• home
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    • I'AM...2022
    • Åndehuller /Breathing holes. Ilulissat. Greenland. 2021
    • Åndehuller / Breathing holes. Århus. DK. 2020
    • Green Portal 2019
    • Marie J.Engelsvold & Morten Gersager Abel 2019.
    • Naked heart 2018
    • I don't mind the gap. 2018
    • Vlll. international sculpture exhibition. 2017
    • Originals. 2016
    • The Egg & Dart on Excursion. 2016
    • Moments of freedom. 2016
    • cromisterne. 2016
    • Ping-pong 2014
    • Your sweet life. 2014
    • Combined creatures. 2013
    • playgrounds. 2011
    • See Through. 2023
    • Ansigt til Ansigt. 2024
  • Art projects
    • Decoration of Children instituition. 2020
    • Making art in public. 2019-2021
    • Duck side residence 2018
    • Icesculpture Symposium. 2017
    • The Culturel meeting 2016
    • Aabenraa ARTWEEK. 2015
    • "Inner Alterations" 2015
    • Poubelle - The beauty of waste materials. Residency Augustina Kunsthal. 2024
  • Drawings
    • drawings 2012-2014
    • drawings 2015-2016
    • Drawings 2018-2019
    • Drawings for purchase
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    • play.-shop
  • contact

marie j.engelsvold

sculptures, drawings, art-projects and teaching.

  • home
  • about
    • artist statement
    • biography
  • news and blog
    • Blog; Free.yourself.making.art
    • news
  • exhibitions
    • I'AM...2022
    • Åndehuller /Breathing holes. Ilulissat. Greenland. 2021
    • Åndehuller / Breathing holes. Århus. DK. 2020
    • Green Portal 2019
    • Marie J.Engelsvold & Morten Gersager Abel 2019.
    • Naked heart 2018
    • I don't mind the gap. 2018
    • Vlll. international sculpture exhibition. 2017
    • Originals. 2016
    • The Egg & Dart on Excursion. 2016
    • Moments of freedom. 2016
    • cromisterne. 2016
    • Ping-pong 2014
    • Your sweet life. 2014
    • Combined creatures. 2013
    • playgrounds. 2011
    • See Through. 2023
    • Ansigt til Ansigt. 2024
  • Art projects
    • Decoration of Children instituition. 2020
    • Making art in public. 2019-2021
    • Duck side residence 2018
    • Icesculpture Symposium. 2017
    • The Culturel meeting 2016
    • Aabenraa ARTWEEK. 2015
    • "Inner Alterations" 2015
    • Poubelle - The beauty of waste materials. Residency Augustina Kunsthal. 2024
  • Drawings
    • drawings 2012-2014
    • drawings 2015-2016
    • Drawings 2018-2019
    • Drawings for purchase
  • workshops
    • play.-shop
  • contact

How to follow your own flow.

I have been wondering lately, about energy. Is it bad to change directions, to change your mind, to reset, to go in circles, to be in between, to start all over, to shift the focus.?

I have always learned that you have to stay persistent, you have to focus, you have to be determinded to reach your goals. I also learned, that it was bad to change your mind, to change direction too often, to start all over. Because then you are weak.

That’s what I have been told in childhood. Especially from my father…uhh it was very importent to have a strong will, to be a strong character. So I think I tried to be like this. I always had to know which way I was going, I had to have a plan. I had to show other people that I was so sure of what I was doing….but in the reality I was not. It was a fake. It was a front.

I did it so well, that I actually believed it myself. That I wanted to be persistent, goal orientated. Actually I was so afraid to loose the grip, that I had a very hard time changing my mind. I was so single minded. I worked really hard.

Marie J.Engelsvold. Sculpture experiment. 2019

Marie J.Engelsvold. Sculpture experiment. 2019

I think I knew deep inside, that I was not this person, that I was more easy going and playfull. But I was afraid of the chaos, to get drawn in the big ocean of possibilities.

I think many of us, have learned this. We avoid the chaos of not going a straight way. Not having everything figured out. We always try to get things fixed. But everything is energy, and you just can’t fix it. Energy is moving all the time, aren’t we supposed to move as well? To go with the energy, to go where it feels easy and light. But how can we get anything done, if we don’t do what we have planned?

