The Reiki Cafe 

As far as I remember, at school I was really pants at art. You know the way some people can just draw a cat, or a horse, whatever and make it look like a cat, horse, whatever. If I drew a cat you would have wondered whether it was a dog or maybe a long-tailed rabbit or something.
Just recently I decided to do a basic skills art course at night school to try and improve a bit. To my surprise the teacher says I'm the best in the class and I should try life drawing. I'm thinking maybe she's not getting a true impression of my abilities. Life drawing is supposed to be difficult isn't it? That is where my lack of skill will show up.
I just went to my first life drawing class and I did at least two surprisingly good drawings. Looking at them now I'm thinking did I do that? Do you think I could be getting a bit of help, like from a spirit guide with skills in this field, who kind of takes over and does it for me?
When I was drawing I felt like I didn't concentrate very hard and I was a bit nervous so I wasn't really with it. I was just putting pencil to paper without really thinking about it too much.
Wierd huh?
Interested to hear your opinions.
Nelys.

I am not sure how this happens, but I had a similar experience. I have always been totally inept at drawing. I was on retreat, and had just done some Shamanic journeying. I wanted to sketch a scene from my journey, so sat down with some pastels and quickly , without much thought, just drew with a feeling of energy. It turned out so amazingly beautiful, I am going to frame it. I was astounded!
Blessings,
Feather

Otoharo!

Nelys, this is not weird at all. There are a number of explanations. The most probable is that you have long been an artist in many lifetimes. This does not lie in your brain (which is specific to this body) but lies in yourself. Let it happen. That is all creativity really is, anyway.

finality

Yes.

I think every one can be an artist. I drew as a child and stopped while in the rebellious/drinking/partying stage of my life and have started again about 4 years ago.

I did my own home schooling so to speak. I would paint the masters and learn their brush strokes and use of color then I gave these paintings away.

I loose all track of time when I am working on a piece of work. Sometimes I will step back and am amazed at what has been created. I have no doubt that we are aided in our pursuit of creation. I am extremely grateful for the help I have received.

Have a beautiful creative day.
Be

Namaste all.

My actions and decisions with "myself" out of it were right on the mark, always. In other words, my instincts prove to be right when my logical brain lets go of control. This is very hard to do! Here's where I wonder about the value of the so called "mindfulness". If "absentmindedness" can give you that connection, what does mindfulness do?

Mal

"absentmindedness" is how we listen. Mindfulness is for when we act on what we have learned when we listened.

blackearth

nelys,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- well, perhaps you got out of your left brain a bit and let your right brain have a little room to breathe, so to speak

>:-}}

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Well this is very interesting to me. I was lucky enough to secure a place at a college last October to learn about art in general - its an interesting course - no time limit, no conditions, no exams, no pressures of any kind - I go if and when I feel like it - a very strange concept in education I'm sure you'll agree. I went to talk to the college in the first place because I had lots of creative ideas constantly filling my head but had no idea how to carry out some of the techniques I thought I might need. At first I only did one day a week - I was allocted life drawing for half of this one day - I've never drawn anything in my life before and was absolutely terrified for some reason but decided to go with it and see what happened. According to the tutor I do a decent job - enough of a decent job that when I asked to come to college for a second day, I was allocated another half day life drawing!!!!

Trouble with all this is that its totally freaked me - to be told I'm 'good' at something I've never done before - it didn't make me feel good - it scared me. I didn't ever want to do this, why is this what the universe (my higher self???) is putting in front of me? For some time now I've not been able to face college actually because of this. But I have dreams where the tutor of the life drawing class is there - simply in places that I would feel comfortable in - he doesn't talk to me or anything, it just feels good that he's there - I get the feeling I'm being told his class is comfortable for me but I don't know how to get past those 'scary' feelings.

I'm not quite sure why I'm writing except perhaps that I recognise the synchronicity of coming to read here tonight after not coming to this site for many months, and finding another person with similar issues. I get the feeling that I've been 'sent' to college for some reason, to meet the people there, to get to know myself better - something - I don't think its about learning to draw lol. I think that I'm already getting help from unexpected sources - Nelys - you say that you just put pencil to paper without thinking about it too much - similar with me in a way - there was one point where I suddenly saw the difference between different shades of light and dark - another when I felt like I was simply making visible the lines that were already 'there' - another when using pastels on a face that I 'got' how to layer the colours to make it seem real - I don't know where its all coming from and I'm afraid to go - not because I might be good - but because it feels ..................... I dunno the words - not like me - obviously some part of me - but not this me ......... I dunno if any of this makes sense - my life has been very strange for the last few months while I've been working all this out - I really feel I should go back to college at least to talk to the tutors, but my feet feel buried in cement up to my hips!

I also would be grateful for any help, opinions, reiki.

Thank you Nelys for writing here.

Love and huggles

Eleanor

Otoharo!

Lumpflink, Thanks for sharing these experiences. My daughter and one of my sisters are artists. During the time that I worked in an alcohol clinic, one of my clients who is an artist invited me to come to her studio. I went and was enthralled by her work. She offered me classes and I began. All she did was have me use a large piece of brown paper similar to bags that are used at a grocer. I remember looking at all that blank space and my stomach giggled with a kind of stage fright. Then I followed my stomach, and ended up with something I thouroughly enjoyed. (The assignment was to draw five apples.) Actually I was using colored chalk, the builky size, so it was coloring more than drawing. But I was fascinated by the experience of having something in my body guide my hands. After that, I did some sketching that really surprised me. This sketching came from a me that I did not know.

finality

I am jumping ina bit late on this thread :-)
I am an artist. At least I try to be.
I always do my best work when I am NOT thinking about it.
I am just doing. Some might say following my gut.
Trying to hard alawys sets up blocks.
It is wonderful that you can work without "trying".
Embrace it. Love it. It is YOU.
The first great artist was not guided by anyone else.
I dont think you are either. I think you have just discovered a natural talent. That is a beautiful thing :)