You’ve decided that you would like to paint with watercolors, but it isn’t yet a part of your routine. Let’s see how you can develop a mindful and meaningful practice.
Some would call it a habit, but I feel as though that word suggests automation and mindlessness. A habit is an action that occurs without much on the thinking mind’s part (and without moral judgment). Waking up early is a habit. Doing yoga is a habit. Meditating is a habit. Drinking coffee is a habit. Some habits form practically instantly while others take a while to stick. Whatever your schedule is like, you have to determine when and where you can paint. Release any notions of the ideal scenario because the ideal time to paint is the time that you make for it, whether it be ten minutes every day, every other day during your lunch break, or three hours on a Saturday afternoon. This may take a bit of tinkering to figure out, but when you find what works for you, do it consistently.
Developing a habit is great for showing up in the physical sense, but then you have to get your mind in the game. Painting mindfully for five minutes trumps hours of painting mindlessly. On the Ten Percent Happier app, The Basics II is a course led by Joseph Goldstein. He says this when explaining presence versus mindfulness:
Being in the present is an essential component of being mindful, but it’s not enough. Being mindful is something a little bit broader than that, so I’ll give you an example of what I mean. . . . [Dogs] seem completely in the present moment. They’re in the moment, very much involved in the world of smell and scent and what they’re seeing. But when you look at them, it would be a stretch to think that they’re actually being mindful. They’re just totally caught up in the momentary experience, being in the present but without that added dimension of, we might call, a self-reflective kind of knowing. They’re not, it doesn’t appear that they know that they’re knowing.
Makes sense, right? When you paint, be aware of what you are doing. Notice how the different pigments behave. Does one granulate more than the other? Does one push others out of the way? Does one have a tendency to whoosh across the paper? Right now, you are playing and experimenting to see what characteristics the paints have and which ones appeal to you at this stage of your journey. You are setting a foundation, a knowledge bank on which to draw from whenever you paint. Consider what Chase Jarvis wrote in Creative Calling:
Spending my time thoughtfully got results even faster than I’d anticipated; every week saw a new killer photo for my portfolio or a well-paying gig. I wasn’t busy, I was on point. I was effective. . . . Being effective is about using every minute thoughtfully and mindfully as you make steady progress toward your dream.
So, mindfulness should lead to more effective use of your time. You are showing up, you are present, and you are aware of the interactions between you, the paint, and the paper. Great! However, if at any point you find yourself getting frustrated with what’s happening, pause and take a step back. Take a breather. Once your emotional levels come down, identify what it is that is bugging you. Is it muddy colors or not enough white space? Perhaps it’s something else. Knowing what the so-called problem is will allow you to begin again with a mindful approach (To avoid x, I should do y).
Whether or not you are creating masterpieces at this point, you are learning from the experience. You are familiarizing yourself with the medium and building a watercolor vocabulary that will factor into your creative process. You will walk away from your painting sessions more informed than you were and, hopefully, a little bit more comfortable with watercolors.
Passing time caring for critters.
Creating while they nap.