I have experienced, that you will get so much more done, if you go with the energy, go with the flow. It can look chaotic in the moment, and for some time, but I actually think you can expand in ways, that is impossible if you stay fixed. Or settle into some defintion of what you want, and then just take blinkers on. You can actually be stucked for years, in this way. Instead follow your feelings and nudgets, even though you don’t know where that road will lead you. If you just do things because you have set your mind on it, and feel the duty to stay with your intention, you will experience getting very heavy. It will be boring, and it will drain you instead of lifting you up.

Why use your time in that way? Why not lisen’t to that heaviness, and ask yourself what you will feel like doing instead? Maybe you just need a break, maybe a walk in the park would make you more inspired. Maybe it’s the place you are sitting in, maybe you need to shift location. Or you need to talk with somebody, or even sleep. You might be tired. Maybe the whole project is wrong. Maybe your relationship is wrong. Maybe you want to do something entirely different. Only you knows, nobody else, only you.

Marie J.Engelsvold. Sculpture experiment. 2019.

Marie J.Engelsvold. Sculpture experiment. 2019.

How easy can it be? Why struggle, and make it hard? If you follow that light energy, that place where you feel uplifted, then go in that direction. If you feel heavy and dragged down by something or someone, leave it. Go in another direction, and most importantly nurture the feeling of excitement and playfullness. Nurture the activities that make you happy. Don’t think about what will be the outcome, just absorb yourselves in the activities. Nurture that happy feeling. You will attract more happiness into your life, the more you allow yourself to go where the energy flows. Why go against your own energy?

It all comes down to your willingness to lisen’t to your heart. To lisen’t to your own truth, your own voice. Because it’s you that have to follow your flow, don’t follow other peoples definition of flow, or your own definition. When you try to make a definition, it’s your mental control that tries to make things more settled. It want to settle. That’s what we are actually up against, our need for settlement. And why do we need settlement? because we feel fear.

Sometimes we ignore this heavy feeling, when we go against our own flow, our own life force. Because we get frightened of going with the stream. You have to flow. But most of us don’t like to flow, to let go of our perceptions. We get so frightened of this force, because it’s actually a force. So we fight it. But the force of our deepest desires, of our heart can’t be ignored for good. At some point it will drag you down this river. But that’s only if you have totally ignored your own inner guidance, your inner voice. Because if you are used to settle in that heaviness, you can’t feel the energies, you can’t feel your heart. You have closed your heart down, and you have to be forced out of your comfort zone.

To follow your flow you have to stay open to all possibilities, and that can be hard work to start with, because we are used to settle the energy all the time. Very often we lie to ourselves, we say “oh, I’am so happy with what I’am doing here”, even though we are not. Or we say, “of course there is a lot of boring stuff, but that’s life. Isen’t it”? Honestly?

When something is boring it’s actually a sign that we are not in the flow, we are resistent to being in the flow.

I more and more come to this conclusion that it’s something to do with the heart. The heart is not interested in settling into something, and then stick to that, even though you are bored to death. The heart is not interested in hard work. The heart is not serious. The heart are not interested in being clever and skillful. The heart is only interested in love. To love and be happy. The feeling of being light or heavy is coming from the heart. It’s a kind of heart language. It’s not interested in having status in society. It’s not interested in putting things in boxes, and labeling things. It’s only interested in how it feels. And wow, isen’t it so……you can do all the right choices seen from the outside, but if it doesn’t feel right, then it doesn’t matter. So to really lisen’t to your feelings, it’s the key to come into your flow.

Not other peoples definition of happiness and success, but your own.

So maybe that’s why we have a difficult time, being in flow? because very often the heart want something entirely different from our ego. From our mind. It will not accept that you are lying to yourself, it doesn’t accept pride, or status or being afraid of what other people might think.

So if you are a person, who never really has been fitting into a category, if you have been drifting, flowting, doing things just because it made you feel good. It might be you have an open heart.

But it’s not easy, because other people, the society might not like your way of living. Why? Because it goes against the norm. It makes other people uncomfortable.

We have learned to shut down our hearts, to not lisen’t to our feelings. We live in a society that loves hard working skill full people who are bored to death. Fear is the weapon.

That’s why we think it’s bad to change direction, to be open to all possibilities, to lisen’t to your own feelings and following your own guidance. To live the life as you want it, to be happy and feel alive. To burst with energy, excitement and love. Can you tame such people? No. You can’t frighten free people.

