Sometimes the answer is right there in front of us, staring us in the face. But to see it, requires us to disengage our usual thought patterns and see it from another perspective.

My earlier period of artwork was invaluable as a tool to practices this. The key is to become an unattached observer. This is achieved by playing a little game with yourself, because you have to trick your monkey mind to stop its chattering, our internal dialogue of thought. You suspend the role you play, you, that person you think you are, you disown the subject you are currently engaged in that has so much value to you. For a short while you allow yourself to be a third party, an observer.

You can also find this state more passively by blissing out, or zoning out, where you lose yourself. 

It is in this state of non-attachment that the magic happens. Other things resolve into the focus of your attention, things that were right under your nose.

F IT UP!

So with the painting, I would encourage this process by starting out the painting with no particular aim, other than to make a mess, play and F it up. It is important to start without any intent of expecting to create a masterpiece, because then you are already placing value, limitations and restrictions upon what you will do for fear of F'ing it up.

The painting that leads this post demonstrates the process very well, as I did very little reworking or additions to the initial play session. What amazed me about this particular work, was I looked and I saw a hairy figure in a seated position. The upper body was there, the legs were there, a part of a tail, all it was missing was a head, hands and feet. Here was Hanuman, the a Hindu god in monkey form.

Calm Waters

For me the whole thing symbolises perfectly that whole process of overcoming our monkey nature, or ceaseless chatter and moving from a place of inner calm. It is in that place of surrender we can find the solutions that were at first not apparent to us. Calm waters reflect best. 

So if you're overwhelmed with something, can't see your way through and things look hopeless, step back for a moment, play a game of letting go and see what is reflected back to you. You might be surprised at what you see.

"Ape to Angel", oil on canvas
Reproductions are available.

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More of my artwork can be found on my website. LeoPlaw.com
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