The Honest Canvas

I'm working on pieces for an art show right now. The show requires each artist to submit five works. The process for deciding what to create is sometimes easy. Sometimes there is something that just looms in like clouds rolling in from an imminent storm. It's coming and you can't stop it. Other times, it feels like writer's block. Inspiration cannot be manufactured. I get in trouble when I try to paint what I think the audience will want to see, or what I think might sell at an event, or what someone suggested I paint. I've done these umpteen times and it often falls flat. However, when I paint from my heart, my experience, or my own crazy thoughts, well, there it is! Something I call The Honest Canvas. I work with people who are grieving or who have been through trauma. It can be daunting to express these impactful experiences in any form, but often, the canvas calls and invites us to authentically tell our story. So, the next time you are looking for inspiration for a creative project, or perhaps when you are in problem-solving mode, don't bother looking past right where you are and what is inside of you. Be The Honest Canvas.