I recently went to a parents’ evening. The teacher said to us, “Many students in this class understand everything very quickly when we are dealing with a new topic. But the reason why the written performance is still not that good is that they do not anchor their knowledge sufficiently. They think they have already understood everything. But they also have to practice. Because only through repeated practice can the knowledge really be safely applied and transferred. “
You can think what you want of our school system? – but these words make something very important clear:
We have to get into DOING to really, really understand something.
To turn knowledge into an experience.
I don’t want to learn English vocabulary with you – and I don’t want to teach you any classical knowledge from the visual arts. You have already passed school (you might also say: Fortunately!). Today you are free.
But what I would like to make clear to you is that you need EXPERIENCE to truly understand something. Also and especially in creativity!
Experience beats knowledge – also in creativity
Maybe you already know that it’s somehow not about copying.
You may already know that you want to create something of your own when you paint.
You feel somewhere in you that there is more that wants to be visible.
And you know that the path is not about copying, comparing or learning any techniques.
Perhaps you have already read a lot about creativity with me or elsewhere and know that you have to let go of external guidelines .
That you have to allow yourself to do things in painting, that you have to be courageous and open to new things .
That you have to learn to love and accept yourself – and you also have to allow your pictures to be everything they want to be.
But do you just KNOW all of these things – or did you really EXPERIENCE them alive?
Have you just read somewhere that your picture doesn’t have to be classically beautiful, that it’s not about good or bad, but more about your own expression?
Or have you really ever painted a picture that you left standing for the sake of its expression, even though you didn’t find it beautiful in the classic sense?
Have you only watched videos that were wildly and freely painted – across borders, lines, borders, completely imperfect?
Or did you allow yourself to take this step while painting and experience what it feels like?
Have you just heard somewhere that you should give in to your inner voice while painting?
Or have you actually given yourself the freedom to spontaneously follow an impulse from within while painting ? No matter how crazy or “stupid” that felt to you at first?
It is not enough just to understand things in your head.
It is not enough to gain a lot of knowledge if you do not really experience it.
Go deep.
Pick up paints, brushes, pens and get started.
Do those things that you read about that fascinate you.
Finally allow yourself to be free in your painting!
Realize how you secretly imagine your pictures!
Unleash the artist in you to feel WHOLE while painting!
Experience takes you so much further than pure knowledge.
Experience is feeling, feeling, experiencing – with all your senses
Knowledge is something that happens in the head and is then usually stored in some drawer.
Experience is something that lets you experience, feel, sense with all your senses, with body and mind, what your knowledge REALLY means.
Knowledge makes you safer, gives you orientation.
But experience is what makes you richer, more perfect, happier.
And also more fulfilling in your creative process.
Because it is experience that leads you to yourself – not knowledge alone.
Don’t let yourself get stuck in learning and knowledge accumulation.
The true courage, but also the true liberation of your creativity, lies in doing.
Get started right away – take the first step and dare to do exactly what you’ve always wanted to paint, draw, do, but have only secretly reeled it off in front of your inner eye.
With your experience it becomes real.
And you are one step further on the way to your very own creative power!
I wish you a great, creative day!
