A couple weeks ago I was painting in my studio to a playlist titled "Road Trip". It's a crazy mix of classic rock and international tunes... and the next thing I know I'm painting to Guns 'N Roses' Sweet Child of Mine. The resulting painting was wild. Absurd. I imagined all the possible psychological assessments that could be made based on what emerged from my hand. I hated it. I loved it. I wanted to burn it. Or frame it.
That evening, almost embarrassed, I showed the painting to my husband.
He loved it, calling it audacious. Someone else called the piece dangerous. This is giving me a new sense of freedom.
Two of my favorite quotes from the abstract painter, Joan Mitchell:
You don't feel courage unless you're afraid.
Bound by no rules and for myself alone.
These words can give us the freedom to explore, make mistakes, learn, and break boundaries.