To Let Go of Art

I’ve finally finished everything for the upcoming exhibition! The paintings are wired, the photos framed, and all the prints are packaged and labeled. I probably could have finished a while ago, but to be honest, I didn’t want to finish.

I’ve come to love the three paintings in this series, and the photos are my favorite I’ve ever taken. They aren’t fancy, but they are personal to me. They’ve been “mine” for some time now, and it feels strange to send them off to someplace new.

I think one of the many challenges artists face is learning to let go. To move on.

Whether painting with pigment, words, thread, food, a computer, etc., we all reach a point where our creation is done, leaving us with only two options: put down the paintbrush, or pick it back up and begin again.

And perhaps the bravest thing an artist can do is trust themselves and do what scares them. That thing that sparks their inspiration. Even when that means letting go and moving on.

Who knows what the next chapter holds, though I’m excited to have a little more free time for the crystal shop and book-writing adventure. Onward!