Do you ever feel stifled?
Like you just don’t know how to move forward with your art? What to do next? How to overcome the next roadblock?
🙌 I do!
These thoughts lead to questioning the very act of making art. Should you even continue if you're feeling this stuck?
I've experienced it myself—sometimes it's self-imposed, and other times it feels like an external force acting upon me.
After university, I didn't touch a paintbrush for a decade. Even when I started again briefly, life intervened for another five years after my second child.
It wasn't just parenting—it was after my third son was born that I found my way back to painting amidst the chaos of raising three young boys.
What kept me away? Many things, really.
Have you read 'The War of Art' by Steven Pressfield? I've mentioned this book before—it's a must-read!
Pressfield nails it on resistance—how it blocks our unique genius, a gift from God. He says:
"If you believe in God (and I do), you must declare Resistance evil, for it prevents us from achieving the life God intended when He endowed each of us with our own unique genius."
Who wants to stifle us? It’s not those who love and support us. It's our enemy—sometimes ourselves, sometimes external and unseen forces.
In today’s world, there’s a lot of talk about positive thinking but ignoring negative forces can perpetuate harm, overlook injustice, and allow adversarial influences to operate unseen.
Evil thrives when left unchecked. As soon as we turn on the lights and call it by name its power is diminished.
The other danger in ignoring this enemy is that it can lead to undue self blame, guilt and shame when it wasn’t ours to take on.
Rightly naming the force against us and our work will help us to identify the weapon we need to use against it.
Here's a few examples of how this opposition manifests?
⭐ Time - “I have priorities and responsibilities, art will wait.” Truth: Your art is a priority.
⭐ Importance - “Art is personal and non-essential to daily life—it's something I can afford to put off.” Truth: Art is meant to impact other people. Putting it off means someone is not miss out on the message they need.
⭐ Doubt - “I sometimes question if art is really meant for me. I see it as just a hobby, not something meant to pursue seriously.” Truth: You have been given a gift. Would you hide away a diamond ring? Or a bouquet of flowers?
⭐ Knowledge - “When discussions about art become complex, I feel lost. My limited skills make me doubt my ability to create meaningful work.” Truth: Skills and knowledge are things that can be learned. And once learned cannot be taken away.
⭐ Energy - “There are times when I'm simply too exhausted to dedicate the effort needed to create something great. Other obligations take precedence.” Truth: rest is important. But often exhaustion is perpetuated by not fulfilling our true call.
Another great quote from Steven Pressfield notes,
"Rule of thumb: The more important a call or action is to our soul's evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it."
Your call to action today is to turn on the lights and stand against the forces working against you.
Stay Bold,
PSS. I made this piece is 2012 when I finally overcame the ultimate resistance against me and decided to pursue painting full time. I won the battle!
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