Liz, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
1. Awareness of my current surroundings
When young artists come to me and they are worried about their talent, I always ask about how they see the world. I invite them to describe to me the most beautiful place they’ve ever been, or what do they notice when they go out the door first thing in the morning. Awareness can be brought to both the remarkable and the mundane. I have yet to meet an aspiring artist who is not good at seeing. In the stressors of life, with the sheer volume of things to see, it is an easy boost to our creativity to simply put down our screens and observe our surroundings.
2. Intentional curiosity
Raising children has given me the distinct blessing of curiosity. Of course, I had it when I was also young. But, as an adult, curiosity can often get in the way. Can be uncomfortable. Can be inconvenient. As an artist, I have found curiosity is best friends with creativity. I mostly find I need to be curious when something is not working in the studio. When an expression is missing the mark, when the overall feel of a painting is just flat. Putting down my brush and asking “why” without judgment or knowing the answer allows me to let go of the need for perfection and instead reach for what is next, whether that means completing the current piece or starting anew.
3. Limitation
I began embracing the helpfulness of limitation when I had my first gallery show in my early 20s. I was so broke that I had to paint on used canvases, draw on butcher paper, and utilize my partially ruined box of pastels. The necessity of creating with what I had at hand expanded my art in new directions. The result was a body of work that wouldn’t have existed if I’d had access to all the supplies I thought I needed. Now, I interact with limitations of a different sort. Those in my current studio are often self-imposed or arise naturally from the realities of being part of a family and a community in modern life. I continue to navigate these limitations gratefully and value them because this is one area of my life where I don’t have to *work* to find creativity. For me, having limitations means that creativity is always available during the moments I have to make art.
Read the rest of the article here: https://boldjourney.com/meet-liz-lindstrom/