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Artist Date

‘Every child is an artist. The problem is to remain an artist once they grow up.’ -Pablo Picasso

I read a lot… you must know that by now based on how much I write and refer to books in my blogs.

In my quest to read every book ever written, about two years ago I read the Artist's Way, and since then I've been on many an Artist Date.

 

I am a very wordy person; reading everything I can get my hands on and writing daily. I enjoy being creative; but have always gravitated to words rather than pictures. Julia Cameron says that ‘art is an image using system. In order to create we draw from our inner well.’

The well is meant to be like a healthy pond, full of different kinds of fish and aquatic life. Any extended period or piece of work draws heavily on our artistic well. Overtapping the well, like over fishing, diminishes our resources. -Not an issue for me… But, letting the water source stagnate or dry up entirely could have been.

With all of my studies, invoicing and admin tasks, I wanted to make sure I didn’t lose my creativity. Almost all jobs require time spent in front of a computer where our creative juices can dry up, so I hope this article inspires you to flow.

 

Making time to be creative has been tremendously nourishing. My house is full of the things I’ve made, and as I run out of space I gift things to my friends.

I recently took a screen printing course which demands dharana; a single point of focus, especially as I dragged ink over a screen and reviewed the image. Screen printing is wonderful and teaches patience; It’s an art form that can’t be rushed, a lot of time is spent coating and preparing screens, designing the image and layering it up. And an essential part of the process is cleaning the screens, ensuring you remove all traces of your design. Wiping clean old images so you can start afresh... that's what you do in Meditation.

It was humbling to share a studio with artists, see what they create and compared to my err… attempts. Their passion and the kind instruction from the tutor was inspiring. I loved watching them play with shape and colour, and once I got over the fear of dropping ink all over my trainers, I loosened up enough to experiment. For me in the studio, there wasn’t a master plan, no expectations, so why not just see what happens? ‘Mistakes’ just create new opportunities, the design is changed or a skill acquired as you ‘correct’ what’s happened.

It’s the same with Yoga Asana and Meditation. If you approach these practices with a finished image in your mind, you won’t enjoy the process, and the fun and form are missed.

They are an expression of your body and mind, so how can it be ‘wrong?’ -If it feels nice, you experience a sense of centering and grounding, then you’re practicing the art of Yoga and Meditation.

 

If you're local to Brighton and Hove, I recommend booking a course with Jane at Ink Spot Studio, details here.

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My Yoga Pose Podcast of guided meditations, wit and wisdom is free and available wherever you like to listen to podcasts or here on Apple.

If you found this article enjoyable, leave a comment and share on social media. Thank you, Rosie Pose x

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