Releasing your resistance to the moment.

Sometimes doing nothing, is the best way to really feel what you want to do. Instead of doing, what you think you want to do. I feel anew. I feel renewinated. I feel all the fresh juices coming up inside my body. I don’t need to struggle to make things happen, it will come exactly when it need to come. I don’t have to worry about it. I don’t have to force myself into action. The action will come.

I’am so tired of doing. I’am tired of making plans. I’am tired of using my time the most productive way. I’am tired of struggling. I’am tired of thinking about the outcomes of what I do. I’am tired of thinking, and organizing and planning.

I want to do nothing.

I have been doing nothing for over a week now, beginning to wait for that bad consciousness about my laziness. Waiting on some inspiration to do something. But I don’t have any bad consciousness. I’am feeling great. I know inspiration for action will come, I just have to let it build up.

It came now. I just feel the urge writing about this doing nothing stage. Because while I have been just indulging myself in simpel activities. Like going to the beach. Laying on the floor. Making a green juice. Going out for a run. Sitting in the sofa, staring out in the empty air. Meditating. Moving things around.

I have had this feeling of a huge need for this silence. This state of not being productive.This feeling of not using my time, for an outcome. I’am by myself. Don’t need to be in company with anybody.

It’s seldom I have had this opportunity, not to be surrounded with friends and family. No one is expecting anything from me, besides my cat. Cat quality time. :-)Actually I becomes more and more like my cat. My cat ia always sleeping, relaxing, living in the now.

I have been practicing for some time now, in not being so hard on myself. Not plan so much, and doing things just for fun. Trying not to control. If I felt that my energy got heavy doing a certain activity, I have stopped the activity. Before I would just have continued, because I had set my mind about doing it. But I would have felt bored and drained afterwards.

What I have seen is that the more I follow my desires, and not feeling bad about them, the more I feel really good. Of course there are tasks that need to be done, but often you can do it in another way, which makes it more fun and easy.

Marie J.Engelsvold. Packed artwork. Let that heart out. 2019

Also, eventhough I don’t plan things, I feel that the outcome is even better than from anything I could have planned.

So that makes me more courageous about doing things the easy way. Not struggling, not fixing my mind on a specific goal. Staying open, and feeling where the energy is going for me. I tune in to my body, my feelings and ask what do I want to do right now? What would be the most fun thing? What would give me this aliveness?

Because when you do an activity from this place of inner aliveness, from a place of eagerness and energy and power, it’s just so rewarding. It don’t have to be a big thing, it can be a little task, a little action. It doesn’t really matter what you do, just that the action is clear and pure. When I do the right action, I can be thrilled the whole day for just having done this action, that felt so right.

So why not doing them all the time? Well, the thing is very often it can feel like there is some resistance. It can feel like you try to procrastinate it, that you are a little anxious of doing it.

You say to yourself, “I feel like doing this but it’s a little late now. I wait to do it tomorrow.” Or, you try to make excuses, saying “oh I don’t have time now. Oh, it a little stupid.”

Marie J.Engelsvold. Experimenting in the wood. Green portal. 2019

I can come with an example. For a long time I had this urge to go out in the wood with my sculptures, taking some photos. I have been working with the color green for a while, and it felt right to surround the green with natural green. I had the urge of doing it for some time before I actually did it. Why was it so difficult? I really wanted to do it, but I had this resistance. Every day there was a new excuse. The weather was too bad, or the weather was too hot. The grass was too wet, or I felt some pain in my leg. One day I just very hastly put all the sculpture parts into my car. I planned to stop by a wood, on my way home from the studio. But, well I didn’t really feel for it, and I couldn’t decide on where to stop.

For some days the car was filled up with sculptures. I was going out of town to visit an artist friend. I knew I would stop by a wood, on my way home. I told her about my plans. She wanted to help me. “You can’t do this alone”? “You need someone to take the photos”, “Have you been thinking about how to fix the sculptures”? “Do yo have any robe”?She came up with a lot of advice, which made me feel a little drained. I just said “If I have to think about all theese factors, and have it all planned, it wouldn’t be fun. I knew in my heart, that to overcome the resistance I just had to do it. To wait till I had it all figured out, would have been another excuse for not doing it.

