{"id":54957,"title":"How I became an intuitive artist","description":"I left school believing I wasn't artistic. Years later I rediscovered my creativity and learned to trust my intuition instead of my inner critic. This is the story of how that happened.","content":"

\"white\u201cPaintings have a life of their own, that derives from the artist\u2019s soul.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>Vincent Van Gogh<\/p>

Rediscovering my love for art<\/h3>

I left school convinced I wasn\u2019t artistic. My art teacher had told me as much when I was 15. I felt crushed. I had always loved drawing and painting, but for whatever reason I believed her. After all, teachers know best. Or so I thought then.<\/p>

As the years went by I grew increasingly incensed by my teacher\u2019s comment, until eventually I decided it was time to try and prove to myself (and her, even though she wasn\u2019t in my life anymore) that she was wrong. I started attending art evening classes and workshops. I also joined local art groups, exhibited work in their annual exhibitions and even sold one or two pieces.<\/p>

\"CanalWoolsthorpe Upper Lock, Grantham Canal (watercolour and pen)<\/em><\/p>

I was reasonably happy with what I produced for a while. My inspiration came from the countryside around me or places I\u2019d been to on holiday. I\u2019d paint from photographs I\u2019d taken, mostly using watercolour and pen, with the sole aim of recreating the scene as accurately as I could; I wanted people to recognise what they were looking at. But it was all very safe and ultimately not very satisfying. I felt there was something missing.<\/p>

Finding the inspiration I needed<\/h3>

Then, eight years ago, I had a bit of an epiphany. Feeling a bit frustrated after an afternoon out taking photographs, I spotted Julia Cameron\u2019s \u2018The Artists\u2019 Way\u2019 on my bookshelf. I had read it some time ago but it hadn\u2019t really hit home. Julia believes that creativity is an inherent spiritual gift available to us all if we let go of our fears and open ourselves up to it. Her book offers a 12-week programme of self-nurturing and discovery designed to unblock creativity. When I revisited it, something finally clicked.<\/p>

Later the same year, a random video came up on my Facebook feed. A woman talking directly to the camera was delivering a simple but powerful message: if you paint from your authentic self, you\u2019re an artist. No one else gets to decide whether your art is good or bad. The woman speaking was Louise Fletcher, who has since became a well-known intuitive artist and teacher.<\/p>

Louise emphasises the importance of play and experimentation in art making; it's the only way to find our unique artistic voice. Things like composition and colour theory can be learned later. I haven\u2019t done any of her courses, but did enrol on one of her free tasters which gave me lots of fresh ideas to try out. And I belong to her membership group Art Tribe which is a huge resource full of tips, tutorials and other helpful advice.<\/p>

Exploring different art techniques<\/h3>

\"RockRockpool (layers of acrylic paint applied to a textured surface with a palette knife)<\/em><\/p>

The message I was getting was clear: I had to allow my intuition to lead the way, and not my thinking analytical mind, which had been keeping me stuck in a rut.\u00a0So I started doing just that, tentatively at first (as an overthinker it can be hard for me to silence my mind completely!) My go-to at first with was acrylic ink, which I would just splash onto wet paper and move around with a brush or by blowing on it through a straw. I also enjoyed experimenting with acrylic paints and texture paste. It all felt messy, unpreditable and very liberating.<\/p>

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\"SunlitSunlit foliage (two separate gellprints on tissue paper, one laid directly over the other)<\/em><\/p>

A couple of years later I bought a gelli plate and that freed me up even more. I just loved the surprises I got when I pulled a print. The great thing about gelli printing is that whatever comes off the plate can be used; if it\u2019s no good as a stand-alone print, it can be torn up and used in collages. I have a huge stash of collage papers, all on tissue paper so they\u2019re great for layering.<\/p>

As my work built up, I started posting some of my efforts on Instagram. The likes and comments I got were so encouraging; they made me feel I was finally showing up as me.<\/p>

How I approach art making today<\/h3>

I\u2019m aware that being intuitive doesn\u2019t mean you produce masterpieces every time. Most of the intuitive artists I\u2019ve come across encourage making \u2018bad\u2019 paintings along with the \u2018good\u2019. There\u2019s a lot we can learn from our mistakes, or \u2018happy accidents\u2019. And I\u2019m still working on how to finish my pieces without dulling their sparkle, but that too is part of the practice.<\/p>

The quest goes on. Some days the work flows easily, other days it needs a bit more coaxing, usually with a few gentle reminders. Here are some of them (in no particular order) \u2026<\/p>