Dare to be Creative

“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”-

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

You are not creating alone or in a vacuum. Art is a collaboration between the artist and the soul, creative force, the divine, higher power or whatever you envision it to be. You would be amazed at what this alliance can do as long as you are willing to be the channel for creative expression.Train your heart to listen and be receptive to the suggestions of the higher power. Try not to censor your work, adjusting your spiritual satellite to listen to the clues of your collaborator. Be willing to take the risk of creativity and unleash an unanticipated masterpiece.

Explore your possibilities…..

Artists at Play

At the August Fusionart retreat, I had the most fun painting that I can ever remember. My old friend Mehrdad and I spent the day just playing. Free from structure and restrictions, we painted without trying to make anything happen. We were creating the process of creating. The work just flowed, and the fun and laughter abounded. Mehrdad and I talked so much that I was afraid Rassouli, our teacher, was going to through us out of the class.

When Rassouli paints, he gets into such a connection with the canvas it is as if nothing else exists but him and the paint, rag, and canvas. Rassouli, Mehrdad and I all have totally different styles, and yet we share a connection to the process. It is not in our minds, it is more our souls connecting with the canvas and the creative process. We are allowing the painting to express itself through us rather than be created by us. We don't do it the same way, but I sense the same essence in what we are doing.

I believe that everyone has an inner connection with the creative process, whether we realize it or not. Like the wide variety of brushes one sees in the paint store, each one of us makes a different mark on the canvas of life. It is almost like we all possess the same power to create, and yet we all do it differently. Creative expression is part of what makes us unique individuals. The Universe created us all to be part of the painting of life on the canvas of the earth. It is our responsibility to make our mark in such a way that the world is a better place for us having been here. That is my wish and my dream and the purpose for my art.

The World as a Canvas

This painting is the collaboration of two old friends who were surprised to discover that they shared a passion for art. I have known Mehrdad Dabbagh for 18 years, but in a completely different context - the world of business. I really did not know Mehrdad’s spirit until I met him in one of Rassouli's classes three years ago. No one can describe the expression on his face when he first saw me in the art class. It was like seeing someone from another world that you never imagined you would see in the world of art.

I have lived my life as a non artist. I am an engineer. An analytical business consultant who helps people design their businesses for profit. I help people design the systems and structures that make a business run and make money. I have been doing this for the past 18 years. I have been an entrepreneur for over 50 years. No one in my life, including myself, and certainly not Mehrdad, ever expected me to make the transformation into being a painter and artist.

Through the teaching of the Master Rassouli, I have bridged the gap and made that transition. In the process I have found a new friend in my old acquaintance Mehrdad. I found him to be a talented artist who paints with passion and emotion. This painting began with the two of us playing in class one day. We just started sharing the canvas. We each worked on one side, and then we turned the canvas and we worked on top of each other's work. There was no plan. There was no drawing. There was no blueprint. (Mehrdad also happens to be an architect.) We just kept playing and having fun. As the music changed the beating of our brushes on the canvas got faster and faster. The energy was jumping as we raced to place more paint on the canvas.

I consider this to be an example of the meeting of two worlds. Two people from different countries with different backgrounds. Even though for years they thought they knew each other, they did not. Their souls met through a mutual experience on canvas with brush and paint. I have placed the value of this painting at $10,000 - the highest price in my collection. It is the painting that took the longest time and most distance traveled to create. This is an example of the meaning of our Fusionart Movement. When we all surrender to the creative process; that is when the journey begins. This painting is a celebration of that transformation and the connection we can all share through art.

Art in Art's Time

The process of creating is not exact. Art occurs in its own time. When you create something, you begin to fall in love with it before it ever exists. The creative process; the thinking, the experimentation, the starting over – all these are part of the joy of artistic endeavor. Sometimes inspiration comes fast and sometimes it comes slow. The trick is to not impose your own expectations on the result.

As an artist, you are merely the vehicle for the creative process. What I love about my art is that I never know what it is going to be. Even after it is done, I resist the temptation to categorize or judge it. I paint until the painting tells me we are done. Then I stand back and discover what it is I have created. Sometimes when I paint, I even take my glasses off so I cannot see the canvas very clearly. I have done entire works with my eyes closed. These techniques liberate me. When I free myself from my thinking mind and let go of the expectations, I see that I have created my best works.

The Universe is the ultimate creator, and we are all expressions of that creation. We are each and every one of us a unique creation with the ability to use the creative process to express our own individual voices. This way of thinking allows me to let the work flow and not live in the expectation that I am in charge of making something happen.

Without expectation, and with no blueprint, I have access to truly amazing results. Give your soul a chance to express itself. Paint without judgment, without concept of time. Be open to what occurs, and let your spirit be the artist.