Claire, Julia, and Vincent Van Gogh

By Paul Roberts

Quick, name an author who writes about creativity that Paul and Carol like to talk about. 

I have offered up a quiz like this in my blog before, confident that most, if not all of my readers would quickly answer “Julia Cameron.” I have a new name for you, thanks to a wonderful book that my daughter Zoe got me for Fathers Day.

Claire Watson Garcia is the author of Painting for the Absolute and Utter Beginner. I had shared with Zoe some months ago about my unusual experience of having a poem inspire me to paint a picture, someday, even though I have never taken an art class and consider myself to be color uncoordinated. 

I have added Watson Garcia’s book to my morning reading - ah heck, I’m just going to call her Claire, since Julia and I are on a first name basis. One of the similarities in the format of their books is the placement of quotes in the margins by well known creatives. Imagine both my pleasure and amazement when reading Vincent Van Gogh’s words: “The emotions are sometimes so strong that I work without knowing it. The strokes come like speech.” He was moved emotionally by putting colors on canvas like I am moved by putting words on a page.

In her books about the process of writing, my old friend and mentor Julia has a knack for making me believe in myself as a writer. Claire, my new friend and (hopefully) mentor has been able to make me believe I can be a painter if I cultivate a tool Julia would appreciate: a constructive attitude. Claire is writing about learning to paint, but I think you can insert your own creative endeavors, and her list of “Tips on Developing a Constructive Approach” will work for you.

• Note your successes.
• Remain open to the possibility that your work will develop (over time).
• Keep in mind that learning to paint is a progression; it doesn’t happen all at once.
• Take the pursuit more seriously than each individual result. Give yourself permission to be “less than perfect” in the process.
• Acknowledge that mistakes give you a chance to learn the solutions…Painting is in large part about fixing the mistakes.
• Remember, you’re carrying some of the answers within yourself. Your aesthetic signature…is already there.
• No two people paint the same picture. You have your own unique perspective to express.

I’m not sure when I will actually begin working on the exercises Claire is suggesting for me, this utter beginner. It may be some time before I can carve out the time in my teaching, writing, performing, gardening, podcasting schedule. But some day, I want to come closer to understanding what Van Gogh’s experience was all about.

“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint’ then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” Vincent Van Gogh