Intention + Intuition: three ways to approach the canvas with confidence and ease
I think every artist has experienced this moment: brush in hand, paints at the ready, staring at a pristine white canvas that feels more like a wall than an opportunity. We tell ourselves we're planning, we're visualizing, we're waiting for inspiration. But often, we're just stuck. We want to know exactly how our piece will turn out before we begin. The irony? Our most meaningful work usually comes from letting go of that very need to control the outcome; deep meaning emerges from the process itself.
I've discovered that the key to overcoming this inertia isn't having a perfect plan - it's having reliable ways to begin. After years of developing my own abstract art practice and working with other artists, I've found that the most successful approaches balance structure with spontaneity, intention with intuition. They give us enough framework to feel secure, but enough freedom to allow for discovery. Today, I'm sharing three of my favorite ways to move past the blank canvas and into the joy of creation.
the STORIES framework undergirding Spiritual Archaeology creates the space for meaningful artwork to emerge
Imagine stepping into your studio with quiet confidence, seeing that blank canvas as an invitation to play rather than a challenge to overcome. Instead of anxiety, you feel a gentle curiosity about what might emerge. Your supplies aren't just sitting there accusingly - they're friends waiting to join you in exploration. That first mark becomes less about perfection and more about possibility.
Let me share three of my favorite approaches for getting started - each one offering a different doorway into the creative process. What makes these approaches particularly powerful is how they create a safe container for experimentation. They provide just enough structure to quiet our inner critic, while leaving plenty of room for spontaneous discovery.
The Chaos Layer Approach
The Chaos Layer Approach brings both freedom and foundation to your creative process. While it might seem purely spontaneous to splatter paint or make random marks, this intentional play actually creates structure for your next steps. By deliberately "messing up" the pristine surface, you build an interesting foundation that gives you something to respond to. The chaos becomes a conversation starter between you and your canvas.
The Collage First Strategy
The Collage First Strategy offers a perfect balance of planning and possibility. You begin with concrete elements - papers, texts, or other materials that already carry meaning. Yet how these elements come together, overlap, and interact introduces an element of beautiful unpredictability. Each piece you add creates new opportunities for spontaneous discovery, while the physical act of arranging and adhering materials provides a structured way to begin.
The Ritual Approach
The Ritual Approach might seem highly structured - lighting a candle, setting an intention, following specific steps. But within this container of ritual, spontaneity can flourish safely. Your ritual creates sacred space for creativity, a reliable framework that actually allows for more freedom once you begin. Like a familiar melody that supports improvisation, your ritual provides the steady rhythm under your creative dance.
Each of these approaches becomes more powerful as you develop your own personal variations and rituals around them. In my Spiritual Archaeology course, we dive deep into creating sustainable artistic practices that honor both structure and spontaneity. We explore how to build meaningful rituals, develop personal symbols, and allow authentic truth to emerge through our creative process.
If you’re ready to move past creative hesitation and into confident art-making, join me for my free workshop "One True Thing," where we'll dig deeper into techniques for infusing authentic meaning into your abstract art practice. This transformative mini-workshop is perfect for artists who want to create work that feels personally meaningful and connected to the world; it’s perfect for artists who want to get a taste of the Spiritual Archaeology Studio Intensives before purchasing the entire set of workshops.. Click here to learn more and save your spot - early bird pricing ends January 21!
Hello from Inside This Bush (2023), one of my breakthrough paintings from the Ophelia series, started with a mix of the Collage First and Chaos Layer strategies. The original layer is completely covered by the final painting, but starting in this way made it less intimidating to approach an 18” x 24” paper! One piece of the original collage peeks through above and to the right of the figure’s head—can you see what it is?
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(it’s dusty rose tissue paper printed with flowers).