Actually this is another trigger, that the mind(ego), likes to set up. It wants control at all costs, and it want everything planned.

I found my wood on my way home, I played around for some hours. I ignored people sitting in their cars on the parking lot…The way they looked at me while I was dragging all my sculpture pieces out of the car. Or I thought they looked at me, properly they didn’t care less about me.

It’s weird, so many people sitting in their cars, on the parking lot of a wood? Why don’t they go out in the wood for a while? enjoying nature? Maybe they felt the same resistance as me?

Marie J.Engelsvold. Experimenting in the wood. Green portal. 2019

I think we can feel a little shameful of doing theese joyful activities. Because very often they don’t have a specific productive outcome, or they might actually have, but our minds can not grasp this outcome. The mind doesn’t have a category for this activity. Yes, that’s it. You are going out of your categories, and because of that, you feel this resistance. Because the mind doesn’t like to go out in unknown areas, it doesn’t like if it can’t see a tangible result from the activity.

Most of us are not used to do fun things, we have learned to do things for the outcome. We have learned that to work is hard. And we say when I have done this, I will celebrate. Then I will have fun. But it’s difficult to have fun, if you really are feeling drained.

When you are doing an activity out of the gain of a specific result, you will be completely exhausted afterwards. Eventhough you got the result, you are not feeling good inside of you.( If you have not allowed yourself to be present in the process.)

People around you might compliment you on your result, and you will have this image of success. You think you are happy, but it isen’t real. Soon you will start to think about a new project, because to celebrate for too long makes you nervous. The emptiness sneaks up inside of you. You need to stay busy, to not feel this nagging emptiness.

Marie J.Engelsvold. Experimenting in the wood. Green portal. 2019

When you do things, out of joy and passion while you are doing it, you don’t feel empty. You feel whole.

The reward are in the doing, the reward is an energy and a feeling of aliveness and everything is possible.

Because everything is. It just is.

You can ask, but what has all this to do with the creative process? Life and your creativity is intertwined. It’s going hand in hand. How you feel in your daily life, will influence your creativity. If you are not expressing yourself in your fullest capacity, expressing yourself honestly. The whole thing will be automatic, you will keep on repeating yourself. You will keep going in circles. You have to break free of your circles, break free of your habits and your self imposed limitations.

If you go about making art doing it in a rigid mindset, well that’s your choice. People might like it, because it feels safe.

It doesn’t shake them, it doesn’t go beyond the limits of some unsaid rule about what is art. You have to shake yourself, to shake others. You have to give from a place that’s real.

Here I will give you some tips on how to release your resistance of enjoying your moments.

Write a list of activities that would be just crazy fun.

How would it make you feel to do some of theese activities?

Choose one activity that you want the most. Could you do that activity today?

Write down any resistance you have about doing the activity.

What is this resistance about? Are you a little afraid?

Work on that resistance, have a dialog.

Write down all feelings you have thinking about doing and enjoying the activity.

Imagine yourself doing the activity, and having a lot of fun.

Try to get into that feeling of aliveness, and you will feel empowered.

Go do it, without thinking and controlling everything.

Hope you enjoyed this post, I did really enjoyed feeling this spark while I wrote.

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 :-))

Hope you could use these tips.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

• 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.

How do you work with composition?

Hi, how are you doing??

Today I want to talk about how you can work with composition. Are you contious about composition when creating? I normally talk a lot about the process, how to  create from your heart. How to stay in deep contact to  your feelings, and how you can express it in your artwork. I write about the topic in many different ways, in hope you will get what I'am talking about. But sometimes you have to step back, and do some mindwork. To analyse what you are doing, and how you can progress, and raise above obstacles. When you are more confident in being in the flow of your heart, you can start trying to analyse your work, without going into being overly critical and judgemental about your drawings. 

