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The Hard Work Of Becoming Spontaneous
Copyright (c) 2007-2023 Celeste Varley
Do you remember seeing those love scenes in old movies, where the lovesick Romeo stands under the damsel's window serenading his heart out? Love came so easily in the olden days, at least in our fantacies.
Really effective works of art, which grab your attention at a glance, appear to be made spontaneously too. When you see these works, do you automatically envision the artist standing at the easel, sort of throwing on the paint with wild abandon?
You might also imagine that this is a kind of talent, which is probably born intact in a "real" artist, and which you apparently don't have. Else, why would you need to struggle to achieve any work with meaning?
It all looks so easy. Spontaneity is a lot like Love. In order to receive it, to reflect it back, you have to be able to give it.
Have you ever admired a consummate actor? The kind who seems to be just being himself spontaneously? Or a wonderfully fluid dancer drifting across the stage as though on angel wings?
Actors go through long periods of learning to inhabit a role. The impressive roles are actually not acted, in the sense that the actor is not pretending. Actors need to find an actual experience that closely relates. The emotions they show are entirely real.
When an actor cries, the tears are real, though the situation may not be the one being portrayed. He has to search out his past experiences with as similar a feel as possible, bring it to heart, and then actually live that emotion for real. That's why good acting is so convincing - because it isn't pretending.
Easy flowing artwork is effective for the same reason. It also has a long history behind it, you can be sure. Like universal Love, it doesn't just pop out willy-nilly every once in awhile. Any effective art has to be the product of a real response of artists to the subjects they feature. It only looks easy.
Love only comes from our Inner Being which has found the profound value in everything, also usually the result of experience and growth. Many poets have extolled the pain and virtue of true love.
Often this comes after many years of hard work. Just like fluid dancers, who come off stage and bathe their raw feet, they aren't hiding the pain of experience, but rather embracing it.
Real mastery results in art that looks easy. But not with tricks. Tricks are phoney. To pursue tricky techniques is to waste valuable time, and to focus on the wrong end of the stick. No lover worth wooing would fall for cheap come-on lines either.
Masters in any art do not make a goal of appearing easy, they work long years, with discipline, so it becomes "easy" in a sense.
All artists are practising what they love. To do what you love is to come closer to being your authentic self.
Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.
Does the mention of discipline clash with your idea of art? Successful artists practice discipline all the time. Like Lovers, they don't wait until Cupid or the Muse is upon them. They go to the work regularly, five or more days a week, with an open heart.
This is the reason why art societies or groups who meet on a regular basis are so effective. They support one another in their resolve to stick at it. Like-minded people are also great providers of unbiased observation of your work, when you ask.
But most of the hard work of becoming spontaneous grows out of solitude and long years of ongoing introspection and growth. Life's experiences, if we can learn from them, are made for growing wings. A happy balance of solitary work and sharing makes for on-going growth.
What artist hasn't found a lovely passage in the work of another and longed to be able to make use of it? Envy is the sincerest form of flattery. Envy and flattery are about outer appearances. To admire the art of another is one thing. But to find your own meanings is to make space for the love from within.
Inspirations come and go. They are like crushes, or being besmitten. They don't last, though they certainly can refresh. The more you welcome them, the more they will come your way. But, like butterflies, they will elude you if you chase them. Yet turn your attention to other things, and they will come and alight softly on your shoulder.
Inspiration can be the nectar that eases the work that you love, towards spontaneity.
"May the beauty you love be what you do; there are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the earth." Rumi
My best to you and your art,
Celeste Varley
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Hello, I'm Celeste Varley and have been an artist at heart all my life. It is my privilege and passion to help seekers move beyond self-expression, to access the seeds of wholeness within. If you like this article, you may want to see more "Fresh Horses" articles on my website. Check it out and see if it's right for you. http://www.heartsongstudio.com Celeste Varley, Heartsong Studio, Helping the Creative Spirit to Soar.
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Top-Level Category: Arts and Crafts Articles
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Written by: Celeste Varley |
Distributed: 2007-05-03 |
Word Count: 848 |
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| Votes: 17 |
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painting by Renoir. About 140,000 viewers came to admire this
work. They all saw the sky, the sea, and the sailboat. But, not
one of the 140,000 viewers noticed that the painting was hung
upside down. Why not? Because we see what we expect to see. Now
I don't know if this story is actually true. I heard it on a TV
courtroom drama, but it certainly illustrates a truism. See how
clear your vision really is in this article.
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Written by: Christine Beals |
Distributed: 2008-04-17 |
Word Count: 1034 |
Page Views: 4709
| Votes: 17 |
Rating: 2.12
When some people think of knitting they picture little old
grandmas slowly passing the hours away, but not anymore. Knitting
is a wonderful hobby that can provide anyone with a plethora of
pleasure and relaxation - not to mention adorable blankets,
scarves, hats, clothing and more! You can learn to create
handmade knits for yourself and for all the people you love with
just a little practice and patience.
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Written by: Nicole Maschwitz |
Distributed: 2008-05-06 |
Word Count: 419 |
Page Views: 4187
| Votes: 20 |
Rating: 2.05
Lets face it, times have changed long gone are the days of
knitting and crocheting. Lets admit it now with the introduction
of computers and X box, the next generation is more interested in
helping Scratch from Ice Age rather than doing embroidery. In
addition, with mass production of goods from China and other
countries, unique is becoming more rare.
How Solo Performances Kill Creativity
Written by: Celeste Varley |
Distributed: 2007-09-11 |
Word Count: 488 |
Page Views: 4021
| Votes: 25 |
Rating: 2.04
If you are used to taking charge and making things happen, why
does drawing leave you baffled? I feel your frustration in this,
and hope you'll find some relief in this article.
Wisdom Of The Tribe: Favorite Native American Artists On The Web
Written by: Eagle Vale |
Distributed: 2007-07-05 |
Word Count: 746 |
Page Views: 5435
| Votes: 24 |
Rating: 1.96
Many Native Americans have achieved fame through their art or
through their lives, and some of the greatest artists of this
modern age are descendants of the original American. Here are a
few contemporary Native American artists and a description of
their work:
Solutions That Won't Stay Put
Written by: Celeste Varley |
Distributed: 2007-07-12 |
Word Count: 476 |
Page Views: 4536
| Votes: 26 |
Rating: 1.96
You've just learned a new method of drawing, painting, throwing
pots, or attracting positive things into your life. If it starts
to lose it's shine, do you feel disappointed? 'Solutions that
won't stay put' will show you how lucky you are.
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