In case you don't follow us on facebook, I've just returned home from Europe after visiting family, friends and completing a 1-month artist residency in a chateau in France.
Not everyone knows what that means, so here’s a summary:Nearly every day for 4 weeks I was making art in a studio at Chateau d'Orquevaux, in the Champagne region. There were 28 of us; writers, musicians, and visual artists, from Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
(In the Dining Room at Chateau d'Orquevaux)
Yes you pay to go but they feed and house you, as well as provide the opportunity to collaborate with others,expand / strengthen your creative practice, resource each other and have fun.It was lovely of course, but there was also some deep transformative work for myself.
You might ask: “What deep work would you need to do at a chateau in France where they cooked and cleaned for you and every day you created?”
Life on the surface can be one thing yet it takes time, reflection, space and often help to go deeper.
Even after creating for many years, having solo exhibitions,being involved in a couple of great art groups in Newcastle and Dungog, doing a creative PhD, producing a book with more artworks than you can poke a stick at, I still have an internal voice that doubts my artistry.
I'm not alone, so did the great van Gogh.I know it sounds crazy to many of you.But many of us have an inner dialogue that can get in the way.
Once again (this isn’t the only time I’ve plumbed these depths) I was wrestling with that voice that doubted my ability to create worthy artworks, call myself an artist and continue what is actually an integral part of who I am.
(Left:The old stables where my studio was)
This idea had already raised its head at the last ‘Space for…..God/The Divine Mystery’ Retreat. When this occurs, I think of Vincent van Gogh who wrote to his brother Theo:
My response? “But I’m no Vincent van Gogh”
Then the still small voice said: “Neither was he. He didn’t know when he was alive that he was amazing.”
Game – set and match I thought.
But there it was again while at the amazing, beautiful chateau. Day by day facing that doubt. What did I do?
I kept turning up, playing with my art materials, taking time to reflect on artmaking and life until I had pushed through.
(My studio space)
Was it easy? Not on your life.
But I know what serves me and avoiding the studio doesn’t work (I’ve tried that in the past). Van Gogh was right!
Now it's time for those deep transformative lessons to make a difference back in Australia.
Here there are many more demands on my time (and most of them are ones I want).
The same questions need dealing with:
How do I be the person I want to be?
What can I put into place to avoid being swallowed up by the 'tyranny of the urgent'. Are there areas of weakness in me, that get in the way of this? (Saying 'yes' too often raises other questions for me.)
What reflective practices help me be the person I want to be?
While I travel by train as often as I can, one of the benefits of driving from Mayfield to Fosterton is being able to listen to some great things on Radio National.This week Lisa Leong on 'This Working Life' spoke with Adam Grant about his ideas about unleashing your hidden potential. He proposes that if we want to be ‘better than we were yesterday’ (in whatever ways that are important to us- although he encourages a focus on character over performance) it’s important to meet our weaknesses and move towards them. To find ways to counteract them. This made me think about the Enneagram(*) and how it looks at our weaknesses, helping us acknowledge and face them so that they are not tripping us up so readily.
Doubt about my art can trip me up but some of what I learnt at Orquevaux I wrote in a letter to myself, posted on the last day and arriving 2 ½ weeks later to help me hang on to them.
Here are a few:
Remember it’s better for me to create than not. Not creating leaves hunger in me that I have to keep shutting off and over time it depletes me to not create,
This writing a letter to your future self can be a helpful reflective exercise.
Here’s a few more exercises you might want to try. AND of course, if you come to one of our retreats we give you more.
(Below: A reflective drawing by Max)
Thankfulness Circles: On a page draw some bubbles and at the end of the day do stick figures in 1 or more bubble to show something you’re grateful for that day.
Written Journalling: Write 3 pages or for 30 minutes without stopping or editing. Julia Cameron “The Artists Way.”
Visual Journalling: Draw a circle and using 4 colours only to draw/scribble and then set
Pick a question and answer to it.
Were there any nice surprises today?
How are you feeling now- how would you rate yourself out of ten and why?
What’s one thing I’m not happy about in my life and one thing I can do towards changing it?
Remember you don’t always have to write an answer! Our Stay at home retreat blog for ideas.
For more questions, this page on the Positive Psychology website has plenty more. If this brings up something that you need help with, please reach out, to us or someone else caring and skilled.
All the best with your deep diving.
Vincent van Gogh, Brainy Quotes, https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/vincent_van_gogh_104644
Lisa Leong, “This Working Life,” Radio National, https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/this-working-life/adam-grant-on-how-to-unleash-your-hidden-potential-/104381086
The Enneagram is an ancient method of understanding our personalities, especially our weaknesses. This helps us know ourselves better and not get tripped up so easily/often by them. There's lots of information on the web, some useful and in 2025 we are having an Introduction to the Enneagram. In the meantime this link will help you understand it a bit better. “What is the Enneagram?” https://www.webmd.com/balance/what-is-the-enneagram
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