Practice, Practice, Practice

Artwork is work. To make good work it takes practice, practice, practice.

I paint from a swimmer’s eye point of view. I swim with a painter’s eye. I keep moving my body and brush through the water. Swimming and painting are my peak creative experiences. In my practical lifestyle, in real-time, I can’t dip into my loved activities every day. Yet, I’m thinking about the process and getting organized for when I can dive deep. A creative practice is always a work in progress -making the time, preparing space and materials, and focusing my mindset toward doing my best work and being my best self.

A creative practice takes tenacity with a yearning to learn and strengthen skills. I have a happy persistence that informs and improves my craft. While swimming in a lake, I keep my sightline at the waterline and it becomes a lens for capturing the moment. What I see and feel -an unforgettable image, an enlightened idea- imprints my visual memory. When I get back to the dock, I grab a towel and my sketchbook to make a small study. Before my hair dries, I’ve drawn mini sketches to note color and value. It’s a splendid scene, my swimmer’s eye view of the lapping shoreline with the fresh green tones of lush trees reflected in the water.

Back in the studio, I wet my palette and creative practice. I recall the picture and mood and review my sketches to begin a larger watercolor. Layer by layer I try to recreate the beauty and tranquility, seen and felt. A creative practice is healing in the moment and in memory, it fills and refills the well of well-being. Stroke by stroke, my work becomes art. The finished painting reminds me that practice, practice, practice is the way to master what I love and to keep the sinew of my mature artistic muscles fit and fluid. Betterment is cumulative.

Cultivate creative wellness. Establish a habit of practicing creativity for self-care and self-expression. The more we practice our loved creative things, the more vital and vibrant we will be. Do what you know and love. Keep it simple. Sparking a process builds confidence. Make a sketch, note a lyric, try a new recipe, book a trip, record a story, dream it all in.

A creative practice is something enjoyable and enriching that you look forward to doing on-going. More important than ability, showing up and sticking to it is how to grow and stay in the flow. We need to practice, practice, practice creativity -not because it’s how to get to Carnegie Hall- it’s the way to wellness. You can do it!