You can only be in flow, if you lisen't to your own feelings, and takes action on what you feel is right. Yes, it might change, like the wind, like the waves. But it’s only on the surface, underneath in the depth is your own heart who knows, that’s your captain. The ripples on the surface is the captains messages. The messages from the heart, for you to follow. You have to follow your feelings, without seeing the whole picture. You just take one step of the time, following your feelings of joy, excitement and happiness and trust that the direction will be shown to you bit by bit.

You might think it has nothing to do with creativity or being an artist. But if you are not free, you can’t really create.

That’s my experience.

Hope you are getting real out there, in life as in art. Hope you will act on your urges, everything is about how you feel. Don’t compromise on that.

Have a lovely day :-))

I’am sharing this information to you freely, from my own experiences. Hope you can use it in your own process. Any donation, is deeply appreciated. :-)

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Blog; Free yourself through art making.

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  • Turtorials and tips
    • May 15, 2019 How to take your drawings, to the next level. May 15, 2019
    • Apr 30, 2019 Be bold, let your light out. Apr 30, 2019
    • Apr 6, 2019 How to start your drawing praxis. Apr 6, 2019
    • Mar 8, 2019 What to do when you are stucked in the creative process?? Mar 8, 2019
    • Feb 13, 2018 How do you work with composition? Feb 13, 2018
    • Jan 8, 2018 Make a kickstart. Jan 8, 2018
    • Nov 20, 2017 Go bigger. Nov 20, 2017
    • Nov 8, 2017 What is your drawings all about? Nov 8, 2017
    • Oct 31, 2017 Wait!! Before you throw that drawing in the bin!!!!! Oct 31, 2017
    • Oct 12, 2017 Find inspiration everywhere. Oct 12, 2017
    • Oct 12, 2017 Experiment with shapes and lines. Oct 12, 2017
    • Oct 12, 2017 Want to find your own visual language ? Oct 12, 2017
  • psycological aspects
    • May 26, 2020 Holding your flow. May 26, 2020
    • May 6, 2020 The world is yours. May 6, 2020
    • Apr 22, 2020 Let your heart decide. Apr 22, 2020
    • Apr 18, 2020 Create from your self. Apr 18, 2020
    • Apr 4, 2020 Expand your own signature. Apr 4, 2020
    • Oct 9, 2019 How to shift out of the 3d perspective. Oct 9, 2019
    • Sep 20, 2019 What is it, to be grounded? Sep 20, 2019
    • Sep 10, 2019 How to follow your own flow. Sep 10, 2019
    • Jul 28, 2019 Releasing your resistance to the moment. Jul 28, 2019
    • Jul 15, 2019 Don't wait for life to be perfect, let go of control. Jul 15, 2019
    • Jun 1, 2019 How to raise your vibration, through the creative process. Jun 1, 2019
    • Apr 1, 2019 How embracing all parts of you, will help you in your art making. Apr 1, 2019
    • Feb 20, 2019 Don’t resist the moment. Live your dream. Feb 20, 2019
    • Feb 10, 2019 Why are we so hard on ourselves? Feb 10, 2019
    • Feb 1, 2019 It's okay to say NO. Feb 1, 2019
    • Jan 2, 2019 Let yourself shine in 2019 :-) Jan 2, 2019
    • Nov 22, 2018 Look at your obstacles as adventures. Nov 22, 2018
    • Feb 2, 2018 How to stay in the process? Feb 2, 2018
    • Dec 20, 2017 Slow down Dec 20, 2017
    • Dec 12, 2017 There is no "right" way. Dec 12, 2017
    • Dec 5, 2017 Why it's important to unlearn. Dec 5, 2017
    • Oct 12, 2017 Let your feelings be your guide. Oct 12, 2017
    • Sep 5, 2017 Don't be afraid of change:-) Sep 5, 2017
    • Sep 5, 2017 Express your feelings Sep 5, 2017
    • Sep 5, 2017 Can drawing be a kind of meditation? Sep 5, 2017
  • turtorials
    • Apr 6, 2019 How to start your drawing praxis. Apr 6, 2019
  • video
    • May 15, 2019 How to take your drawings, to the next level. May 15, 2019
    • Apr 30, 2019 Be bold, let your light out. Apr 30, 2019
    • Apr 1, 2019 How embracing all parts of you, will help you in your art making. Apr 1, 2019
    • Mar 8, 2019 What to do when you are stucked in the creative process?? Mar 8, 2019
    • Feb 20, 2019 Don’t resist the moment. Live your dream. Feb 20, 2019
    • Feb 10, 2019 Why are we so hard on ourselves? Feb 10, 2019
    • Feb 1, 2019 It's okay to say NO. Feb 1, 2019
Source: www.mariejengelsvold.me
tags: energy, Following the flow, How easy can it be?, Free yourself through the creative process, from the inside out, The feeling of flow comes when what you are doing, How to connect with your feelings, To lisen’t to your own truth, have to stay open to all possibilities, The heart is only interested in love., because very often the heart want something entirely different from our ego., But if you are not free, you can’t really create., creating from your heart, following your own energy
categories: psycological aspects
Tuesday 09.10.19
Posted by Marie J.Engelsvold
 

