ART AND INTUITION

Hello everyone, and welcome to new subscribers!

As our world becomes increasingly challenging to understand and navigate, we artists are uniquely equipped to meet the discomfort of uncertainty. While we may not easily recognize that within ourselves, the truth is that in order to be an artist you innately possess certain qualities - resiliency, trust, critical thinking, and sensitivity.

Each time we step into the studio we engage with these aspects of ourselves to meet the unknown and birth something that feels extraordinarily necessary, but not always understood or valued. To do that we have to curate and nurture a place within ourselves that can hold fast the truth about why we make our art.

Your work as an artist is your medicine, and your practice the very foundation of your wellbeing. Sometimes it may feel difficult to remember that – so we offer that reminder to each other.

We are artists. We are necessary. We can meet the difficult things with awareness and compassion, along with our fierce devotion for the truth.

“This is precisely the time when artists go to work.” – Toni Morrison

In this month’s blog post I consider the role of intuition in our art-making, and how it serves our discernment and critical thinking. As artists we need both our intuition and our intellect…so how do we do that and why does it matter?

And just a reminder that my monthly blog post is also offered as an audio recording, allowing you to listen rather than read. To listen to the recording just click on the READ MORE OR LISTEN button in the ‘FROM THE BLOG’ section of this newsletter and you’ll find the MP3 file on my website at the bottom of my written post.

If you have any feedback for me, I always love hearing from you. Thank you for reading and sharing this newsletter…it truly is appreciated.

PS: For those of you that are new subscribers I have included a link to find previous issues of my newsletter – full of additional resources for you!

THE ROLE OF INTUITION IN ART-MAKING

Like many artists I often rely on my intuition to guide my choices, as I sense what feels more right for my work and sift through the innumerable possibilities that I have to select from. But what informs my intuition that allows me to make that choice? What role does intuition play in my art-making process? And, what is the role of our intellect in art-making – the thinking process that we use to evaluate and discern what is working, what comes in and what goes? Art-making requires us to be able to employ both our intuition and intelligence, working in harmony with each other.

In my work with artists, I like to explore which of these two areas of their creative process they tend to place more weight on – their intuition or their thinking processes. There is often a greater weight on one over the other, and because we need both, that can result in challenges for the artist.

Being able to understand the nuances and timing of moving between our intuition and our thinking is a potent ability that will strengthen our art practice, and the work itself. But we have to know what each aspect is contributing and when it serves us best. 

Many artists describe themselves as intuitive, and feel that thinking about their work is a hindrance to their creative process. For many, thinking can lead to confusion, conflict, anxiety, and overwhelm. This is because the nature of the mind is to complicate matters by focusing on the problems at the same time as it is creating them.

INSPIRATION FOR YOUR ARTIST’S MINDSET

CBC ARTS: EVAN SHARMA

This 2017 video from CBC Arts features the then 13-year-old Canadian painter, Evan Sharma, who at age 12 was the youngest artist to be accepted into Canada’s largest juried art show.

There is nothing like listening to a younger person’s perspective on art-making and the creative process to reveal some of the essential intuitive aspects that drive the work. Evan seems to already know that his voice as an artist is rooted in how he sees and experiences the world around him. And, keeping himself engaged and connected with external stimulus and influences inspires his bold, expressive work.

Evan knows that at such a young age he needs to create experiences to draw from for his work, so he fills his creative well with adventures and opportunities so he can keep himself “multi-versed.”

You can visit Evan’s Instagram account @evansharma to see how his work has developed over the years.

ART IS A MEMORY: SIRI HUSTVEDT

“Every painting is always two paintings: The one you see, and the once you remember.”

The renowned writer Siri Hustvedt reflects on her relationship to seeing and experiencing works of art in this Louisiana Channel interview. As a writer she beautifully articulates her perspective around the experience of engaging visual art from a place of awareness and sensitivity.

It can be interesting to consider the viewer as we make our art, but we have to be careful to not assume that we can control the viewer’s experience and adjust our intentions for our work as a result. Hustvedt reminds us that because people are always changing, viewers encounter a piece of work from a new place each time they see it.

By understanding that the artist’s role is not to control the experience of the viewer, but simply to honour our vision for the work, we can free ourselves from overthinking.

ON INTUITION: KENYATTA A. C. HINKLE

“Can a culture ever be truly erased?” is the question that is guiding the interdisciplinary work of Kenyatta A. C. Hinkle. As the 2019 recipient of the SECA Award, she uses this question as both a guide and an intention to underpin her process as she creates a body of work that is rooted in retrieving historical elements and contextualizing them anew.

Hinkle uses her intuition to lead her, tapping into feelings and ideas that arrive in the process of making the work. She tells us “…I don’t know what the work is going to look like. I know what it’s going to feel like. I know what I want people to feel when they go into that space, and then it’s just a matter of finding that visual language.

Speaking to deeply meaningful subject matter can be challenging, but art-making provides the vehicle through which we can speak truth and invite others to reflect on that truth. In this video from SFMOMA, Hinkle offers us a perfect example of intellect and intuition working in harmony to convey a message.

OFFERINGS FOR ARTISTS

The 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge Course is an affordable, content rich, self-guided course that can be started at any time, and is always available for purchase on my website.

Once purchased, you’ll have lifetime access to the course and can repeat the Challenge at any time in the future, giving your art-making the boost it might need.

This course also touches on many of the essential aspects of the Artist’s mindset – the ways we can think about and approach our creative work to move past fear and limitations, opening to what is possible for us.

You can find out more about The 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge Course HERE.

You can also email me at info@insightcreative.ca with your questions or for more info.

The Vision + Voice Program is a personal and transformative deep dive into who you are as an artist, helping you identify what supports you in expressing yourself fully and authentically. You’ll discover YOU in your art, allowing you to bring your vision forward, and to clearly connect with your unique voice. 

In collaboration with artist and coach Kerry Schroeder, we created a unique and inspired 8-week program that addresses many of the core concerns artists face. Our intention was to inspire and empower our participants to work with passion and conviction while trusting themselves in the process. 

The Vision + Voice Program was first offered in September 2024. We are so pleased with how it unfolded, and the progress the artists made in connecting with, and articulating their vision for their art-making. If you’re interested in joining us this September for Vision + Voice 2025, you can join the mailing list HERE.

THE GIFT OF SHARING

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