What’s in a Painting?

Many years ago, I was facilitating an intuitive painting workshop in a yoga studio. We were all sitting in a circle on the floor with our papers and paint in front of us. As usual I was painting with the group.

Intuitive painting needs some clarification before I continue. What is it? How do you do it? Well think of a doodle. Make one big doodle. Let your brush take the lead and stories will appear. That’s all.

When we were all finished painting after an hour or so all participants asked me if I could read their paintings. I gladly obliged. You see your Images from within have a way of revealing things that words sometimes can’t.

When I was finished talking about the paintings one participant looked at me and asked,

“Can I read your painting?”

What an unusual question, I thought. I replied somewhat hesitantly:

“Uhh … Yes, of course.”

My painting wasn’t even finished. I remember thinking, She won’t be able to see anything in it, because it isn’t even finished.

But boy was I wrong. She said clearly:

“You’re filling in empty spaces.”

My immediate reaction was:

“No, I’m not filling in e m p ty spa ..ces.”

OMG!

I WAS filling in empty spaces. All the time. Every day.

I always had a goal, and  another goal waiting. If one project was finished, five new ideas were already lined up. I was organizing, planning, teaching, building, creating, always moving on to the next thing. It was exhausting. Exhilarating, but exhausting.

No empty spaces in my life. I was indeed filling every single empty space.

That one innocent remark, at the time hard to believe for me, stayed with me.

Not for a day.

Not for a week.

For years. Until today.

It changed the way I looked at my life. Where could I calm down a bit. Should I? Where to leave a space here and there.

It even changed the way I taught intuitive painting.

Before that day, I would often encourage participants to paint the entire sheet of paper. If someone left a white space, I’d say, “Don’t leave any white. Cover it all.”

More often than not the painter replied: “But I like it, it’s airy”. Me: “No, no no, you can’t do that!.”

Imagine! I’m still cringing now I’m aware of it.

I’ve never said it again, but mind you, I’ve had to bite my tongue several times.

Painting your own images from within is such a powerful practice. 

One single image, painted with your intuition, can express something we’ve never consciously been able to put into words.

It can reveal a pattern we’ve been living for years without knowing it.

One image painted with my intuition without planning, changed the way I looked at myself. What an astute remark of that participant. I’m so glad she asked me if she could read my painting.

The AHA-moment didn’t happen because someone gave me advice.

It happened because an image clearly revealed something about me. It clearly showed a behavior pattern.

But you have to see it, before you can name it, and appropriately deal with it.

That’s why I have such deep respect for inner images.

They don’t simply illustrate our lives.

Sometimes they can even change them.