What to do when you are stucked in the creative process??

Do you sometimes feel stuck in your creative process?? In this video I will give you some practical tips on how you can work through this feeling of being unable to progress.

1) How working on several pieces of work can release the expectations.

2) How we need to learn to let go, in order to create.

3) Why do we meet fear in the process?

4) How to recognize your inner critic, and start a dialog.


1) How working on several pieces of work can release the expectations.

In this video, I will show my own creative process working on 4 pieces, and shifting between them.

So make a little experiment. Take 4 pieces of paper. Start as normally. When you are stock in your process, put the piece you are working on aside, and start with a fresh new paper. Now you continue on the new paper until you feel stock again. You do this at least 4 times.

As soon as you feel a little resist full, a little nervous on how to continue, you change paper.

Now you got 4 works in progress. Can you feel it? It feels freeing to not have so much pressure and expectations of the one artwork. Now go back to the first one, and continue with that, for as long time as you are inspired. Then shift again. It doesn’t have to be in order, you just continue on one of the drawings you feel most compelled to work on.

You can do this every time you feel stock in a process.

The next thing I will talk about is

My four pieces of work, which I worked on simultaneously.

My four pieces of work, which I worked on simultaneously.

2) How we need to let go, in order to create.

We have to let go of something to hold space for new things to come in. But this is one of the most difficult things. To let go or actually destroy part of our work, which we might like but doesn’t fit. Or which is very nice, but it doesn’t ressonate, it doesn’t feel right.

Sometimes this niceness is more of a barrier than the ugliness. Most of us have a tendency to making it too nice. But when we hide ourselves behind this nice work, we are not real. Many times this feeling of stockiness comes because your work is so nice, that you don’t dare to destroy it….you don’t dare to put another line on that work in case you will destroy it all. It’s this kind of feeling that it’s okay, everything is there, but it’s a little boring. But it’s when you are showing all sides of you, not hiding whats raw and what you don’t understand, that your work gets unique and real. So just do it, let it go, don’t be afraid to change your work, to make mistakes. Experiment, play, make it funny. Use the exercise I just showed you, to work more quickly and to release this anxiousness. This resistance, which is nothing but fear.

Marie J.Engelsvold. “It’s inside” 21 x 29,7 cm. Acrylic marker and paper cuts on paper. 2019

Marie J.Engelsvold. “It’s inside” 21 x 29,7 cm. Acrylic marker and paper cuts on paper. 2019

3) Why do we meet fear in the process?

Fear is a factor we meet all the time. Especially when we are expressing ourselves through art.

What you are creating is a reflection of you. You express yourself through your work. Why are we artists and creators always so vulnable around our work?? Because we are sharing from the depth of our souls. Because we have to go deep, to get to the exciting stuff. If you only express the nice things, the work will get boring. Because art is a really good channel to release some of the things inside of you, which are very difficult to put into words. In the creative process we are connecting with our deep wounds and our shadow side.

Thats why it sometimes can be so provoking to use a certain color, or material because it is triggering something inside of you.

Maybee some part of you don’t like pink, or think it’s not a proper color for your work. But another part of you, feel this urge to use this color. You know it takes much more energy to say no I am not allowed to use pink, I can’t stand that color. Do it eventhough you are afraid. I know it sounds kind of stupid, to be afraid of using a color. But I think all artists and creators know what I’am talking about. It’s only you who sets the limits of what is possible. It’s you who are putting yourself in a box, and it’s only you who can open the lid.

