The delighted brain

Magazines and coffee
acrylic on canvas
8 x 8 inches

Here's a little painting I've been
working on today.
It's not quite done.
Once again the colours in the room
have been changed to protect
the integrity of the artist.

It isn't just the "aha!" moment that artists experience,
it's the "aha' life. Alyson Stanley's ArtBiz Blog podcast
today, is about needing a "fire in the belly" to pursue
a career in art. http://www.artbizblog.com/
I completely agree with her, and to add to last night's
theme, I think that this can also be a factor in artists'
lack of sleep.

I remember years ago when I painted only occasionally
that all I had to do to guarantee sleepless nights was
start a painting. All night long I'd see flashes of colour,
feel the paint slipping across a large canvas in wide arcs.
It was heaven -- but a restless one.

People talk a lot about inspiration -- divine and otherwise.
I think our "aha" life, the life of the delighted brain, is
something artists can't live without. When that's true,
we don't need any prodding, or convincing, or even
any positive self talk to get to the canvas -- we just
get there. That doesn't mean that every experience
in painting will be pure pleasure -- it means that we
know the feeling of joy that comes with that work, and
we need to return to it often.

Have an "aha-so-this-is-the-aha-life!" day