Just… Let go

Posted bydebirileyPosted inabstract, art, inspiration, paintingTags:, , , , , , ,
tea tree florals in macro, pinks and greens, debiriley.com

I’d like to inspire you. I hope I do.   I’d like to infuse you with the spirit of adventure and to encourage you. To excite you with the possibilities and wonders your very own creative voice has for us.  To let you know that those little wee mistakes, imperfections are part of this beautiful process of art making.

I’d love for each of you who are wishing that you too could paint…. to just let go.

 

 

Letting Go the Map

I went for a drive.

car drive with polished nails, debiriley.com
Going for A Drive…. let go the map

I was planning on finding a riot of color for this Monday’s class.

 

 

I did find some flowers with pretty colors.

But…. found it was the mysteries of the shapes that lured me in. It was the soft lull of the blurred backgrounds that really captured my heart.

 

 

Funny thing. Setting out on a journey with a destination in clearly in mind, and discovering better things along the way.

I like that.  It keeps life interesting, fun, joyous and surprising.

 

 

I by nature, always have loved set routine.  Patterns, recipes, formulas, templates.  Monday through Sunday. I’m an introvert. This is just how I seemed to function best.

But I’ve learned also, that it tightens and narrows. It becomes more and more like concrete shoes. Especially. With art.

 

 

I’ve learned to more and more to just Let Go.

I enjoyed letting go in Blues.  The abstract floral petals image below. It was inspired by the lovely shapes of petals.   It is an abstract.  I loved how the colors and tones ran and played together.

Is it ‘perfect’?   Oh No, not by a long shot.  Do I love looking at it? Yup.   and so,  thats Good Enough.

 

abstract petals in blue watercolors, debiriley.com
abstract shapes of  floral petals, debiriley.com

Let Go and try things my own Unique way.

To try odd experiments.  I don’t ‘have to’  show them to anyone,  do I?!   They’re Just for me, just so I know if this ‘test’ will work out for me, or not.

If not, well I’ll try new next time!  Art is fun!  Not to be afraid of.

 

When one avenue doesn’t work, try another. and another. and another. and Another.

 

Be so determined, that you will practice.  You’ll paint outside, you’ll set up your own still life on your own tables… You  will  Do Whatever  It  Takes…   in order to improve your basic art skills and paint the paintings that are within you. Needing Let Out.

 

 

Just Let Go  and Please Your Self

Let go the need to show someone else.

The desire to please  somebody, other than your own lovely self!

This art… it is For You!    After all, YOU are the one taking the time, effort to create it.  It certainly should be something you love and means something to you.

 

If no one else ‘gets it’  – no worries.   I wouldn’t care if   ‘they’ didn’t like my brand of gluten free dairy free  coconut chocolate ice cream.

It is…. delicious to me!!!!     and I’m smiling as I write this thinking about it.

 

tea tree florals in macro, pinks and greens, debiriley.com
Letting Go,  soft and blurred background.    debiriley.com

 

Let Go Comparing

Let go the compulsion that we have that compares us to somebody else.

Stop. Comparing you to anybody else.

You are you.

We need you, to be you and to use your art language (paint) and express your inner creativity.

 

Seriously,  I love these guys, but I’ve seen enough copies, replicas, that really I don’t want to see any more.   (Whether the copies are of Monet, Sargent, O’Keefe, Picasso, Pino,  Whistler, David Taylor, etc. ..or myself.)

 

We don’t need any more copies.

 

What we really need  –  we  need more – Originals.

Just. Let. Go.

 

 

 

Let Go Perfection

Letting go of Perfection  is a challenging task. Embracing ‘imperfection’ seems almost …lazy, slovenly, slackardly.  At first.  But its not.

Have a read up on Wabi Sabi.  On Zen.

Both of these ideas can be vastly helpful to the new artist.

Wabi Sabi …. “nothing is permanent, finished or perfect”   thats a 6 word summary to a topic that is so beautiful, so rich and layered it would take several posts to illustrate!   My Zen posts might be a start.

