Our Comfort Zone

We all have one. Some of us are more comfortable in ours than others are in theirs. Most of us have several of them depending on what we are addressing. Lifestyles, finances, relationships, jobs. Some of us are comfortable with our art and some of us aren’t.


One of the basic laws of nature seems to be that if we aren’t comfortable we tend to fidget a bit. The more uncomfortable we are, the more we squirm. Most of the time, depending on what we are talking about, the discomfort isn’t so bad that we will do anything to fix the problem however. In other words, for most of us, what we are dissatisfied with isn’t worth the effort to do anything about it. That’s what is called our comfort zone. It pretty much works most of the time and that is good enough, most of the time…until...

For years I’ve been a very literal painter. I mean, I paint things pretty much as they are. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see what I’ve put on canvas or paper. It is what it is. I’ve always had a hard time seeing what the artist was trying to do in abstract paintings. It just wasn’t my thing. I just couldn’t see it. In recent years, my traditional outlook and approach to my art has been challenged, internally as well as from the outside. I’ve begun to maybe see some value and talent in paintings that just used elements of color and design.

Slowly and rather timidly I began to incorporate small changes in what I was doing and I discovered that I rather liked it. The other day I went for broke and did a painting in a most unconventional manner for me. I’ve got to tell you that I had more fun than I have had in a long time. I was just putting color on the canvas and letting it run and take on a life of it’s own. I put the canvas on the floor. A few splatters here and some drips over there. I put it back on the easel and turned it this way and that, encouraging it to perform on it’s on. I got a little crazy and carried away (who me?) and made a bit of a mess but it was great. The best news is that people are talking about it. They are just as excited as I am. Abstract Impressionism. I like it.

I stepped out of my comfort zone. It was hard to do, but I found it to be exhilarating, refreshing and a whole lot of fun. You should try it. You might like it.