I watched this short video clip this morning and it left me rethinking what I suspect I always knew on a subconscious level……

Phil Hansen – The art of the imperfect

The idea that limitations and constraints increase creativity……  Imposing constraints, or in some cases dealing with unavoidable limitations, rather than REMOVING them, allows us to stretch our thinking and become creative. It allows us to break our bounds, get outside of our comfort level and seek solutions we might have otherwise avoided.

Every artist in their own unique way seeks liberating experiences; a need to find ones creative self and a way of painting that is uniquely ours. Art is a natural learning and growing process. Simply thinking about what technique and style might best suit one is not enough. Only through hard work, trial and error, and self evaluation does one manage to begin moving in the right direction. Part of the fun for me is the process of getting there. “Finding the way” is more than choosing to paint realistically or abstractly; it is about discovering the combination of ingredients that allows our subjective uniqueness to emerge and grow. This certainly doesn’t happen in an instant of inspiration or through one successful experience, but rather through developing and exploring areas that interest one and sometimes stepping out of our comfort zones.

Life in general is filled with personal struggles and obstacles we have to find ways of coping with.  I personally have lived in a number of countries because of the nature of my husbands job.  Each place I have lived in came with its own unique set of struggles and adjustments, sights, sounds, smells, textures, peoples and culture which I had to come to terms with.  Painting is my way of getting to know my new environment, coming to terms with the change and about letting go.

Phil Hansen’s idea of embracing his shake inspired a whole creative process that opened new horizons to him.  He was able to let go of the idea that good art could only be created if you could draw a straight line.  From here he began exploring other avenues of art.  He began a project called Goodbye Art to help him be more spontaneous. This project involved him creating a new art piece weekly with a theme corresponding to its month. The difference, however, lay in the fact that after the process was completed and a final piece was obtained, he destroyed all traces of it except for a photograph.  By limiting his theme to destruction he let go of the tangible outcome.  I couldn’t help thinking of the Buddhists Sand Mandala’s, a Tibetan Buddhist tradition involving the creation and destruction of mandalas made from colored sand. A sand mandala is ritualistically destroyed once it has been completed and its accompanying ceremonies and viewing are finished to symbolize the Buddhist doctrinal belief in the transitory nature of material life.

Granted this is not part of Phil Hansen’s argument here, but the concept of letting go once the creative process is finished is one that allows us as artists to move on to other creative endeavours and spaces.

Some of my art I find easy to let go of, other work the letting go is the challenge.  Simply put I am not whole if I don’t paint. Art is my constant companion and friend and without it I would be completely and absolutely lost.

Phillip Hansen’s concept of reminding ourselves to seize the limitation rather than seizing the day is an inspiring one!

My art remains a work in progress…