Today I want to share some very concrete experiments with you. A way for you to come into that place of flow, and having some guidelines so it feels safer to let go of control.

The first experiment is a very good way to start, you can use it if you feel a little doubtful, a little tired or not really inspired. When you do this experiment, it will make you forget time and space as you go deeper and deeper into the moment.

Lisen’t to this video, where I share my process, or read the blog post.

1) Take 5 pieces of paper, and a timer. Use all the drawing materials you like, I’am very fond of molotov markers, and then I spice it up with pencil, coal, ball pen, and whatever suits me.

2) For the first piece of paper you set the timer to 2 minutes. When the time is out, you take the next paper and set the timer to 4 minutes, and then you continue expanding with 2 minutes for each new paper, till you reach 10 minutes for the last paper.

It’s very interesting how it will free you, when you have the limited timeframe, and the fact that you shift the paper and have to start all over each time, makes your approach more fresh. It allows you to stay open, and to dare to try out new ideas, not thinking so much of the outcome.

As I said before it will take you into the present moment. It will take you out of your mind, out of doubt, self sabortage the urge to have it all planned. You will be abel to feel, maybe just for some moments this relaxed state of joy, excitement and flow. If you feel the urge, you can go on expanding with 2 minutes, as many times you wish, or you can make your own experiments if it works better for you. Maybe you want to do it quicker, so you can expand with only one minute. You could also begin with pencil, and then take a second round on the same papers, then using markers, or paint. Don’t take the experiments as another rule, just take what resonates, and play around with making your own experiments. Your own rules.

But it’s not only a great way to get into the flow, you also end up with 5 pieces of work. Some of them you might want to keep as they are, the others you can use in new works, taking them to the next level.

Be open for the things that comes to you unexpected. The things you didn’t plan. Very often it is in that we wasn’t looking for, that was what we needed.

Use the drawing that failed. Use the outcasts of the paper cuts. Use the other side of the paper. Don’t care about how it will look like. Falling on purpose. Make yourself fail. Do something that you haven’t tried before.

Don’t hang on to the good results, don’t hang on to the bad. Let it all go in every moment. Maybe it is difficult for you to really fail, because you are too good at covering it up. Let it really fail. You can’t still make it fail? Wow, then you don’t have to be so afraid. That’s the whole thing. You have to experience that you can’t fail.

Everything is perfect. When we go beyond our bonderies it’s where magic are, where we think we will fail, we will succeed.

I will explain how I used the form of my original drawing as a skabelon, not for you to do exactly the same, but to show you some tools you can use in your own process. Also it gives you an idea how to look for new ways to approach your work.

1) I started by cutting one of my quick drawings out from the first exercise. Placing it on a bigger seized paper. I wanted an equal seized form to oppose it, so I made an outline of the drawing on another paper.

2) I looked for some materials, and found an old canvas with a wonderfull sky blue paint on it. I just thought it would be so good togheter with my drawing. I used the negative paper form as a skabelon, and cut the form in the sky blue canvas. I also tried to use the backside of the canvas, but it looked too pale to me. I really like to use different materials in my drawings, it gives another rawness to the work.

In my work I like to work with contrasts and dualities, and them bind them togheter in a kind of symetry. I have the urge to create balance between the different aspects of myself. To get the differences to “speak” to each other, to get an inner dialog and acceptance between the different aspects. To focus on the form instead of the lines, is a very simpel hack. The two ways of working complements each other, as much as they opposes each other.

Hope you could use these tips. Have a lovely day.

I’am teaching in “how you can free yourself in the creative process”, go to workshops, to read about my courses and workshops. Next ones is in August 2019.

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

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

In my previous post, I talked about not being afraid of your darker sides. But sometimes our darkest side, can actually be our gifts and talents and uniqueness that we are afraid to show to the world. I have experienced that I often have to dim myself down a little bit, that I can be afraid to be too much, to be too shining. I’am actually trying to be more aware of that aspect. Maybe you can also connect to that feeling?, and the fact that it also complies to your art. Because your artistic creations are a mirror of yourself.

Lisen’t to this video, while following my process, or just read the blog post.

