How You Can Paint With More Confidence Starting Now

Wow! What a wonderful response to my previous article about how to paint with a loose style. It is also heartening to hear from many artists who appreciate the expressive nature of representational paintings. This loose style also resonates with collectors, which is good news for those who want to sell their work. But what is the key to painting loose? 

The loose or painterly style is not easy. Let us get that out of the way right now. It is tough to make the change and there are good reasons for this.

1. We grew up coloring in between the lines. No doubt that most of our early art training took place at primary school. Coloring books were fun, but you had to stay between the lines. This is fine for coloring books, but what about painting? That also followed rules. Grass is green, sky is blue and apples are red. Not much freedom to loosen up there then!
2. The Language of Painting was not taught: There is a language of art made up of things like simplifying shapes, seeing values, color and composition. There is more, but these essential elements are so often ignored. Even many college graduates complain that their art training did not cover these essentials. Artists need to study these elements for themselves to make fast progress.
3. Confidence Issues: Perhaps the biggest issue to face is one of confidence. I want to look at this one in a bit more detail. Because without confidence painting loose will be a tough and unpleasant experience. But there are ways to overcome this hurdle. Starting today!

​How to charge up your confidence level?

1. ​Recognise the Issue: Confidence is a sneaky condition. After all you cannot see it easily. Not like a badly composed painting for instance. Confidence must be recognised by the artist as a constant companion. When missing your work will suffer. When present  you can use it and when threatened by others you must protect it. But first look within and resolve to restore and protect your confidence.
2. Context and Confidence: Not everyone in your life will support your creative pursuits. Accept this reality, but do not let it undermine you. Where necessary you may have to stand up for yourself. For example where others shake your confidence with negative remarks, indifference or guilt. Make no mistake you need to confront this state of affairs and defeat it.
3. Accept Your Power: Please do not laugh off this suggestion as new-age nonsense. Creative energy has tremendous power. Consider the mighty cathedrals, pyraminds and of course the wonderful art in national museums. All evidence of creative energy at work. Literature, ideas and wonderful inventions all come from this power. No surprise that all this energy is a universal force manifested in many forms. Even science recognises these forces of nature at work. So in our own way our art is a natural power that must be set free.

Why is it difficult to give your artistic self freedom to create? 
This quote from Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach sums it up perfectly:

"Many of us have unconsciously erected seemingly insurmountable barriers to protect ourselves from failing or succeeding. We may think we're protecting ourselves by ignoring or denying our creative impulses, but really all we're doing is burying our authentic selves alive. "

Once these barriers are overcome your inner artist will be free to create. Your life will never be the same again. The fear of trying something new will disappear. The fear of painting something that, at first, looks amateurish will also be gone. Each step will be seen as merely another stage in the process.

I must add that once you recognise these self-made barriers they can be easily removed. After all they are most often imagined barriers. Change your thoughts - change your reality. Start right now.

If you recognise these confidence issues in yourself I would suggest the following. Get a pen and a private notebook and write a letter to yourself. Nothing fancy, but simply begin to write.

1. Start writing about how you feel in your present stuck state.
2. How you want to feel with your creative self liberated.
3. What barriers are holding YOU back now.
4. What you will do to remove them starting NOW.
5. Write each day and record your changing self

Writing has a way of detoxing the soul. It is not to be underestimated!

Finally - paint, Paint, PAINT!
With energy, drive and power. Big canvas, big brush and slap that paint on like you have a new lease on life. I find that a large painting knife is very satisfying as you make swooping paint shapes. Of course great music helps to spur on the moment. Keep this painting as your personal testament to the empowered artist set free. A reminder of who you really are.

A parting thought. Action is better than simply thinking about something. When you recognise your thoughts crowding in you must do something physical to snap out of the negative thought cycle. Pick up your brush and begin.

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Join loosen up your painting