Contemplation and refection is often done all year round here in the studio, but especially at this time of year I find it increases as I start to plan changes for next year and basically work out how I can do better.

 

This year my reflection thoughts have been alot about my art & my workshop attendees and how I can serve them better!  Before I move into that phase I wanted to take a bit of time to honor the moment of NOW as sometimes there is no one better to pat ourselves on our back than ourselves.

Looking back at past work

In honour of just how far i have come in my art, below are just some of my old artworks some of these 5, 10, 15years ago some of them more.

Looking at past work i find can do a couple of things for you:

•  You can look back and go WOW! I have improved (or maybe not) improved since I have done this!
• ALSO I find it can connect you with your younger self.. just the subject of this art that i used to do can highlight ideas / thoughts ways of looking at things that have been forgotten over the years and I can say oooh yeah i remember i used to love doing / drawing that i might go revisit that again 🙂

• It can also help you to understand the time lines that it takes to actually produce and develop art. This is particularly something that I struggle alot with in todays social media age when all you tend to see are the “good” final pics…  just remember that old saying that ‘All good things take time!’
  
  It takes a while to develop a painting, follow a process, develop a series, and that’s something that can and will take years to develop. Even after all those years you still wont necessarily “get there”. Break that down into an art class or workshop, I always say that my workshops are about techniques… they are not about that end painting at the end of the workshop, I rarely find that you can ever complete a painting or a work in just a couple of sessions even over a term, its unrealistic to expect to walk away from a session with a completed piece of something you have never done before. I tell people this all the time and sometimes i need to remember this for myself. One painting session doesn’t necessarily equate to a progression in the work, it could just be play time, it could be a tidy the studio time, it could be playing with a new materials, all of these are part of the bigger picture – don’t be so hard on yourself!!!

 

[bctt tweet=”…there is no one better to pat ourselves on our back than ourselves. #creativehardt” username=”creativehardt”]

So here are some various paintings and drawings over the years, i can see the naivety in them as well as the potential in them. I can see where i have worked and areas where i can do better. I can also see where I was in my life when I created this artwork and all the hopes and desires that were there and then where i am now. That’s why creating something can be so personal and emotional its a part of us but at the same time, its just a drawing just a piece of paper and there are 100 other ones between that one and this one and they all serve a purpose 🙂

Tip:  if you have a desire to push your art and creativity further but get discouraged by what you are producing is not what you see in your head, I hope by me sharing these it can help you overcome that emotion and just remember to keep on pushing through the discomfort.  This is creating, reflect on where you are and if you are not sure where to go from here ask someone that is experienced in the area, could be me, could be someone else, but most of all just keep going.

Please leave a comment below or say hello on social media, especially if this helps you!!!