It may surprise you to learn that I wasn’t a star pupil in art school. Not one of those students who carried those black, hard-backed sketchbooks everywhere, bursting with sketches, paintings and collages. Not the kind of art student who spent every waking hour making things. I was a diligent, attentive student. I did the assigned work, attended every class and loved it all. But when I started, I hadn’t the first clue how to turn out original work.
After graduation, I went through a difficult period in my creative life. I knew I wanted to devote my life to making art. But crushing self-doubts and critical voices plagued me every time I tried to work in the studio. I showed up to the studio regularly and managed to get work done, but I suffered from inexplicable fatigue due to the inner emotional stress of these critical voices. I sometimes grew distracted and unfocused. I sought out self-help books and groups for creative people, and slowly and subtly things began to change.
In my work as a teacher and artist for over thirty years, I know of many artists can relate to this feeling of paralysis or being stuck. For me, turning to mindfulness and meditation helped me make that shift to becoming the artist I am today. A lot of people believe that meditation or mindfulness is about reaching some exalted state, but it is actually about learning to be present.
When we practice meditation we naturally become more aware. Aware of our thoughts, our unconscious habits, the feelings and thoughts of the people around us, our impact on others. And the longer we practice, the more we notice. We notice subtle things that were always there – we just couldn’t see them before. Sort of like someone whose fuzzy vision becomes clearer with a new pair of glasses.
This type of deep noticing can have a profound impact on our creative work. As Paul Valéry put it: “To see is to forget the name of what one is seeing.” By being fully present with what we are creating, we can move beyond preconceptions and habits and encounter the work afresh.
If you’ve never spent time meditating before, you may find your mind to be a very messy place. Most of us have habits and patterns of thought that we unwittingly developed in our youth by simply imitating the patterns of thought of those around us. Patterned thoughts become like grooves in our brain – neural pathways – that can create habits of self-criticism, fear, doubt, cynicism, pessimism or worry. We scarcely notice them because they are so ingrained in us. And if we don’t notice them, we can hardly be aware that it is those habits or patterns of thought that are driving the circumstances around us.
If you are new to meditation, here are a few simple steps to experiment with it:
- Set aside 5 minutes each morning. As early as possible upon arising is easiest because your mind is still fresh and you don’t have as much resistance to the idea. (I’m too busy, I don’t feel like it, it’s too hard.)
- Find a comfortable and pleasant place to sit. One where you can sit in the exact spot every day.
- And if you have a smartphone, I suggest setting a timer with a gentle ring so your mind doesn’t need to be preoccupied with how long five minutes exactly is.
- Settle in: Ensure that your posture us upright, your chin ever so slightly turned down to elongate the back of your neck. Allow your shoulders to be comfortably loose and relaxed, with your shoulder blades on the same plan as your spine, rather than hunched forward.
- Gently close your eyes and just notice that breath. Pay attention as it fills your lungs quite easily and naturally, and then as it is expelled just as easily through your nostrils.
Thoughts will arise. About whether you remembered to take out the garbage last night, or the first appointment of the day, or that annoying thing your co-worker said yesterday. But you are not going to engage with those thoughts just now. You are going to notice the warmth of the breath as it gently flows in and out. And how your jaw has naturally unclenched and how every muscle is gently melting, releasing habitual tension. And the thoughts may come back: How long has it been now? Surely five minutes is up. I can’t sit here doing nothing! I have so much to do today! And then like a little child who has wandered off, you will gently take your mind by the hand and lead it back to the present moment.
If it helps, you can count your breaths. But just stay with the breath. And without noticing it, you have actually drifted into deep connection. You are not thinking. Then you notice that you are not thinking, and now you are thinking again. And so, you go back to your breath. Such is the task of a meditator. Like trying to take a knot out of a tiny thread with a needle. But hang with it. Please. It gets easier. Because you will untangle that knot and then that tiny thread will stretch out before you free of its knots. Before you know it, there is no thread at all.
Do you currently practice meditation in your daily life? Share your experiences in the comments below!
Responses to “Meditation and the Studio: Becoming Aware”
Alain Dubé
Michele,
Î use this technique every day. But I listen music to enhance positive thoughts. The best way to nitrure creativity!
Michele Theberge
Alain! I love hearing the various ways we enhance our creativity. I love to listen to music sometimes, too, while I’m working in the studio.