But sometimes everything is easier when things are “black and white”, we set up some rules for ourselves, and then we think we are safe and “know” what we are doing. But suddenly it seems impossible to do anything else. Because now we have boxed ourselves into a category, and we have put on this nice label. It’s like we sometimes feel more safe to tend to a certain believe system or organisation and we adopt everything they stand for. It can feel very safe at first, because now everything is in the right order. Now we have someone or something outside of us, to tell us what is right and what is wrong. But in reality we are actually afraid of chaos, we are afraid of the dualities in ourselves, the diversity. The things we don’t want to face in ourselves? The many shades and facets of our selves.

Marie J.Engelsvold. “no fear” 29,7 x 21 cm. Acrylic marker, pencil and paper cuts on paper. 2019

Marie J.Engelsvold. “no fear” 29,7 x 21 cm. Acrylic marker, pencil and paper cuts on paper. 2019

The same goes for our art. Don’t be afraid to show all the shades inside of you. I have a funny example from my own process. Sometimes I go for a long time and want to use a certain technic, a new material or a color. But I can’t do it eventhough I want to, I feel this resistant in my body. For as long as I have been working with art, I didn’t use purple.I just didn’t like it. But last year suddenly I just was ready for purple, and it just poured out of me. It’s a very strong color, I see that, and it has a history of both being very royal, a color for the elite for the aristocrats for the church. But on the other hand it’s also associated with being some kind of a hippie, very laid back and all about new age and being very alternative. So the color is not for the weak, you have to say something with purple. Thats just my own interpretation.

Marie J.Engelsvold. “Trophy of self love” & “Revealing my new self”. 100 x 70 cm. Acrylic paint on paper. 2018.

Marie J.Engelsvold. “Trophy of self love” & “Revealing my new self”. 100 x 70 cm. Acrylic paint on paper. 2018.

But this resistant is nothing but fear, fear of showing a certain part of yourself, fear that nobody will recognize your “style” anymore. But you can’t run from yourself. You can change style as you like it, but you can’t change that you did it. I have changed my expression so many times, and sometimes I think nobody will think I did this. But very often people who knows your art can recognizing your signature. And you think you made an enormous shift when you shifted from using a acrylic marker to a brush with paint. For most of us it’s hard to change, and when we change something we think everybody will notice. So just do it, it’s not dangerous and it’s still you who did it.

Experiment. “The garbage bin”

1) Try to let the things you are afraid of out. Afterwards it’s easier. Do it on another paper. Take a paper and let everything out on that. Use it as a kind of garbage bin. Every time you are afraid of doing something on the piece you are working on, do it on the “bin paper” It’s actually freeing, and sometimes the bin works turns out really powerfull

Marie J.Engelsvold. “Covered in a kind of me” 29,7 x 21 cm. Acrylic marker and paper cuts on paper. 2019

Marie J.Engelsvold. “Covered in a kind of me” 29,7 x 21 cm. Acrylic marker and paper cuts on paper. 2019


4) How to recognize your inner critic.

It’s interesting to dig a little deeper into our own fear pattern. We can call it the inner critic. When you have more clarity on what triggers you, it’s so much easier to look that fear in the eyes, and work through it. When you let the fear out on the paper, or in other creations it will not be so mean.

Have a notebook at your side, while you are creating. Write down every time you hear that inner critic whisper something in your ear. What does the fear say to you? It’s a really good idea to talk with the inner critic in words, because it tends to be mental. Many times the inner critic comes from our parents and our teachers from school, all the thing we have learned about right and wrong and good and bad. Eventually it turns inward, and we think it is our own thoughts. Another funny thing is if we believe in what the inner critic has to say, we tend to meet persons in the outer world who reflects these things about us, back to us. But most of all it hold us back, and the inner critic is not you.

Here are some examples from my experience:

1) You don’t master that technic.

2) It’s not good enough.

3) It’s not interesting enough.

4) It’s a waste of time

5) No one needs your art

6) You didn’t attend the right art school

7) You are not a real artist

8) You are a failure

9) People don’t like your art.

Now try to give an answer to that fear, to that critic voice inside of you.

