Two Brains
I always knew I had a conflict of dominance between my right and left brain. Always tending more towards the left I let my right brain come out to play in my writing and photography (is that even possible?). Then I took up the practice of painting.
It seemed whenever I called my creative side to come and play, I would let my paint brush dance and gambol across the canvas with abandonment. Taking a step back from my easel, my left brain would kick in with a quick, strong comment: "What a mess!" or "What about composition - my eyes are wandering right off the canvas - there, in the left corner (assuming my brain halves have eyes!)?" or "Values, my friend, values - I am not seeing them." On it goes, the war of the half-brains. Sometimes that meant a long time on the pondering wall. Other times sheer determination panned out in the short term and a painting worthy of a signature was formed.
I recently questioned this process. Is it just me? Am I the only one who half-thinks every painting? Well, thanks to a good friend, this quote ended up in my email today. The Canadian artist, Robert Genn said:
Thinking: Understood and contrived motifs deftly applied. Calculated planning and anticipation of problem areas. Facility for order and reverse-order ordering. Refinement of stylistic modes through self-training. Repeated asking of the “what could be?” question.
Not thinking: Unconscious, “automatic writing” through fantasy or drift. Carefree and casual rendering through distraction or music. Confident handling due to trust and experience. Surrendering to the flow of the “great dreamer within.”
When you understand the nature of the two states, you can begin to control and utilize them in the processing of your work. The more proficient you become, the more you are able to trust the virtues and limitations of both states — and the more you are able to train yourself to slip from one to the other.
With that in mind, I feel called to move back to a current canvas sitting on my easel. One in which I have drifted through and constantly asked "what could be?" Now - well now I am going to start the training process of learning how to slip from one to the other side of thinking and not thinking WITHOUT JUDGEMENT - accepting that each approach has its merits and downfalls.
Stay tuned for some colour adjustments!!
Welcome, Left Brain but get ready to jump!
