Breaking Through Creative Blocks: Embracing Uncomfortable Comfort
Today marks an exciting milestone for me - my very first blog post. As I sit down to share my thoughts with you, I want to explain why I painted these cairns. No, they weren't just painted for the sake of it, nor were they only painted because I wanted to create something beautiful.
I want to talk about something I've experienced, and perhaps many artists reading this have too: hitting a creative wall (also called the creative block). You know, those times when you're trying to make something awesome, but it just feels like you're stuck in a rut.
I think many people just stop here. Maybe they seek comfort elsewhere and end up not coming back. What I decided to do was paint something relaxing, easy, and something I started when I first began painting with watercolor medium.
As I kept at it, pushing through the discomfort, something amazing happened. I started to see my painting in a whole new light. I ended up creating this really cool piece featuring cairns, those stacks of rocks you see on hiking trails. And let me tell you, I was proud of it!
So, what's the lesson here? Embrace the discomfort. When you hit a creative block, don't let it stop you. Instead, see it as an opportunity to try something new, to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Who knows? You might just discover something incredible. And I think this philosophy can be applied elsewhere in life.
So, keep on creating, keep on exploring, and remember, it's okay to feel a little lost sometimes. Because within that discomfort, there's the potential for something truly amazing and beautiful to happen.
And as for those cairns I painted, they became my guiding light through the creative block. They showed me that sometimes you just have to keep stacking them up, one by one, until you break through to the other side.
Until next time,
Miwa
P.S Because I created over 30 paintings of these stones, my partner thought I went mad. I thought it was time to create a class to share my learnings and thats exactly what I did. Check out my skillshare class “Watercolor for Beginners: Minimal Japanese Stones” here.