Imagine you have done some drawings, but you are not quite satisfied. Take a look at the composition of your drawings.

1. How do you arrange the elements on the paper? Do you always work in the center of the paper? Do you fill out all the white space?? Or do you only use the lower part of the paper?

2. How about the size of the elements of your drawing? are they all the same size?? Are they all very small or very huge??

3. What about the contrast between light and dark? Look at your drawing and find the darkest element and the lightest element. Are there a big contrast between the two values? Or are the tones or values of the colours nearly the same?

Their are a lot more things to look at, but theese 3 are the most important ones.

Marie J.Engelsvold. “Connection between different parts of myself” Acrylic tusch on paper. 42 x 29,7 cm. 2014

Marie J.Engelsvold. "Relationship with outlets for magic" Acrylic tusch on paper. 21 x 29,7 cm. 2014

Marie J.Engelsvold. “Try to transform ”Acrylic tusch on paper. 21 x 29,7 cm. 2014

Now take one of your drawings, and use the same elements but arrange them differently on the paper. Maybe using another size can help you.( I very often change to a bigger size of paper when I'am stuck.) Change the size of some of the elements to make more contrast. Also make one of the elements very dark, and another one very light. 

How did it work?? Sometimes we just get some habits and we do the same things all the time.

By thinking about theese things you just push your limits of what is possible. In the beginning you have to work contious with being aware of how you compose your drawing. But after doing it many times you will do it quite intuitively, and you have another tool in your toolbelt.

Maybe I have just opened the pandoras box for you? Because when you start to change how you look at your artwork, when you have new ideas on how to do it differently, a lot more ideas and possibilities will arise. So just keep going, it's so much fun:-))

Looking for more tips? look at this blogpost "Experiment with shapes and lines."

• Turtorials and tips
  • 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 ?
• psycological aspects
  • 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
  • Apr 6, 2019 How to start your drawing praxis.
• video
  • 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.

Experiment with shapes and lines.

If you take a look at a drawings elements, it basically consists of lines and shapes. Do you mostly use lines or shapes in your own drawings? Maybe a combination of the two? It's important to be aware of what elements you use. Shapes can create denseness in the drawings, and with lines you create movement and details.

Look at this article on "How to Be an Artist, According to Wassily Kandinsky"  

"Kandinsky experimented with compositions populated by lines, simple geometric shapes, and the energized points where they met or overlapped. "

No matter how you normally draw, it can be very rewarding to go back to basic. Using very simpel elements. In this little exersice, you will only use abstract shapes and lines. Try to avoid recognizable elements, concentrate on the composition.

Materials: paper, glue, scissor, cardboard, colored paper, some tools you like to make lines.

• Cut some shapes, from cardboard or colored paper. place them on a piece of paper. Play around, and when you like it, glue them on.

• Now draw some lines on the same paper. Make a lot of these compositions, using only shapes and lines.

• When you have 10 compositions. Choose one you like the most. Now use this one, as a starting point for 10 more compositions.

• Think of how many ways you can variate the drawing. What happens if you take one of the shapes, making it much larger? Change one of the shapes from geometric to rounded? Making a lot of lines and only small shapes? Experiment with the possibilities, and see what happens. Eventhough your starting point was only a few shapes and lines, very soon you will learn how many ways you can go with theese elements.

In my pinterest collection I have a board called drawings I like. Take a look, and see how many different ways you can work with lines and shapes. If you like, take a look at some of my drawings here at my website. When I look at my own drawings,  I see a lot of shapes, lines and textures that I tend to use. Shapes and lines I feel more attracted to than others. It's like the letters in my  visual language. Are you aware of the shapes and lines you are using?  

• Turtorials and tips
  • 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 ?
• psycological aspects
  • 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
  • Apr 6, 2019 How to start your drawing praxis.
• video
  • 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.