Learning to Play...

Earlier this summer I was in a bit of a creative slump. I decided the best way to work my out of that slump was to surround myself with creative inspiration and to shift my focus from finished product to the creative process itself. It has become a summer filled with creative play and experimentation.

It was a struggle at first. I mean, when I'm painting I'm usually focused on creating a final piece that is polished and ready to show. It's hard to shift that focus. But as I started making my primary focus the creative process itself, I began experimenting with different techniques and products. Painting started feeling a lot more like play than work.

With that came a bunch of ideas and inspiration for new pieces. I still have to battle with feelings of being "stuck" and fear that I'm not creating anything that's "finished", but when those self-doubts hit I try to go back to my original concept--focus on the creative process, not the finished product.

Two months in, the shift in focus is paying off--not just in how I feel about painting, but in regards to creating a new series of work I think I will be ready to show this fall. I'm determined to stay focused and keep producing...but also to enjoy the process along the way.