 

Can you see the imperfection? the insect… that ‘messes up’ the photo below?  it is so … Wabi Sabi, so I left it in and decided to use this one as is.

flowers to inspire, photograph, debiriley.com
Inspiring Shapes of Flowers

 

 

The artists out there,  Those with generosity of soul.

Those who want to see others succeed.

Those who enjoy seeing others  finally expressing  authentic inner creativity –  those people I promise – will not   say hurtful things about your unique and authentic, your personally created  original  artwork.

 

The first words of a toddler might be dada.  The caring mother rejoices. She does not scowl that the child didn’t say mama first.    We rejoice at the heartfelt release of inner creativity and self expression.

If a loved one happens to use the wrong words to express their interpretations…. realise they’re not doing it to hurt; they may not have the art language to use to help them out.

They may have been conditioned to only accept a certain type of art as “art”  and have not been exposed to many art galleries or museums;  they may have NO Idea what its really like to actually have a brush in their hands and be try to remember and do the 1,000 things one must in order to put together a painting.  (no. No clue at all.) They just don’t know!

 

Word of advice, just don’t show your work to ‘mean’ people.  Its not worth it.

 

Again.

Just Let Go.

 

 

We need Originals.

We need the real you.

 

 

 

Published by debiriley

The act of creation, in any media is a fascinating and magical process. I simply love to create. Expressing in color, line, tone, texture - as if, they were words upon a page. Creating a uniquely me, interpretation. Enjoy More of my "one-of-a-kind" expressive art at society6.com/debiriley and, redbubble.com/people/debijriley/shop

53 thoughts on “Just… Let go”

    1. Jodi, you’re very welcome and I’m really really happy that the post, the message connected with you. I always believe in the individual’s unique and awesome Originality as being something special. always.

      Liked by 2 people

  5. Your blog today was very inspiring for me on this gray rainy Monday. Please do not get me wrong it would have been great on a bright sunny day too. Loved your art and words.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. You speak truth beyond words, and I say AMEN….sister! I fall into the trap of needing to be “somebody” when that somebody is just plain oh me. You speak of what I have been wanting to post about for a while, all these artists that are trying to be like other artists to be again….that “somebody”. Doggoneit be yourselves! not perfect….yourself! lol I love it! Everyone has an unique way of looking at the world, a way of expressing themselves even if it is just a seed or a complete fruit, it is valuable regardless of simplicity or complexity. By the way which blue did you use in “abstract floral petals”? love it! Also, check out a song called “Everyone’s got Something” by Perrin Lamb. It is a long song but it often play it to remind me of this very thing that you talk about in your post.

    Liked by 2 people

    2. thank you M! we are individually created. and each has Uniqueness to share. I do so admire and respect you MPB… you are Somebody! the blue was prussian/indanthrone blend with silver and white as the ‘base’ i put down first… to allow the blues to flow into. I look at this now, and think, hmmm a bit O’Keefe but unplanned so, oh well. it happens. thanks, and cheers – Debi

      Liked by 2 people

  7. LOVE this Debi, hope this will ECHO far and wide all around, be your authentic self and don’t worry because: “nothing is permanent, finished or perfect”. Long live the Wabi Sabi philosophy!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. good morning miss Eva, diva of the wild wild shoes 🙂 Thank You! and I hope so too, new beginners will be much more at ease, and have lots more FUN, if ….. they just let go.
      Eva, I’m so happy you enjoyed this one, its very heartfelt, as you know. zen…Debi

      Liked by 1 person

    1. thanks so much Jennifer! I’m so glad this is inspiring 🙂 to inspire, pretty much has always been my main priority …. I can still… very clearly remember, all my days as an early art beginner. and all that frustration. so I hope I can alleviate some from others! 🙂 cheers, Debi

