Over and over again, I hear a common complaint from students in my intuitive painting classes that goes something like this… “My painting doesn’t look the way I want it to because I don’t have enough artistic training . I can see this perfectly formed image in my head and I want to make it appear on the paper exactly as I see it, line for line.” For example, a student in one of my classes recently painted an image of a woman with the intention that the figure would appear very happy and carefree. However, when the image came out looking mask-like and somewhat stiff, she started blaming her capabilities as a painter. “I know that the problem is that I don’t have enough technique. If I had that, I could completely control the outcome of my painting and then I would be happy!” This part of the mind can be so darned sneaky. Listening to her statement, the operative word that jumped out at me immediately was control. “If only I had enough skill I could be completely in charge of this darn wayward brush. If only I had enough training I could wrestle my creative process to […]