That "little voice"...

Recently, the son of a friend offered to help me watch my grandkids while my husband was away. At twelve years old and on summer break, he brought with him an abundance of energy—and I was grateful for the extra pair of eyes. What I didn’t expect were the questions he posed about my artwork, particularly how I manage to create it “so easily.” Whoosh! That was a loaded question! Here’s how I responded.

Sometimes, the ideas for a painting come from nowhere. They can strike while I’m in the shower or even during mundane tasks like doing laundry. They’re often inspired by things that bring me joy or make me smile, but that’s just the beginning. Occasionally, despite my thorough planning, the final outcome doesn’t meet my expectations, and everything falls apart.

As viewers of my finished work, you don’t see that part—the countless unfinished pieces that linger in my studio, waiting to be revisited, transformed, or re-primed into something entirely new.

This is how we learn. After over five decades of creating art, I’ve discovered that the journey is what ultimately gives you control over the final outcome. We’ve all heard the phrase, “Practice makes perfect,” and to some extent, it holds true. However, if perfection is ever achieved, it’s a state that should not be maintained; it implies stagnation, leaving no room for growth. I prefer to say, “Practice leads to mastery,” and regardless of how much we think we know, there’s always more to learn.

Then I noticed he seemed overwhelmed and defeated, as if he felt he had so much work to do and not enough time to do it. He wanted to reach a certain skill level immediately, and the pressure of practice overshadowed the joy of creating. It saddened me to think that at just twelve years old, such pressure could stifle a young person’s creativity. Is there a solution?

• Play is the answer. Simply play! Whatever happens, happens. It may not turn out as you intended, or it might even exceed your expectations, but just play. Experiment with color, line, perspective, and different mediums.
• Mistakes are your friends! They are essential to learning! No one creates without making mistakes. Creation can be messy, but it should also be fun! Embrace your mistakes—they often lead to happy accidents.
• Enjoy the process. The key is to create something that inspires you. For me, it’s my love of animals, storytelling, and much more. If you love landscapes, paint landscapes; if anime is your passion, draw away! There’s no wrong way to create; the only mistake is not creating at all due to the fear of not being good enough.

Oh, how much we miss when we listen to that "little voice" in our heads that claims to keep us safe. I hope I was able to help him feel more at ease with where he is in his creative journey. Making art not only allows us to create something beautiful for others, but it also helps us learn about ourselves and the world around us. It’s a remarkable process that deserves to be honored, not rushed. Art is life in every sense. How wonderful that is!