Happy accidents

It’s Finding Me Friday. I’m continuing to take baby steps forward, working towards getting my quality of life back as the healing progresses. It’s felt really good to get back into my studio a couple times this week.

I’ve been slowly adding layers to a new 30 in x 40 in canvas. At present I have about a 15-minute window where I can stand and paint. I’m trying to make the most of it with my studio in a state of organic chaos. The doc says no bending or twisting right now, which makes organizing my studio low priority, so finding all my creative loot has been a little challenging.

I was cruising along adding more marks and layers when I went in search of one of my favorite mark making tools - a black Aquarella pencil. I checked its regular place, not there. I looked in spot number two, not there. Dang. Pivoting to maximize my window of painting time, I picked up a long-handled silicone basting brush and thought why not. OMG, it was love at first mark. The paint swept across the canvas with ease, leaving unexpected ripples of color. I dipped the basting brush back onto the palette picking up a neon yellow that my friend Vita gifted me and flicked it towards the canvas, oooh, yes please. I’d stumbled into two happy accidents that completely changed the energy of the work and of me, the artist.

As I move through the artist journey, I’m learning that the joy of creating includes embracing the unexpected goodness of happy accidents by trying, again, again, and again - without expectation or fear of judgment. The sense of freedom found in welcoming happy accidents allows us to be fully present in the now, effortlessly and exponentially expanding our creativity.

Where have you found that a happy accident transformed your work or the way you feel about your creative practice or everyday life experiences?

Keep creating.