Why is it that it can be so provoking to let that light out?? I think many of us have learned to be humble, to not think so much of ourselves, not to brage about ourselves. Are we afraid that other people will get envious of us?? Or that if we shine too much that other people will actually see us, and then we will be a target of criticism. It’s more comfortable to hide in the shadows. The thing is, the more you allow yourself to be you, the more distinct you will be, the more unique. You will be more clear in your attitude. Of course some people will not like you, but thats okay. A lot of people will love you too. So to let that light out, you have to take the risk of other people not liking you.

You have to like yourself so much, to fill yourself up with love and acceptance so that you don’t need other peoples acceptance. Because you fully accept yourself, you don’t need outer validation.

Create self love. How to do that?? As I explained in my previous blog post you have to embrace all parts of yourself. Also the dark parts. Be kind to yourself. Be aware of all your feelings, dreams and fears. It’s very important, because how can you be bold and shinning if you don’t love yourself? If you don’t accept and honor your own self expression?

Step 1; Embracing

Embrace your shadow. Embrace all your faults. Embrace your feelings. Embrace every aspect of who you are. At the same time, embrace all your art work, also older work, also the work that failed. Appreciate it all as a kind of celebrating yourself in your progress. Celebrating yourself in every step of your journey to fully accepting and expressing yourself as you are. Every step is good enough. Where you are right now is good enough.

Step 2; Asking

What would you like to do, if you could do whatever you liked. What are your boldest dream. What would you create if you had the time and the money?? Think as bold as you can. What makes your heart sing?? Then just take one step in that direction. What can you do today?? What can you do right now.

Very often we say, yes I know what I want, but I just can’t do it now. I can do this when I get my part time job, or when my kids are moved from home. Or when I go on pension.

But in reality I think it’s because we don’t really dare to take the risk. It’s safer to do whats known, what you always did. When we create things it’s the precise same mechanism. If we don’t dare to take risks, and try new things, to get ourselves out there to show up with our works, we will stay limited. We will stay in fear

Marie J.Engelsvold. My creative process.

Your work might be nice, but it won’t stand out. It will not show the uniqueness, because you don’t dare to show who you are. So to express yourself in your full range of colors you must reach a point where you take that risk of stepping out of the shadows, but remember to take that shadow with you. That which you thought was your ugly side, that which you thought was too vulnable to be seen. That is what will create your full light. So turn up the light and let it shine in all the corners, and don’t be ashamed of who you are.

As I say all the time, the same goes with your artwork. Don’t be ashamed of showing your rawness, your mistakes, your not getting it togheter as you planned. No one is perfect, maybe a lot of people like to pretend that everything is always bright and positive in their life. But we are all humans, and we have all the duality of light and darkness inside of us.

So to be bold, is not the same as to be just bright and positive. It’s to have the honesty to also express and be aware of your shadow. To own yourself fully. To not hide parts of yourself. Then you can truly shine in your holeness and your unique beauty of who you are.

Here are some tips for you, to really step out of the shadow.

Ask yourself:

1) What are my boldest dream? Be aware of what you really want to do if their was no limits.

2) What can I do today to take one step in that direction.

3) How can i express more fully who I really are? In all area of my life?

4) How can I be more honest about how I feel?

Do this exercise:

1)Take a piece of normal seized paper, and just start. Start sitting at a desk.

2) After a while, when you feel their are not enough space on your paper, cut the main part of the drawing out, and place it on a bigger seize paper.

3) Hang it on the wall, and keep working while standing up.

4) Now cut this drawing/collage out once more, and put it on an ever bigger seize paper, and lay it on the floor.

5) Now you continue working while laying on the floor.

Marie J.Engelsvold. “Green portal” 42 x 59 cm. Acrylics, paper cuts, textile, pencil and foam on paper. 2019.

Now reflect on how it felt to work in the different positions, and the different seizes of paper. was it provoking for you to go up in seize. To express yourself in a bigger way. How about the different positions, what did it do to the way you felt?? How did it affect your art work?

To go up in seize, allow you to use and come into awareness of your whole body, and to express yourself more fully.

Hope this helped you. I wish you a very nice day, a day where you allow yourself to shine, letting your light out ther

I’am teaching in “how you can free yourself in the creative process”, go to workshops, to read about my courses and workshops. Next ones is in August 2019.

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

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