Tangible Tangents — Week 6 - Showing Up with Watercolor

I would like to start off this tangent with a slight disclaimer—I do not consider myself an artist, but only in the purest sense that I do not devote enough of my time and energy to a specific medium or craft I think it deserves. I do however thoroughly enjoy dabbling in art-related projects. Over the years I have found common truth—the more stressed I am (by life compounding obligations or worries), the more suppressed my creativity becomes. When things are going well I feel an almost insatiable need to be creative, to draw or paint something. Those desires to create often feel like they come in waves, or in the form of creative seasons in my life.

Conversely, when life gets hectic, that same feeling withdraws and I am left wondering where it went. This is where I have come to believe a small, forgiving creative routine can matter more than motivation. I know I feel better during and after I draw, paint, or make something so why don’t I make a better effort to reduce the stress-related, non-creative energy? That hunch turns out to be supported by research. A 2016 study from Drexel University found that just forty-five minutes of free art-making during therapy can increase someone’s confidence in themselves⁽¹⁾. Whether a therapist is involved, I contend that art is therapeutic, and generally good for your soul.

“But I can’t draw. I am not creative,” you might be saying to yourself. Honestly, that’s okay. Skill is not the point here—the act itself is. Whether you are doodling a little village of stick figure people, or skillfully hand-drawing a realistic sketch of the human form, the process is more important than the details.

One of my favorite books I have read in the past ten years was The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield (who also wrote The Legend of Bagger Vance). In it, Pressfield contends that expression of art is more in the doing than the creating. There is something magical in the mundane and boring routine of doing a thing at a set time, day after day. To act like a professional would, showing up when it is time to put in the work on their craft is a vital part of the art making process. In that crucible of routine can come something wonderful. Something you did not expect. Something that is bigger than you imagined.

During last week’s Road Trip Tangent I had plenty of time to think while I meandered across remote areas of Montana. This time of year the landscape is largely a monotone hue of khaki colored, tans and browns, that are ever-present during winter. Along the drive were moments of some breathtaking scenes. Vast expanses of uninhabited, rolling hills, and open land. Half-frozen rivers winding through valleys adjacent to towering cliffs carved by those rivers over a millenia. And then came the snapshots of past human stories on a forbidding land. Abandoned farm houses being slowly reclaimed by mother nature. Rusting farm equipment, frozen in the landscape.

I did my best to appreciate these things along the drive. I took a few photos too. Some of those pictures I thought would make for good painting subjects. So that was my challenge to myself: sketch one of the scenes and then complete the painting using watercolors.

I have always liked watercolors. To me they are reminiscent of the Impressionist Era of painting. They feel more like a memory to me. A feeling of what it was like to be in the scene that is presented—less detailed and more of a feeling.

I still love to draw. It is a relaxing process that is better time spent than scrolling social media or binge watching shows. I completed this painting Saturday evening. Honestly, time flew by with my focused attention, but I think it took me just over an hour to complete. I decided to make a concerted effort to keep this routine practice, knowing it is essential for keeping me grounded and hopefully as stress free as I can be.

I could have used a generic watercolor kit from my kids’ collection in the abandoned drawer of leftover school art supplies. Those are just fine for a few colors. I decided to splurge a little on this and visited a local art supply store and picked up a twenty-four color kit that is meant to be portable. It even has a brush that contains water (apparently a new standard) so you don’t have to mess with dishes of water to clean your brush, and a tray that attaches to be able to mix colors for more variety.

For the detail, I used a fine-point pen to layout the scene. Then to overlay the color I used the mixing tray to find and dial in the right hues I was looking for.

Nothing. I am not going to judge my lack of technical art ability. That painting I created is what it is, and I made it. Another example in my effort to build creativity in the counter creativity era we live in.

If you feel the pull to be creative—whatever that looks like for you, music, art, food, or crafts, I encourage you to follow it. Do what brings you joy. Then keep doing it to keep your inner artist alive and well. There is no requirement for skill or outcome—only the act of showing up. You never know what inspiration may come from your efforts and bring a positive impact to others around you.

If you feel inclined, try a small creative tangent of your own—something simple, something low-pressure. Or share what’s worked for you. These routines have a way of feeding each other, often in ways we do not expect.

~ Allen

Reference:

Drexel University. Otto, F. (2016). Study: Just 45 Minutes of Art-Making Improves Self-Confidence.