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- Create Without Expectation.
Create Without Expectation.
When you don’t worry about whats gonna happen, it allows you to be a lot more present.
Grace Diarra
August 12, 2024
I stood still and looked blankly at the white canvas while the video played. I watched what the artist did and tried to copy some of his movements. I had an idea of what I wanted in mind, but after the first stroke, I knew I messed up. But then he said something that would change the way I create forever.
When you don’t worry about whats gonna happen, it allows you to be a lot more present. It allows you to release that whole control of, “oh man its gotta happen just like this and if it doesnt it was a failure.” It allows you to be a lot more receptive to the possibility of something being something you could’ve never imagined.
He was about 22 when he started painting, and I’m assuming he’s now around 26. I was surprised when I first heard this because I thought that he had started with WAY more experience. But no, he just allowed himself to create whatever he felt led to, even if he had one idea that turned into a new subject. Throughout the video, he continuously reassures the viewers to just trust themselves in what they’re creating, even if they don’t exactly know what it is yet. His point throughout the video is to create without expectation.
Whenever you put these expectations in yourself with whatever you're creating, you set yourself up for quick failure and disappointment.
“Those beliefs of what things should be kill possibility.”
Even as you create without knowing what’s going on, you still might not like what you have on whatever canvas you’re working on. Just let it ride. "The painting will develop as you continue to go.” Allow it to convey what it wants it to convey.
So I began to paint. The lost ideas and seemingly random strokes eventually turned into party balloons with bulging eyes and sharp fangs.
Here's the piece I ended up creating:
Near the end of the video, something else that he mentioned was that his painting, filled with no expectations, reminded him of his earlier work. This was because, at that time, he had no reason to expect anything since he was just figuring stuff out.
Not only will I continue to apply this principle to my paintings but also to other things such as writing stories and creating designs. I also recommend that you pop out a canvas or piece of paper and allow yourself to just create without any expectation.
If you like Bob Ross vibes but with more style and meaningful talks, check out MICAH's YouTube channel here:
You can find MICAH’s work on his website:
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