Beginning

Beginning can be a difficult step in the process. The mind may be swarming with doubt. “What if I have nothing inside?”…“I’m not a painter; what if I’m not ‘good enough’?” and so on. Here are some gentle suggestions that provide a place to enter:

Stand in the emptiness
The blank page is a fertile ground—a void out of which form arises. If we’re used to filling up all the spaces in our lives, it might be terrifying to experience this emptiness so directly. Our impulse might be to fill up the page with something, anything, as quickly as possible. Just be with it for a moment and notice any feelings that arise. Take time to breathe in the emptiness. It is the space of unlimited potential.

Sink into your body
The mind may think it's got total control, but it is the body that paints. Take a moment to check in with your body. Breathe deeply and notice. Are there any feelings present? Pain? Perhaps comfort? Energy or sleepiness? What does it look like? Where do you feel it in the body?

Invite the color in
Visit the paint table and see if there are any colors that speak to you in this moment. Be honest with yourself; you may even be drawn to a color that you don’t particularly like. Invite in whatever colors are calling you today.

Begin to move with color
Today the body might move in a small, confined manner. Or perhaps taking huge, sweeping strokes. There might be a feeling or emotion that emerges and wants to take shape.There are no mistakes. Just move with the color and see where the process takes you. Breathe.