CREATIVITY & WELL BEING ///
I'm not sure how I got here. I mean, I'm not sure how painting and art have become such a massive part of my life. It's been such a significant and purposeful journey that there is a huge gap between where I was a few years ago with my art and now.
I have chosen this path. I have leaned into it and listened. I have embraced growth and learning and the creative journey. It has not been easy. It has been slow and winding. There are many ups and downs. And honestly, I continue to go on an inward journey with my art in my life. And I'm never letting go. I feel like my creative journey is helping me to become my most real self, to abandon the opinion of others and to really have my own back.
I am grateful that I have found my thing. And so, I thought it would be fun to explore the five main reasons why I love to paint and why making art, putting it out into the world and designing a life with creativity firmly at the centre is where I've ended up.
1. The act of making something beautiful
I love beautiful things. I love colour and texture. I'm sentimental and take pride in surrounding myself with pretty, quirky things. My home is filled with trinkets and pictures and colours. So making art is just a natural extension of how I've always been.
Being the maker takes my appreciation of beauty and allows me to put my spin on it. And the unique way that I see the world. A chance to align my personal taste level with something tangible. Something shareable. Turning a blank canvas into something beautiful is highly satisfying, even when it's not perfect. After all, doesn't imperfection coexist with beauty everywhere in the natural world?
2. Discovering new things
Like when we were kids, and we played and experimented. When there was no expectation that you would instantly be good at something, the first time you tried it. Or when play was worthwhile as a path of discovery and growth. Who says that ends in childhood?
One of the things I love about the creative process is constant learning. What if I use this colour or try this technique? What if I try and push myself to paint abstract or more realistic? What if I introduce new media? Or new subjects? Or new angles? What if I give my permission to try? What if I believe persistence and grit are the only things that stand in the way of my artistic progress?
Honestly, there is joy found in the layers of learning. Every time I show up to paint, I learn something. What I like, what I don't like, what I want to explore, and what I want to get better at. What subjects I like to paint, and how I want my portfolio to evolve. It is an exhilarating journey of endless discovery. I love it.
3. The process of bringing an idea or concept to life
Some people get nervous around a blank canvas. I did. I used to freeze in fear about the just starting and whether I could ever be any good.
These days, I love a blank canvas. It's like a fresh start. You can't be too precious about how you start, though. First layers are rarely anything special. The layers of time, love, energy, and, of course, paint make the whole thing come together.
The process has many stages, but it is ultimately an exercise in self-faith and trust. The belief that you will get there if you commit to staying the course. I'm not saying the process of making a painting is straightforward and textbook like. It is far from it. An initial idea rarely turns out the way you thought it would. There are highs and lows with every painting. Things that work the first time, effortless stretches and then there is the pure and simple hard slog. Boring bits. Painful bits. Time consuming bits. And at times, pushing through and seeing where the paint brush takes you is all you can do because you don't the way yet.
4. Achieving a 'state of flow'
Now, I don't want to get all woo-woo on you, but there are definitely times when I am painting, and I get lost in time. That's what I mean by flow. At times it feels like the painting is flowing through me, and I am just the vessel used to bring it to life.
Why would I not want to take more opportunities to feel that kind of connection in life and in the world?
I'm not saying that painting is the only path to this flow state. Every person needs to find their thing. Painting and creating are mine. To me, it's better and more purposeful than meditation. It can feel like a healing and 'bucket-filling' spiritual practice.
5. Embracing the real you
Painting and sharing my art with the world has been a path of self-love and healing. It has helped me to get closer to embracing my most authentic self. It has forced me to consider my values and what's important to me. What I love. What I need. What I want. Who I am
I'm not saying it's easy to vulnerably share your creations and your art. But it has been important for me to know how to tune into myself more and to honour what feels true. Painting is the thing that I would do, even if I were never going to get paid for it. I would do it anyway. I would share it anyway.
My art practice challenges me to keep growing and evolving. It gives me something tangible to reflect on, to acknowledge how far I have come. For me, each painting is like an anchor in the mountain of life.
I hope you got something useful out of this deep dive into my creative passion for painting.
What do you love to do?
Let me know by adding a comment below or emailing me at hello@samhortonstudio.com
Take care, Sam x
