Purpose is Something Worthwhile for an Artist to Figure Out!

I get asked, “Why do you Paint? What inspires you?”

The answer to my question is shown in the above photo. Here I am painting on the right with two of my art friends painting with me. We were invited to paint at Gibbs Gardens in North Georgia for a Waterlily Festival a few years ago. It looks like an easy life but there is way more involved than just showing up to paint!

There are other people you can see in the background. People always stop to see what we are doing, ask questions, and make interesting comments. This is a beautiful purpose. Put into words, it is sharing my love for nature and joy for painting with the world.

I know it sounds somewhat “cheesy” and something you hear from many artists. It is the truth for so many of us.

We get to create. For us, it is a passion we have found that feeds our soul. That creation just might end up a retail quality painting! That painting might end up in a competition. It might win an award! There are a lot of positive thoughts here, and purposes we can hang onto.

We incur a risk each time we start painting. So what! There is purpose in that risk.

I have a note I can see from my easel in the studio, but I remember it even when outdoors painting plein air:

“If you are not willing to make mistakes, you will never do anything creative!”

I am sorry I do not know who said this, but wish I did.

Maybe the risk is not having a good time. I tell people all the time that any day painting is a good day. A day of painting outdoors in nature is the absolute best! How can I not have a good time?

It might rain! So what? When did you last get to play in the rain? Probably as a child which meant your Mom was probably not happy you came in wet!

So, maybe the painting is not worthy. At that point, it is no longer precious. This sometimes happens in the middle part of creating. We had an idea, but it is not working. There are a few alternatives we have at this point.

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