This morning after eating breakfast and spending a bit of time on the deck swing I decided to sit down and paint. With nothing in mind and no expectations, I brushed water over the entire surface of the paper and then I began dropping in bright vivid colors, letting them mix and run together.
It was my
Morning Watercolor Play
This kind of “mindless” play brings me great joy. I love seeing the way colors flow and mix on the paper. And I love choosing my favorite colors from my palette and dropping them onto the water-soaked paper and then discovering how they mix and flow.
Even before the paint dried I made a photo of the painting, imported the photo into Adobe Lightroom and then edited it in Photoshop, playing with adding flower photos from recent days.
“A creative life is an amplified life. It’s a bigger life, a happier life, an expanded life, and a hell of a lot more interesting life. Living in this manner—continually and stubbornly bringing forth the jewels that are hidden within you—is a fine art, in and of itself.” — Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic
It was not my intention to bring flower images into the painting when I created it. It was just how my play evolved organically. This kind of playful creation only happens when I make space for it in my life, by showing up and being willing to create something that looks like crap. (A lot of my creations are not pretty.) But it’s the process, and the feeling of boundless play that makes it all worthwhile.
When was the last time you picked up a pencil, crayon, paintbrush, or other art implement and simply played with no intention in mind? Maybe today would be a good day to play.
May you walk in beauty.
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