Relaxing into the Flow of Creating
Recently, I went to a workshop involving art. I loved this workshop - it was fun. It was an opportunity to have some me time and to relax into the start of the weekend. I had a great time and doing the art relaxed me.
The workshop was run by Carmel Delisser (@catharticbrush) and was held at The Old School House in Bournemouth, somewhere I had never been to before and I was pleased to discover this space. It feels safe, grounded, peaceful and calm. It's a little gem.
Carmel has a wonderful ability to facilitate a space where people can come and be just as they are and tap into the flow of their creativity as they put paintbrush onto the paper. The workshop lasted two hours which was enough time for me to start to explore my creativity and do a bit of art. There was a simple structure to the workshop but it did not impede the creativity and flow of the session in any way. I did not feel hurried or have a feeling that I was running out of time to complete my masterpiece.
There were so many paints to choose from and Carmel had made some of her own from nature which I think is impressive. The paper Carmel gave us was so lovely to use and of high quality. Such lovely resources were provided for us to use. We were encouraged to explore all of the colours and do a bit of practice before settling down to work.
I did art at school and was told I wasn't very good at it. In years gone by, I've taught art in school where there is such a specific objective and the need to create replicas of what a famous artist has created rather than allowing children to confidently tap into their creativity and produce something unique. I loved that I could come along to this workshop and just be in the flow of what wanted to be painted from my heart without any judgment from myself or others.
Carmel let us explore and gave guidance - she has the knack of providing a great balance of these two things so that we can make our own choices. I was engaged in what I was doing and settled into companionable quietness with the group, chatting occasionally as the evening progressed. It was a comfortable space to be in and I felt myself relax. At the end of the session, Carmel brought us together in a circle. We looked at each other’s work and the evening was brought to a close.
This was such a lovely evening and I surprised myself at how much I was able to relax and get into the flow of creation. There’s a tendency to control things tightly and when you are given permission to just be and to create from the heart, it is freeing and expansive. Letting go of expectations and tearing up notions of what art should look like unlocks some things within which enables freedom and creativity. This is such a gift. I am looking forward to doing this again soon.