The single most important thing I have learned (and relearned over and over...) through time is the importance of letting go.
I was reminded of this recently when reading about Winston Churchill's thoughts on painting. Many are not aware of this but Churchill was a rather prolific painter.
Letting go of preconceptions, illusions of control, the importance of my own ideas and letting go of self-defeating or limiting beliefs. The list goes on and on...
I think the single most important thing to remember it is to let go of any fear that may distract from aiming properly at goals we have in mind.
When painting one of the most destructive ideas to hold on to is perfection. If we aim for perfection we inevitably miss the steps necessary to get to that destination. Perfection is both an illusion and a distraction.
While painting it is nearly impossible to achieve perfection without a little serendipity entering into the equation. So when we strain for perfection we inevitably will always knock ourselves off course and miss the opportunity to make the best painting possible and miss out on really enjoying the process.
Much like the case when experiencing a nearly perfect performance in sports, when witnessing and well trained athlete completely present, a painter must have focus on the present moment as their primary aim in order to create the best work possible.
This requires us to let go of our concerns about what the end result might be, what onlookers might be thinking, if we're painting in front of people out in the field, what any extraneous events outside of our control might do to impact the world around us, or anything else for that matter…
"We cannot aspire to masterpieces. We may content ourselves with a joy ride in a paint-box. And for this Audacity is the only ticket."
Winston S. Churchill, Painting As a Pastime
Consider the legacy of Joseph Mallord William Turner. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest painters in history. He was identified as a gifted artist at a young age. Turner is known for some of his masterpieces - he had more than most. Yet he left behind more than 550 oil paintings, 2,000 watercolours, and 30,000 works on paper. He was prolific in every sense yet only a fraction of his paintings were considered to be worth of being called masterpieces.
“Warrior-Statesman in a Garden” (portrait of the elder Churchill while painting) 12“ x 9“ pastel on sanded paper.
“Happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely. Light and colour, peace and hope, will keep them company to the end, or almost to the end, of the day.”
- Winston Churchill
"Go out into the sunlight and be happy with what you see."
Winston Churchill, Painting As a Pastime
Sir Winston Churchill offered a fantastic description of the joy of painting, how to let go, and embrace the process in his book "Painting as a Pastime."
If interested please join me as provide a reading of this book (which is essentially a long essay) next Wednesday evening at 9pm EST during my Wednesday Walkthrough
Comments