Be Curious

The important thing is not to stop questioning...

Never lose a holy curiosity.

Albert Einstein

PREAMBLE - I started writing these Studio Notes last week but my weekend teaching schedule meant I didn't get back to it until this week. I was in the process of searching for images to add when I happened to watch Crystal Neubauer's presentation on this week's Painting With Fire (a year long online encaustic workshop). Lo and behold if she didn't begin by talking about the need for curiosity and intuition. Artistic connections are a thing.

AS an artist I think the most important attribute you can have is to BE CURIOUS - the ability to say 'what if'.

Creativity and curiosity go hand in hand. Being creative means you are somewhat naturally curious; it's how you use your curiosity that makes you grow creatively. A sense of curiosity is part of every artist's story - the artists intuition so to speak.

When learning anything new, you would never expect yourself to create a masterpiece without learning how the individual techniques contribute to the final piece, would you?

And that's where your intuitive curiosity comes in!

While it's important to learn the proper techniques to any new venture, give yourself permission to PLAY while you learn. Measure your progress out of curiosity and play, not perfection.

When I was just beginning my art journey, I was lamenting how I'd failed at a painting technique, a wise, experienced art friend told me - It's only paper - just get a new piece and start again. That hit home when I realized that failure and trying again is how we learn and grow as artists. The more you face the fear, the easier it’ll become, and the easier it’ll be for you to be curious and try out new things. As I have grown as an artist I now see failures as the opportunity to see how I can reinvent the work rather than thinking I have done it wrong.

Learn to listen to that intuitive, curious voice that sparks an idea and asks what if....