Thursday, August 25, 2016

Product vs. Process Art





So many people think they aren’t artists. They have this idea that art has to look a certain way and that they weren’t trained in visual arts so they can’t possibly be artists. Many people are intimidated by the thought of creating art. I have watched women literally fall into anxiety at the thought of it. 

I think the problem is that they are focused on creating a finished product. They have an idea in their head for something that they want to make and either they don’t have the skills to create it or they think they can and somewhere in the middle of it they realize they cannot do it and they shut down. 

When you create art for product you find yourself in a world of rules; rules of composition, color, and line. These are the terms of art school and they are important in the world of design. They can help you create things that are pleasing to the eye but is that only aspect of art? I don’t think so. 

The field of product art is established around critiques and fitting your art into these rigid rules. There is so much time spent focusing on what is wrong with your creation that your soul can be deflated at best and crushed at worst. 





Process art throws all the rules out the window. It is the thing that sets you free from rules and critiques. There is no one there to tell you what you “should” have done or even what you “could” have done. You do not start with a preconceived idea about what you are making. You start with curiosity and experimentation. 

Process art is about following your intuition and doing what feels good in the moment no matter what it ends up looking like. It’s about playing with color, line and movement and seeing what emerges on the paper. Red feels exciting? Use it! You have an urge to add some dots? Go for it!




This is the foundation of Freedom Art™. Pure joy in the process of creativity, the way a child explores and plays with art supplies. It’s an opportunity to let go of rules and expectations and let your creativity flow no matter what the finished product looks like. This is the place where everyone is an artist. 

What are your experiences with art? Have you experienced either ends of this spectrum? I'd love to know!

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Art is Powerful





I believe art is powerful! I don’t mean just looking at a piece of art. I mean the process of creating art for just for the sake of the process. When you let go of all the rules and expectations of creating art and tune into the creative flow that is there for everyone you tap into an amazing power like you’ve never known. 

Sometimes I use art just to get my energy flowing, to step into creative flow, to play and have fun. Yesterday I was feeling like I was in a bit of a funk. I felt blah and crabby and I decided to use art to help shift my mood. 




I taped up a sheet of paper onto the wall and turned on an album I have of chakra music. I used the corresponding color as each song played and I just expressed myself in those colors. No rules. No expectations. Just energy on a page. 

When I finished, I felt better. I knew I had tapped into something but yet I still felt like something was missing. I wasn't complete. 



I got out my notebook and started writing. I wrote about how I was feeling and what I wanted and got out some more junky junk and then I set my intention. I was drawn to a dark black oil pastel and I just slowly started making lines and shapes. I had no idea what I was doing, I only did what felt right in the moment.

I knew I had to get out the white paint  so I did. I started playing with blocking out some of those shapes. I added some other colors and kept playing. I found it so interesting how different the energy was at this point than it had been earlier. 


I continued on adding lines, dots and other colors. I love the way the bright chakra colors shine through and move across the page. It seems raw, pure and full of joy.

When the painting itself felt complete I got out my trusty notebook and once again spent some time writing and getting insight about the process, the art and how I was feeling. 

In the past I might never want to share such an "unfinished" piece of art because I was focused on the idea of creating art that had to look a certain way but I now fully embrace Freedom Art™ which is all about throwing away the rules and following your intuition. It is about using art as a tool to get in touch with your inner wisdom, healing your soul and creating a life that makes you shine. 

If you would like to try out Freedom Art™ head over to my website. You can sign up for a free ebook called, Take Back Your Life with Freedom Art™ which will also get you on the mailing list for updates on new classes that are offered in my studio.