      Liked by 2 people

  11. I love this post Debi! Your words had touched me so much. Letting go, achieving perfect, comparing ourselves to others, finding our own unique selves…..these and more are what makes us crazy and hide more into our own world of chaos. How to let go? How to please only oneself and not include others? How to accept that we can only do as much? How to celebrate our uniqueness? Its a long journey of self discovery all of us must take, endure and celebrate everyday. As you said, we are all unique. Why is it difficult for us to accept that? Funny, but we all make our own monsters, our own ghosts. Because we love validation from others. Because we want approval from our loved ones. Because we want to be accepted. Why can’t we just understand and accept that being ourselves is the only thing we can truly contribute in this world?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. yes Carrie what you say is so true; we often ‘hide’ and don’t celebrate our uniqueness. thank you for such a thought filled and authentic response! 🙂 cheers, Debi

      Liked by 1 person

  12. I learned long ago that perfection is the enemy of creativity. If we pursue only a perfect sky, flower or animal, we will miss the point of putting brush to paint to paper.

    Your post is wonderfully inspiring. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. your phrase fits exactly! “perfection is the enemy of creativity”
      thank you for taking the time to read a long post, and commenting…. I do appreciate it 🙂 Debi

      Liked by 2 people

  13. I don’t spend nearly as much time in my Reader as I’d like to but when I do make time to catch up with everything I’m missing in the blogosphere, yours is always one of the first sites I look for. I love it here. xxx

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Kerry, thanks!! So glad it was an inspiring one and you enjoyed it; it is lovely that you enjoy this site and whats going on. but, there’s a world out there, to be lived. to be enjoyed! so come visit here when you can. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    1. my pleasure 9(LL)9 I am most truly, warmly happy, that you enjoyed this post Laura! ps. some good news, u know my pinterest boards? 1 of my watercolor paintings… all of a sudden went from 4 pins (normal) to now close to 8K I just CANT believe It! 🙂 just thought I’d share with you and also, thanks for always making such honest and encouraging feedbacks 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

      2. no Pinterest! well, no matter. it was just the cascade mountain one. have to find it…. its when i did the wc washes, I’ll look later 🙂

        Like

  16. Beautiful post ! I also find inspiration in things that I otherwise would not have photographed. Sometimes I head out to do one particular shot and end up getting something completely different. Sometimes it’s hard not to show mean people…they are everywhere! I’m often criticized by one person who is telling me there is dust on my images. Geez…get over the dust! lol

    Liked by 1 person

    1. thanks Laura, it is fun to go and explore! Seriously,
      I think that is what the ‘dust – pickers’ are so mean, envious and grumpy about.
      WE ARE Having FUN!!

      Like

  17. Connected today, Debi..few days late!!.I love your finger-nail Polish.!!.and What a fine photgraphic Inspiration!!..You should make prints or digital ART of ” I Went for a drive.!”..LoL.I know, Kooky Me!!..Just had to let you know how, your opening Photo shot ( Teal Nails💕) struck Me in the funny bone!!.You have made my day, and seriously, FINALLY, GET THE HAPPY PERSPECTive..to lighten up, on My Perfectionism!!.
    Your Abstract, is totally, Awesome,. JUST HAD TO EXPRESS my delight Today for your Wonderful work!!.
    Joanne W.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. see, thats just it. that shot of my cobalt teal nails… was meant to be funny, to give you guys a chuckle!
      I’m glad, Joanne you saw the ‘funny’ in it, the loveliness of lightening up! yay! thank you, for sharing your comment JW !! debi

      Liked by 1 person

  20. Such an encouraging post! Thank you 😃
    I am going to have those words on my studio wall.. and hopefully make more time to paint. I love paint and ink and colour… Just let go.
    You have inspired me, thank you – with your encouraging words and gorgeous images.
    I love the insect by the way 😃😃

    Liked by 1 person

    1. thank you very much for that Robyn. I’m glad you really enjoyed this post with its messages so dear to me. And, that darn little bug! he does add ‘protein’ – I mean character, doesn’t he?! cheers, Debi

      Liked by 1 person

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