Today we’re sharing something we’ve learned on our art journey. For me I think the most important thing is that every artist, including and probably especially professional artists, have a pile of pictures that didn’t work or were not as intended.
Knowing this released me to experiment and make mistakes and not to worry about it.
Connected to this is the concept of wasting expensive materials. It is only a waste of money if they are not used. Using them even on something that doesn’t work out is not a waste because it all adds to my experience and expertise.
The background for my illustration of this is from a Finding Your Joy Taster workshop I did last year. I picked up this piece of paper from my stash of stuff because I am writing this blog and doing this reflection as part of my prayer time and I wanted to make an artistic reminder for myself and to do it quickly. So I looked around at what I had to use as a background. I saw the pile of these pictures and picked out one to use. The surprising thing is that I thought I would share more about the background art with you and re-read the blog post. If you read it you will see that this workshop is where I learnt this lesson….. fancy that?!!!!
Click here to read it.
I just wrote on it using white marker pens. Ironically the wording “pictures that don’t work” is very badly spaced. Not planned but I guess that’s at the heart of it…. Next time perhaps I will measure it out before committing pen to paper. Or perhaps I won’t!
I have stuck it on the wall as a reminder for myself.
And so I continue in reflection and prayer reminding myself that with God nothing is wasted. We may think that our experiences and the stuff of life is mundane and of no interest, or we are not as good as we might be. But God takes who we are, our mix of experiences of life, and makes something beautiful from them, in His time, not ours. The background piece was done as part of my prayer time that day. I had no idea when I picked out the paper that was the case, nor then that it would be used months later or that the prayer time that day would be connected to my prayer time today.
I hope that this encourages you to use your creativity and art in your times of prayer and reflection trusting in the Creator in whose image we are made that he will take what we offer and make use of it as and when and how He desires.
Elizabeth Jones' Diary 