Making art with spirit

‘Astral Fashion’, ©Kris Cahill 2021, gouache and mixed media on paper

Where does art come from?

Before any artwork takes shape as something that can be seen, it already exists as energy or spirit.

Spirit comes first, always. The trick is that in order to become real or have a form, whether this art is meant to be seen, heard, read, tasted, smelled, or experienced in another way, it must come to that form through its maker - the artist. The artist can be a painter, composer, performer, writer, chef, teacher, architect, healer, psychic, designer, peacemaker, inventor, or you, creating whatever you create.

Every work of art - indeed, everything created by humans on this earth, started off as spirit. The earth itself and all the life forms on it, also began as spirit. Everything begins with energy, and that is where art comes from too.

Before there was a painting, what existed was a feeling, an energy, perhaps a wish or desire to make an image in a certain way or work with a particular color palette. I often start that way - which colors am I feeling or wanting to play with today? If I’m experimenting with color, I’ll just work with what feels right, or mix up a bunch of colors and make a chart out of them, keeping track of what I learned. Color itself is energy too, and is unique for each of us. Color is vibration, sometimes you might experience it at an emotional level, or as a healing.

‘Soon’ ©Kris Cahill 2021; gouache and mixed media on paper

Learning to trust myself as an artist

One very important lesson I’ve learned as an artist is that if I want to express myself, I’ve got to trust myself too. If I really trust me, I won’t get stuck in a negative mindset that sometimes comes along with making art. The permission I have to be creative has helped me build more trust within. I have a long way to go, that’s for sure, but I’m practicing the energy of trust every day. Being an artist has given me much joy and peace in my life; it’s helped me to heal myself in big ways and small.

Whenever one takes the time to learn how to do something and practice it, that thing becomes a kind of spiritual practice.

It doesn’t matter whether that practice is learning how to dance on a skateboard, or make wild abstract paintings that exude intensity and energy. It’s all art, and it all works much better by trusting the process, and trusting oneself. While I have zero intention of messing about on skateboards this lifetime, I trust myself (most days) while playing with paint, experimenting with color, or using different tools to make marks on paper with. One big reason for this trust is that I practice, I make experiments with no expectation of any outcome. I just want to gather information when I make experiments - what happens when I do x, y, z?

I also watch other artists’ videos, and see how they go about making their work. If an artist is using materials or techniques unfamiliar to me, I do some studying to learn about how those different art materials work. I read books by wonderful artist teachers like Flora Bowley, who is one of the many painters calling herself an intuitive painter. (If ‘Intuitive Painting’ had been on the menu when I’d been in art school, I probably would have allowed myself to paint much earlier in my life!) I have a wish to study with Flora and a few other wonderful artists in the near future, and I cannot wait to do so.

I visit museums and galleries to be around art in person, and it’s always a healing for my body and spirit when I do this. Just being in a room full of work by artists who brought themselves and their spirit to the table when they created this work, is super healing.

You can really feel and know the difference between a live concert or show in which every performer is present and truly in the work, as opposed to one where it seems like the players aren’t really engaged in the performance. The same goes for creative work in any media - it’s the spirit of the creator that really makes a difference in the experience you have.

‘An Opening’ ©Kris Cahill 2021, gouache and mixed media on paper

Energy changes all the time, it evolves, moves, and transforms.

It also doesn’t require any effort or have to be difficult. Every time I show up for an art making session, I try to remember this. It’s about playing - spirit works best with play. What if learning to trust myself as an artist and human being was as simple as playing?

Can it be that easy? I’m willing to experiment and find out for myself.