November 30, 2024
How to truly express yourself in watercolor
The best way to express yourself in watercolor has nothing to do with painting techniques, and nothing to do with creativity. It is to start expressing yourself in the other areas of your life, by being honest with other people and with yourself. Your art is an extension of yourself: if you are not honest in your life, don't expect to express your true self in your art.
Why isn't self-expression in art about technique?
Expressing yourself means being honest towards people, and also towards yourself. If you don't express yourself in your romantic relationships, with your friends, at work with your boss, with everyone else, how can you express yourself in your art?
There is going to be a discrepancy. On one side, you are putting on a mask in front of other people, and on the other side, you are trying to be yourself. Nobody else is there in your painting studio to judge you. But you are there.
What happened when I was brutally honest with someone?
A few weeks ago, I met some entrepreneurs and business owners in a hot seat. I was listening to what they said, and at some point I told one of them: "It's funny to see how you have a tendency to feel miserable in your life."
Everyone else laughed at me. How dare you say something like that? You can't do that. He is ruminating, he is not feeling miserable. I'm not a native English speaker, but I said no, this is exactly how I feel about you. And I said it in such a loving way that it was fine.
When you are in a hot seat, you are looking for honest feedback. What shocked people was that I was brutally honest with this man. It is not about being harsh with people. Later, when I talked with him, he thanked me. He told me it paused him in his flow, in his daily life. Something struck him, like a pattern interrupt. I had shown him something he didn't see. Being really honest with him felt like giving him a kind of gift.
Why can't your art be more honest than your life?
Because your art is an extension of yourself. Take your romantic relationship as an example. If you are not honest with yourself and with your spouse, if you don't say when something is bothering you, if you are not honest with yourself when you no longer feel any love, how can you expect to be honest when you are alone in your painting studio, trying to figure out what the next step is?
What happens is that in the other areas of your life, you put on a mask. You submit yourself to other people. You please them, and you follow external advice instead of listening to yourself and coming up with your own.
Are you trying to please someone else with your art?
In your art, it is exactly the same. If you are struggling to express yourself, to find your own style, your own path, it may be that you are trying to please someone else. Maybe yourself, maybe an artistic mentor, whoever it is.
It starts with every relationship you have, starting with the one with yourself.
Where do you start? Ask yourself what you are avoiding
Ask yourself these questions:
- What are you avoiding in your romantic life?
- What are you avoiding in your friendships?
- What are you avoiding with your parents, your sister, your brothers?
Then start being honest about it. This is not something you can figure out in your head. It is something you feel. You will feel that it is better to be honest. "Brutally" may be the wrong word: it is simply being honest with yourself and with other people. And it will bring more good than you can expect.
I was afraid to tell this man that he sometimes felt miserable. I was afraid he would reject me, that he would say it was nonsense. But when I asked him if he could see it, he said: "Now that you say it, yes, I can see it." You could see the sparkle in his eyes. He was realizing something, a blind spot, something he hadn't seen. When I felt that my feedback made him realize something, I saw that it brought far more positive than negative.
Why does your intention matter more than your words?
Each time you are being honest, feel your intention and stick to your initial intention. My intention was not "I'm going to crush him, I'm going to tell him he is completely miserable." My intention was: I see something, I feel something, I need to tell him.
Whatever the words, your intention will prevail over everything else, over the harsh words you may say, over the harsh tone. Your intention will shine through everything you say.
In your art, it is exactly the same. If you allow yourself to feel and to stick to your initial intention, it will shine in your art.
FAQ
Will a new technique help me express myself in watercolor?
No. What blocks your self-expression is the mask you wear in your life, not a missing skill. Start by being honest in your relationships, and it will carry over into your painting.
Why can't I find my own style in watercolor?
You may be trying to please someone, perhaps yourself or an artistic mentor. Following external advice instead of listening to yourself keeps you from finding your own path.
Does being honest mean being harsh?
No. Being honest is not about crushing anyone. If your intention is simply to share what you see and feel, it will come through, even if your words or tone sound harsh.
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