Georgina Hooper - Mindful Thoughts for Artists: Finding Flow & Creating Calm

Finding flow & creating calm

Georgina Hooper

We live in a time where we need to connect with our creative selves more than ever. The unending stimulation of the modern world can be overwhelming, but it also offers opportunities for creative inspiration if only we can draw breath long enough to soak it up and express what we make of it all. As a society, we seem to be tuning in to the rich benefits that art has to offer us as human beings. A surge of creativity is being embraced the world over, with more people taking up all sorts of art practices for pleasure and wellbeing. In this inherent form of self-expression is a vast array of rewards, and the benefits are richly enhanced when we incorporate mindfulness with our artistic practice.

I had the privilege to learn of mindfulness in artistic practice first-hand as a research scholar in Chinas Tianjin University, where an art professor taught me the philosophy and techniques of Chinese landscape painting using ink on delicate rice paper. As I watched the professor work, I sensed his peaceful focus. The fugitive effects of the medium required him to bring all awareness to the act of making in that moment. Over time, I have cultivated a deeper understanding of this way of working. In this book I share with you the culmination of many years of mindful art practice and academic research, and the personal reflections and understandings that have emerged from this.

Art provides for a mindful practitioner a stimulating focus with which to hone and cultivate inner stillness. Delicately and dexterously manipulating nothing into something requires us to reach somewhere beyond the external world into the inner realm where our imagination thrives. By learning to delve deeper into this space we enrich both our meditation and our art.

The wealth and beauty of making can go unnoticed, be forgotten or diluted if you arent present to experience it in the moment. When we create in a mindful way, we can witness the transformation that our creativity brings. Our minds can open to a more intuitive and playful way of making, leading us to a greater sense of joy. We can connect intimately and compassionately with ourselves and others. By quietening the babble of our conscious mind and letting go of control we can allow our whispered inspirations to be heard and respond to them without fear. Through mindfulness we can rise above the damning inner critic with confidence in our artistic ability.

For many of us, having time to make art can be something of a luxury. When we find these moments, we owe it to ourselves to leave behind day-to-day concerns and to be fully present. When we connect deeply with our craft through mindful awareness, we open ourselves up to the magic of making and the beauty that can be found in the here and now.

Consciousness, which is the state of being aware of and responsive to our surroundings, is a natural and healthy part of the human mind. However, living in a climate of perpetual hustle and bustle can present a cacophony of stimuli that bombards our conscious mind, resulting in a never-ending stream of mental babble. In our often constantly changing environment, both virtual and real, we are flooded by information, sounds, sights, ideas, conversations and interactions, and this can be difficult for our sensitive systems to cope with. The activity of the conscious brain can be like a veil of static noise, a constant distracting hum that prevents us from accessing a deeper, more intuitive state of mind and being.