I recently ran into a patron of mine who said she would love to take one of my workshops someday. I asked her if she had been painting and she said not in years. She was too shy to sign up for a workshop because she doubted her skill level…wouldn’t measure up…thus the not-painting thing.
I get it. Lack of consistency in your painting practice, or “low mileage” as I like to call it, makes you feel as if you don’t even know where to start much less how to finish. Makes those blank canvases look quite scary. The fact is, we all doubt ourselves no matter what our skill level is. Full disclosure, as I write this I am slightly procrastinating. I have a gallery show opening in a couple of months. Lots of blank canvases to fill. I’ll conquer the fear, really. I just need a minute to gather myself and stop the voices…but I digress.
As I see it, there are 2 choices in life: fear or love.
Let’s talk about the word love.
The word “Amateur”, which in our society has come to mean someone who is just a hobbyist and basically not as good as the professionals, really means “lover”. This French word is derived from the Latin word Amare… “to love”. So, if you are an amateur, that is a good thing! I am an amateur too because I LOVE painting and creating. I love it so much that the love eventually kicks the fear to the curb.
The more we can look at our passions with wonder, curiosity, and openness, the better we can learn and grow. Ego, shmeego, right? We can accept that our deficiencies are something to move past, like a delightful bar to reach instead of a mean ol’ barrier stopping us.
I invite you to lean into love. It’s more fun.
The above image is one of my favorite plein air paintings, completed on location in 2015. I was painting near two VERY accomplished landscape painters and that always makes me nervous. But I just decided to check the ego at the door and be in the moment. I still recall this day as one of my most favorites. :-)