What is Process Painting?
‘Process painting’ is the act of painting without an outcome in mind, where the experience is more important than the result. It’s a way to channel your inner child and allow you to connect with the creative act itself.
Why should you paint by process?
Create without pressure
So much of the time we spend creating things to look like other things, to be pretty, to get attention or for money. With process painting you paint just to create.
Ideate like a child
Think like you did as a little kid. Which monsters belong under this bed or which sunny flowers should show up in your bathtub. Think about the weird and wacky and tap back into your imagination.
Play
Have fun instead of being tied to an outcome or result. When was the last time you truly let yourself be free with your art?
Be present in the moment
Pay attention to the moment at hand instead of trying to focus on what it should be. Focus on what is.
Let your mind wander
Without the pressure of an outcome you can truly let your mind wander through the subject matter. Maybe the colors you use are stirring up an emotional response in you. Maybe you focus on the movement of the work. Or the shape.
Meditative
The process can also be meditative and grounding. Maybe you get in touch with your art and finger paint or really feel the medium you’re using. This can focus your mind in one place and reduce your anxiety.
Complete your work without judgement
I will always remember a teacher who yelled at me for coloring Winnie the Pooh the wrong way when I was 5 because I made him a rainbow instead of coloring him like the other children did with red pants and yellow fur. Tapping into the energy you had before your creativity was judged, can you see yourself as the creative force that you were?
Have you tried to process painting before? If so, what did you think?
Ella Luna has a process painting class that runs for 14 weeks that you could join.
