Category Archives: Creative Expression

The value of creative expression for personal development.

Practice is not for Perfection

Almost everyone grew up hearing this mantra, “Parctice makes perfect!” It was drilled into our heads by parents, teachers, and clergy with good intentions. They wanted us to do well in life. The saying was meant to reinforce the values of self-discipline, determination, hard work, and persistance. Nothing wrong with that.

Perfection is an Outdated Concept

However, every upside has a downside. This concept also gave us an unreachable goal because there’s no such thing as the “imagined” perfection we percieve. From the moment we are born until the moment we die (and perhaps beyond) we are capable of learning, growth, and development in some way. So what is this mythical idea of perfection anyway?

You might think that getting it right, not making mistakes, being at the top of your class is perfection. Someone else might think that being recognised and earning a good income in their field, be it science, art, law, or music, requires perfection. Another person might drive themself to extremes in their personal or social life because of their subconscious perfectionsit expectations of themself.

Personally, I’ve always felt it was more of a spiritual mandate, but that can create unrealistic expectations as well. There’s nothing wrong with trying to be the best that we can be. However, perfectionsism as an ingrained thought pattern can cause excess stress and even prevent us from achieving our goals.

So let’s see what practice is really about…

Practice Makes Learning Possible

Regular practice creates a container for learning, inspiration and flow. If you don’t take out your art supplies you won’t learn to use them (no matter how many YouTube tutorials you watch). But if you go to your art-space and just start doing something you will learn and become more proficient in some way. If you make effort with an open and curious mind you will be surprised! Yes, unexpected and interesting things will happen, and that leads to more inspiration and the flow state that every artist desires.

Practice exercises the muscles of self-discipline, self-determination, and focus. As a child you might have felt bored to tears practicing the scales on the piano until they were engrained into your psyche. But this is what laid the foundation for all your future musical development. Eventually the amount of practice we put into something allows it to become second nature. This is good, as long as the patterns we learn don’t stop us from learning more. Practice should always help us learn, grow or become more aware in some way.

Finding Your Happy Place

The most important thing about practice often gets overlooked. It’s not just about drilling a skill into our mind/body framework. The practice needs to generate happiness and joy which makes you want to do it more! Some people feel joy from learning, others feel happy when a job is done well. Still others feel joy from a novel experience, and some feel the most joy when their senses are stimulated. We are all different, so it’s important to investigate how practicing can make you feel good.

Things to Consider

What lights you up when you practice something you want to be good at?
What about practice deters or distracts you?
What makes you feel energized?
What makes you bored?
What leaves you feeling satisfied?

The Process is the Purpose

Many things happen in the brain when we actively engage in creative processes. People who are highly creative have unique neuron connectivity that causes them to be able to think outside the box. On the other hand, people who tend to not think creatively have more repetitive thought patterns. Their neurons tend to connect in similar ways most of the time. High creativity is associated with a wider variety of random connectivity throughout the brain.

This means that being creative can engage your whole brain, and that’s why doing creative activities reduces stress. But don’t worry if you get stuck in thought loops and habitual ways of being; we all do. Fortunately, due to brain plasticity we can learn to be more creative.

Art Practices Can Activate the Whole Brain

Making art activates a variety of neural networks, including a relaxed reflective state, focused attention, and pleasure. It can help you be more present, and it can allow you to enter “the Zone”. This is a “flow state,” where you lose your sense of self and time.

This is especially true the more spontanious and open your creative process is. The more you use your intuition, imagination, allow possibilities, and disengage from expectations about the outcome, the more you will be activating your whole brain. A creative process that utilizes your whole body and a variety of media is even better for engaging the whole brain.

When the whole brain is activated we enhance our ability to learn, become receptive to new inspiration, and are better able to solve problems. This type of art making process activates the reward center, and that’s why it makes us feel good. If you over-think the process and get discouraged it means your left-brain has taken over. It’s best to engage in the art process like a child who’s just playing around with the materials and having fun!

Discovery, joy, and happiness is key

This is your only guideline for knowing when your art process is activating your whole brain and helping you evolve. The process should be enjoyable even if the final artwork is not! No one creates a masterpiece in one go. It doesn’t matter if you never create a masterpiece or sell a piece of art. The purpose of making art for self development is to unlock your subconscious mind so you can learn and grow mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Creative expression is about personal evolution. When you love the process, you will eventually develop art you love and others will be drawn to it as well.

Links to whole brain art exercises:

Intuitive Collage
Intuitive Painting
Scribble & Doodle Play
Meditative Nature Drawing
Gelli Printing