The Art of Letting Go
By Sonia Roseval
The idea of what an artist should be is just a myth. We all have the capacity to tap into our creative side, to become aware of our divinity-to be an artist.
We allow only a certain percentage of our brain to choose what we want to see. With this technique I use doing my art work , I will try to give you a way to widen your perimeter and see more of what we usually do not see.
In this article I will describe a technique that will allow you to relax as you tap into your creative side. I will give you an example of my own experience with this technique and how I feel it brings me closer to the divine. Using the technique with paper and pencil brings out hidden aspects of what you are not used to seeing. I will also give you more examples of subjects you can use to make the experience personal.
To make you feel relaxed , you should allow yourself to draw what you see, not what you think you see. By doing this, we are already moving to a different level. This will allow your creative side to come forward. The technique is to take a paper and pencil and trust that whatever you do with this material will heighten your perception of reality.
I’d like to share with you my own experience first .I have taken the subject of a spiritual master because for me looking at his picture gives me inspiration and increases my aspiration. I begin to draw not what I see -a face- but the essence or consciousness of the picture. I start at random anywhere on the paper with any part of the face ; for example, I look at the eye brow, and slowly I begin to follow the shape and the density of the skin. I feel as if I am drawing a landscape of shades and light or filling up empty spaces. The forehead starts to come to life- the eyes have a life of their own ,the cheeks, the nose, the face-the consciousness comes alive . Drawing like this is bound to give you a positive experience.
The first technique is to take an object and put it in front of you where you can comfortably see it. Sit down in front of a paper and pencil. Take the pencil , put it down on the paper , anywhere around the middle , look at the object, and start drawing what you see without lifting the pencil off the paper, leaving your eyes fixed on the object. The result on the paper is not important. The pencil is like a sensory object making shapes of what you see or sense. After you stop, do not judge the result. Do this over and over, slowly , and you will relax more and more and allow your intuition to guide on paper what you see . It will become easier to let go and allow yourself the experience of what you are doing rather than giving an opinion of it.
Another technique is to take a subject of your choice, for example, a picture of the sky with a sunset or a sunrise . Keep something inspirational near you like a lit candle or something that holds a feeling of peace for you. Using the technique, start drawing what you see. Start feeling what you see more than depicting the object itself . Go one step further, look at your paper and feel the softness of the pencil which carries the idea of what you see on paper . You can smudge the pencil marks on the paper to create curves and waves in shapes you see , and this will empower you.
Doing these techniques is a way to help you tap into your intuitive side, your divinity. It will eventually have an impact on how you see life, how you see objects, and it will make you feel more like an artist. Enjoy!