1) No, maybe I don’t do it the “right” way after some official rules. But I do it my way, I’am a creator and everyway I decide on is the right way. Do you get nervous when I don’t follow other peoples rules?? You don’t have to be afraid, I know what I’am doing.

(If you feel that the critic voice are right, because sometimes we might be benefitting in taking a course in a certain technic, because it will help us to express ourself in a better way. Of course don’t hesitate on learning something new. Just be aware that you don’t do it out of fear, but out of a feeling of expansion, and curiosity and positivity.)

2) Well, it is actually good enough for me. I accept this artwork, it’s just perfect the way it is. I felt so much joy and excitement doing this. I discovered so much in this process.If you don’t find it good enough, it’s okay with me, I don’t have to please other people with my art.

3) Okay. And what is interesting?? Something you read in a book?? Do I have to write 2 pieces of paper abothis artwork?? I think it’s interesting because I have put myself into it. I think actually I’am interesting enough.

4) This is the best way I know to waste my time. Totally absorbed in my work. Using all of me to create in the moment.

Is it because you are afraid I don’t earn enough money on it?? You know what, I’am making space in my life for what is most important for me. I’am not waiting to live my life until I go on pension. I don’t have a boring daytime job, dreaming about making art. I do it now. This is my life.

5) Well, I have many good examples of people who has been very positive around my work, that they actually felt the same playfulness and joy as I felt while creating it. They can feel the vulnerability and the sadness too. I have had many good and deep talks with people about my work. Also the fact that how it is to live like an artist, to do what you feel compelled to do. To show up with yourself and your work in all it’s aspects. I think we need art as a reminder of all the things that are not material or practical, but is essential. We need to feel interconnected and share feelings to feel alive. Thats important.

6) No, I didn’t study at an art academy. I went to Graphic design school. But I knew all along I wanted to make art, but I didn’t dare to go to that art school. But now years later, I can see that it’s easier to remain free when you have not learned all the right codes in the art world. Because you don’t become an artist just because you go to the right school. You become an artist because you do art as a praxis.Because you are committed.For me to make art is most of all about unlearning, to get to the core of whats me. To free myself of all the right ways. Because I’am good enough.

Can you see what I’am talking about. Get to know your fear. Discuss a little. Have a dialog. So next time you hear that fearful whisper, stop it. Don’t allow it to sabotage you.

Hope you could use this information. Have a very nice day, in a way so it’s not only nice, but a day where you can feel free to be you.

I’am sharing this information to you freely, from my own experiences. Hope you can use it in your own process. Any donation, is deeply appreciated. :-))

Donate

Blog; Free yourself, through art making.

Sign up with your email address to receive my blog, my podcast and other tips in your inbox.

I respect your privacy.

Thank you!