Susan Kemp
Thanks for this post, Michelle. When I went onto internet after meditating this evening, I found your email in my inbox. I want to share two things on this topic: (a) I have been meditating 15 minutes on the breath for a number of months now, after 30 years of resistance to the idea of meditating two hours a day on a mantra that was given to me back then. Stuff that! Focusing on the breath for a short time works for me. (b) A sure-fire way for me to get inspired with new creative ideas, is to doodle some really fast and loose mandalas. By the third one, I usually turn around the paper and start jotting down thumbnail designs of what to paint – but I don’t even notice when I switch from the mandalas to the ideas. It only becomes clear after the fact. I regard that as a meditative practice as well.
Michele Theberge
Ha, ha! I had to laugh when I read “stuff that”! It is interesting that some traditions insist there is a “correct” way to meditate and that long periods of sitting are necessary to quiet the mind. I think the idea that there is a correct way to do anything runs antithetical to creative practice so it doesn’t surprise me that you ran the other way all those years ago. And I believe that many artists are working in an organic meditative state and may never need a formal practice at all!
Eileen
Michelle,
I am glad to see you introducing meditation to the art community. I see that the more I am centered and out of my own way, the more I am accessing my authentic self, which allows for a more authentic level of creativity. I am not trying or forcing, I am allowing for the color, imagery and textures to present and in that I am receiving myself as what is unfolding in the moment to come to the canvas.
Michele Theberge
So beautifully put, Eileen. I am sure many people can relate to that exquisite feeling of being present and receiving as the work flows through us. We are truly fortunate to be able to create. For me, it is one of lives greatest gifts!
Denis Gaudette
Bonjour Michele la belle! I don’t practice meditation per se, but I sort of dance around it. As you know, the last year or so has been difficult for me. I am not usually much of a reader, but have recently read 3 books by Don Miguel Ruiz, followed by Money, and the Law of Attraction. Then Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff for Men.
I took a lot of notes, created personalized affirmation statements and intentions.
I am in a much better frame of mind even though my life situation hasn’t changed. I am working on a plan to get back on my feet again, as humble as it is. But it had to start with my mind and my thoughts, which I have made great strides in awareness, and applying tools to keep my thoughts
positive and on the feel good side. For example, I try to practice thinking about desired outcomes (what I do want) rather than giving my attention to the negative aspect of something (what I don’t want).
Negative thoughts come into our minds at times, and when they do I stop myself, and say, well I don’t want that, so I pivot by turning my attention to what I do want.
I believe that what you give your attention to is what the Universe will return to you.
So think happy thoughts as much as possible. One last thing, Life events will not always be good ones, but always look for the positive aspects of those situations.
Now that I’ve talked your head off.
Always enjoy listening to you. Feels like I am talking with someone I’ve known a long time. Very down to earth, kind, easy going, natural.Stay safe, be well.
Michele Theberge
I agree whole heartedly with everything you wrote, Denis. Thank you for sharing your philosophy and mindset. I hope these words might inspire others!
Rowena Meyer-Bandy
Your experience resonates so deeply with my own. I too struggle with self-doubt and self-criticism. The only thing that quiets those negative internal messages is meditation. Every time I allow life to pull me away from that still point, the negativity returns and I lose my creative wellspring…again. Thank you for sharing – it helps knowing I’m not alone.
Michele Theberge
Rowena So glad you, too, have the support of meditation. I started this blog and website 7 years ago hoping that we could all know we are not alone in these things so I truly appreciate your sharing your experience here. Thank you!
Deb
Excellent advice Michele, especially in these trying times, thank you!!! Though I still struggle with getting my art “out there” this year has been especially hard to focus. Last year I was very busy (sales), this year -so far- has been dismal. It has taken some of the wind out of my sails. On the plus side, my meditation practice has increased and now with spring in the air, more walks in nature and maybe a few tree hugging moments will ground me and give me strength to move through this “static” time. Either way, I appreciate your excellent advice. Namasté,
Deb
Michele Theberge
Oh, Deb! I so appreciate your clarity and positivity. I SO know (and expect many others in the Mindful Artist community do as well) that discouragement that can happen when things shift. And yet, over the years I’ve notice there can be patterns of lots of activity sales and exhibitions and then less so. Now, on those slower times, I tend to appreciate getting to experiment more in the studio when I don’t have deadlines or obligations. All my best to you!