversation in your head – the thinking – is so funny to me because it is so familiar. I think it is just another aspect of the “monkey mind” that intrudes when we are meditating. I really don’t know how I get it to shut up, but sometimes it is only when I look at the painting and decide that it is all wrong and then set about removing as much of it as possible that I find the painting. It can be exhausting – rigorous scrubbing with paper towel and rubbing alcohol – but I sometimes get the sense that buried under all of this paint is the image I was meant to find all along. It is possible that I have not yet learned to really listen to my intuition from the beginning – on the other hand it may be that it is just my intuition that leads me down the same path every time. I paint, then obliterate, then paint. It seems rather bizarre to me that I can paint for many hours and then just conclude that it isn’t working and try to take it back to the beginning and that is when I find the painting – in the residue of an earlier effort.
I have to add that I love your blog and the questions you pose. Thank you for writing and sharing as you do. So often you ask questions and pose ideas that to me get at the heart of the mystery of the creative process.