  • psycological aspects 25
    • May 26, 2020 Holding your flow.
    • May 6, 2020 The world is yours.
    • Apr 22, 2020 Let your heart decide.
    • Apr 18, 2020 Create from your self.
    • Apr 4, 2020 Expand your own signature.
    • Oct 9, 2019 How to shift out of the 3d perspective.
    • Sep 20, 2019 What is it, to be grounded?
    • Sep 10, 2019 How to follow your own flow.
    • Jul 28, 2019 Releasing your resistance to the moment.
    • Jul 15, 2019 Don't wait for life to be perfect, let go of control.
    • Jun 1, 2019 How to raise your vibration, through the creative process.
    • Apr 1, 2019 How embracing all parts of you, will help you in your art making.
    • Feb 20, 2019 Don’t resist the moment. Live your dream.
    • Feb 10, 2019 Why are we so hard on ourselves?
    • Feb 1, 2019 It's okay to say NO.
    • Jan 2, 2019 Let yourself shine in 2019 :-)
    • Nov 22, 2018 Look at your obstacles as adventures.
    • Feb 2, 2018 How to stay in the process?
    • Dec 20, 2017 Slow down
    • Dec 12, 2017 There is no "right" way.
    • Dec 5, 2017 Why it's important to unlearn.
    • Oct 12, 2017 Let your feelings be your guide.
    • Sep 5, 2017 Don't be afraid of change:-)
    • Sep 5, 2017 Express your feelings
    • Sep 5, 2017 Can drawing be a kind of meditation?
  • Turtorials and tips 12
    • May 15, 2019 How to take your drawings, to the next level.
    • Apr 30, 2019 Be bold, let your light out.
    • Apr 6, 2019 How to start your drawing praxis.
    • Mar 8, 2019 What to do when you are stucked in the creative process??
    • Feb 13, 2018 How do you work with composition?
    • Jan 8, 2018 Make a kickstart.
    • Nov 20, 2017 Go bigger.
    • Nov 8, 2017 What is your drawings all about?
    • Oct 31, 2017 Wait!! Before you throw that drawing in the bin!!!!!
    • Oct 12, 2017 Find inspiration everywhere.
    • Oct 12, 2017 Experiment with shapes and lines.
    • Oct 12, 2017 Want to find your own visual language ?
  • video 7
    • May 15, 2019 How to take your drawings, to the next level.
    • Apr 30, 2019 Be bold, let your light out.
    • Apr 1, 2019 How embracing all parts of you, will help you in your art making.
    • Mar 8, 2019 What to do when you are stucked in the creative process??
    • Feb 20, 2019 Don’t resist the moment. Live your dream.
    • Feb 10, 2019 Why are we so hard on ourselves?
    • Feb 1, 2019 It's okay to say NO.
  • turtorials 1
    • Apr 6, 2019 How to start your drawing praxis.
Source: www.mariejengelsvold.me
tags: drawings from within, creative process, Free yourself through the creative process, find your own visual language, The feeling of flow comes when what you are doing, from the inside out, fear in the creative process, do you feel stocked?, elease the expectations., How we need to let go, in order to create., Why do we meet fear in the process?, What you are creating is a reflection of you, You express yourself through your work., Don’t be afraid to show all the shades inside of you., . But you can’t run from yourself., How to recognize your inner critic., our own fear pattern., What does the fear say to you?, i want to start drawing, intuitive drawing, you meet yourself head on., find your own visual language.
categories: video, Turtorials and tips
Friday 03.08.19
Posted by Marie J.Engelsvold
 

Don’t resist the moment. Live your dream.

Not expecting anything. Not wanting any specific result. Not waiting to arrive to a certain destination. You know very often we say, when I have done this and this, then I will just have fun. We think that we have to deserve it. First work and then play. We have learned to struggle and to fight our ways through life. To be strong. To tame ourselves. We make “to do” lists. We have so may goals. But what when we get there? Is it worth it? I think to be present in the creative process, is a kind of learning how to live moment to moment. To learn to be in peace and harmony with yourself, eventhough your outer circumstances is chaotic. Allowing yourself to be you. That all about you is okay. That is your reward. That is your freedom.  

Sculpture experiments, from my own process.

Sculpture experiments, from my own process.

Yesterday I had a day in my studio, where I didn’t come to any solutions. I played around with a sculpture the whole day, but it didn’t fall into place. It didn’t click. I’am learning all the time, and normally I would be a little unsatisfied with myself. But yesterday I was so happy on my way home. Because I had really had fun,  and I had this knowing that everything will fall into place. The energy from the day was still in my body the whole evening. 

The feeling of flow comes when what you are doing, is in harmony with where you are.

So I’am learning to enjoy the yourney, to relax in knowing that I can create more courageous, if I don’t fix my mind on a specific goal.

But I think the reason why we resist the moment, resist o be present, is that it triggers all our emotions. Because to be in the process is not just bliss all the time, you will meet all parts of yourself.

How do you forget the result ??

When we think of a result, it is often a mental picture of what we want. So instead of the mental picture, go for the flow feeling instead. The feeling of flow comes when what you are doing, is in harmony with where you are. For example, if you are sad, use that feeling and express it, instead of suppressing it, because you think you have to be happy. Every time you suppress an emotion, it builds up, and it takes a lot of energy. If you keep suppressing these more negative emotions you will eventually run out of space. Your body will be full. All the emotions will come to the surface, and you might get a serious breakdown. So release the feelings instead, allow them to be felt, express them in your art. Soon you will feel relieved because you are getting in touch with new aspects of yourself. Relieved because you have more energy, and more space inside of you..

Marie J.Engelsvold. “Don’t resist the moment.” Acrylics, pencil and paper cuts on paper. 30 x 30 cm. 2019

Marie J.Engelsvold. “Don’t resist the moment.” Acrylics, pencil and paper cuts on paper. 30 x 30 cm. 2019

How do we go from the expectation to the dream ??

