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🩵 Something I Noticed
I had a small revelation this week.
I study a lot of art stuff—the process of painting, the traits of painters, tips and tricks, etc.
So when I was talking recently with an artist who was feeling a little scattered in general, my mind naturally defaulted to art. She wanted to try lots of things—different mediums, different kinds of art, different creative outlets.
“Is that okay?” she wondered, unsure whether she should feel okay branching out or whether she was wasting time.
I thought: What is your intention?
Intention is the first step I use when thinking through a painting. Before deciding on color or composition, it helps to know what you’re trying to create.
And I realized the same thing applied here, to this life question.
If her intention is to become a professional artist, sell her work, and become known for something in particular, then narrowing her focus might serve her well. There’s something powerful about going deeply into one medium and giving yourself the time to become very good at it.
But if her intention is to have a joyful creative life—to explore, make things, learn, and perhaps share what she creates with friends and family—then why wouldn’t she try watercolor? Or pottery? Or collage? Or whatever catches her curiosity next?
Neither path is better.
They simply have different intentions.
And there was something wonderfully freeing about that.
The question wasn’t really, Is it okay to do lots of different things?
The better question was, Does doing lots of different things support what I’m hoping for?
Once we knew that, the answer became surprisingly simple.
Later, I caught myself applying the same question to other things in life.
What is my intention here?
And I noticed that when I could answer that first, some of the other decisions became easier.
The answer depends on what we are trying to create in the first place.
Painting taught me that.
I like painting.
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