Why I Love Abstract Art
This blog post is for you who also struggle with perfectionism.
Grab a cup of coffee, tea or some water, because this is more of a story time post. My goal is to share my experience and how abstract art helped me cope with my perfectionism. If you relate to this I have added some other posts and resources at the end of this post that may be more of a resource in a “tips- and tricks” kind og way. Feel free to skip ahead.
How abstract art helped me cope with perfectionism and self-judgement.
I love representational art. As a teenager I wanted to draw people all the time. More specifically character drawings; all things elves and other humanoids (spending all my time on Deviantart).
As I got older I fell in love with landscapes. I found so many good artists, I read a lot of books and practiced my color mixing, atmospheric perspective and all that jazz. I always enjoyed it, but I was never happy with what I created. I have dabbed into abstract art now and then, but I never really understood how to do it.
Last year I decided I was done with this judgmental way of creating. I actively tried to let go. I wanted to create art based on my emotions and intuition instead of trying to replicate something I was blindly staring at. I guess this is kind of a beginners state of mind; thinking I had to replicate every leaf perfectly instead of trying to get the essence of the trees and the forest and how it makes you feel.
Practicing abstract art for a year now has been so beneficial to my mental health. I think it helped me turn my focus inward instead of just looking at things outside. In the end it’s not about abstract art, but about my mindset and the way I feel when I paint. You might have the same feeling with landscapes. When you have that AHA-moment, realizing what is important and what is not.
Intuition
I have a strong tendency towards perfectionism, but my core being is leaning toward the more intuitive and emotional. I feel the best when I just let myself chill and live my life without trying to problem-solve or do something the “right” or “perfect” way. I guess I’m one of many recovering perfectionists out there.
Few things give me more pleasure and calmness than letting my mind wander while painting. It’s kind of like painting with feelings. I also use my knowledge about color theory and composition, but it’s kind of in the background while I work (at least most of the time).
I pick colors that feel good, a composition that gives me good vibes that day and off the colors go. If I feel stuck I ask myself: What would feel good next? Is there something missing? If I don’t know what to do further I leave it for a few hours, days or weeks. Sometimes years. And I’ll just start another one. Or I do something else, go for a walk, make some dinner etc.
Self-Compassion
When I was a teenager and in my early twenties I would be so obsessed with getting it right and making great art. I was so judgmental of my own work that making art started to turn into a painful practice.
That's one of the reasons I stopped creating art for so many years. I wanted to be “good”, I wanted people to praise me and tell me I was talented and an amazing young artist, and I also felt ashamed of these feelings and thoughts.
I was also more into portraits and the human figure back in the day, and I compared myself to these amazing artists thinking I would never be as good as them. It was better to give up right? And so I did. For many years. How good we humans are at self-sabotage.
I never stopped enjoying art though, and when I wanted to pick it up again a few years ago I wanted to do it differently. With an open mind. I didn’t really care about the end result. I even started posting on instagram (one year ago this July), which I would have NEVER done back in the day. So scared of other peoples thoughts. Now I just wanted to mix paint on my palette again. Feeling the paint blend, the urge to create something, anything! And if you have followed my journey on instagram the last year you have seen a shift towards abstract art. This has really helped me to keep that mindset of self-compassion at first priority when painting. Of course I still have doubts and negative thoughts. This is how our mind works, being a master at producing thoughts and emotions of all kinds, but I try to just notice them and turn my attention back to what I’m doing at that exact moment.
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Want to read more on this topic?
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Thank you!
So this was a ramble now wasn’t it? Thanks for sticking around. I hope it was helpful and that you feel less alone if you struggle with the some of the same things. I know it has been a while since I wrote something on my art blog, but it has all been in the name of self care. So go about your day and do something nice for yourself. You deserve it!
I would love to hear your thoughts about this subject in the comments down below or free feel to hit me up on instagram or send me an email.
I wish you a kind and self-compassionate creative practice
x Eirin
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