Mindless Techniques: Eye See You
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I love technique for the very reason that once our body knows a process then the mind is free to loosen its analytical function and become more of a receiver than a controller. That is when the inspiration really begins to flow for me. Then technique isn't so much about perfecting an outcome as it is about giving the body a tool to start moving energy without having to think too hard.
I find larger is better in the sense that the body is relevant. So finding a way to stand and use big, broad gestures loosens the analytical control of the mind even more. Painting and drawing offer different benefits. I love to feel the pressure of the graphite or charcoal on the paper. I can press hard or light. I can hear the sound they make. They are like some cryptic writing in an ancient language that only my Soul understands. |
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Paint is messy and valuable for that reason alone in my world. It is drippy and hard to control and feels sumptuously cool between my fingers. Paint is fluid and watery the way I use it in this process. I can spread it on and wipe it off. I can create layers and depth. I can hide or reveal what is underneath. For me it is the Mystery.
Images and symbols find their way into the color and line when I create this way. They are no longer subjected to the conditioning of my mind, sometimes so much so that they scare me, in a good sorta way. They have even been premonitory in their warnings and insights. Sometimes I spend a long time with the images after the visual flow is done. That is when I pick up the pen and I write without censor. It is as if the uninhibited movement of color and form opens up a portal for linguistic revelation to flow through that wouldn't have come before. Often the image asks for more at some point. Sometimes it is very specific in what must be added and sometimes it simply wants to return to a void of black paint, ready for the next movement to come through. |
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It has taken years, but I have learned to trust the process. It is my greatest teacher and a channel for the Divine Wisdom that often seems to elude my conscious mind. I don't really even know why I do it, other than I know I am supposed to and when I do, it is the most gratifying thing in the world to me....regardless of the outcome!