So one of the biggest challenges is to let go of the expectations of the result. If we always have a goal in mind, it is as if we are starting to hurry, and we reject everything that does not look like something that can lead to our goals.

Often the inner critic begins to beat us up. We begin to sabotage ourselves. It is not good enough. We try again and again, to get to the desired result but we fail. Sometimes we actually succeeds, and the result is satisfying. But often we have to cross both arms and teeth to get there. We can also have learned a lot of techniques, so everything we do looks okay, it is actually really nice and tidy and people like what we do. But you may not be completely happy, and you are dreaming of something else.

The dream you feel, is not the expectation. The expectation is that mental picture you have of yourself, that you have to feel and be a certain way. The mental picture of your outcome. The expectations will always get disappointed, and you begin to judge yourself if it is not met. So drop that mental picture, The dream cannot die. The dream is the one you think is unrealistic, the one that can't be done. The one who is only possible if you had lots of time and money and courage. But it is the dream that makes your heart beat, the dream that gives your life direction, and the dream which nourishes the flame in your passion. But how do we go from the expectation to the dream ??  It's a bit like the same mechanism as when we switch from the left side to the right side of the brain. And the harmony when we get all our parts to play together. I'm talking about the same thing, just in different ways. Because we constantly run into the same problems, but because the situation changes, we do not see it.

In the creative processes, you meet yourself head on.

The first thing you have to do is forget the result, go into the process, be present in the process and don't think about the end result. The dream is now, it’s not a destination. If you build a lot of expectations around the dream, the dream cannot come into your present reality. The dream is not a picture, it’s alive. That  is what is the adventure, to enter into the unknown.

These are the same mechanisms as in your life, if you are afraid of the unknown (and we are all to a lesser extent), then you cannot be present in your life. So that's why I say that in the creative processes, you meet yourself head on. And if you dare to go into the eye of the storm, you can free yourself from your limitations and learn to accept and love yourself in your wholeness. Without cutting pieces of yourself out.  This is also why we have such a hard time being present in the process, and accepting our own self-expression because we meet ourselves all the time. And we all have parts we don't like and don't accept.  So the expectation of the result is also the expectation of yourself.

When you expect things from yourself and other people, you also judge if your expectations is not met. If you judge yourself, you tell yourself that you are not good enough. You do not accept yourself as you are, but only as the image of how you want yourself to be.

Release the expectations on how to get there, and surrender to the journey.

So when I say, go into the process and forget about the result, it sounds very easy. But it's not easy, it's really challenging for most of us. And so, it is something you learn gradually.

I, myself have been a visual artist for 20 years, and of course I also love to be in the process when I am in flow. And I think that is why I became an artist. When I was very young, I discovered that I could disappear from the world and go into my own dream. I could come in a state of true presence and joy. That is the flow. Forgetting time and place, being fully present in what you do. That is the price. And then you have arrived. When you live the dream, the dream is all there. Allow yourself to dream big, and allow yourself to trust it. But the dream becomes reality only when you follow your inner voice and allow yourself to rely on the process.

 You still can't figure out how to get there ?? Take the first step, and that is your creative passion. You must turn on the spark, before you can burn. Release the expectations on how to get there, and surrender to the journey. And if your dream is more time to be creative and express yourself, take that time. Start with what you can today, and then expand slowly.

I’am sharing this information to you freely, from my own experiences. Hope you can use it in your own process. Any donation, is deeply appreciated. :-))

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Source: www.mariejengelsvold.me
tags: The creative process, Free yourself through the creative process, how to live in the moment, The feeling of flow comes when what you are doing, is in harmony with where you are., How do you forget the result ??, So release the feelings, How do we go from the expectation to the dream ??, The dream cannot die, But how do we go from the expectation to the dream ??, In the creative processes, you meet yourself head on., forget the result, love yourself in your wholeness., Release the expectations on how to get there, and surrender to the journey., being fully present in what you do, drawings from within, drawing as meditation, tips on drawing, flow, find your own visual language, from the inside out, commit to your drawing process., contemporary art, express yourself, be authentic when creating, experimenting
categories: video, psycological aspects
Wednesday 02.20.19
Posted by Marie J.Engelsvold
 

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