Here is the second part of the post I began last Friday about what I’m learning by doing an energy practice, and how it can be applied to art {and life in general, of course}.
Remember to laugh about it
It has taken me three YEARS to really experience any kind of ease around this! When I first started learning Tai Chi I was sometimes reduced to tears by my apparent ineptness {that pesky perfectionism}. I was also relentlessly hard on myself in every other area of my life. I just noticed recently that when I eff up a Tai Chi sequence, or wobble and nearly fall over, I mostly laugh now. I can say with confidence that without persevering with the practice I wouldn’t be able to so readily see the funny side. Easing up on myself allows me to see progress in my abilities; there’s something very satisfying about seeing how far you’ve come, even if no one else will ever know.
Allow it to be whatever it wants
Almost nothing tends to turn out as we think it should or is going to. As long as we’re attached to specific outcomes we will suffer. Although it may take practice and constant reminders, at least at first, the freedom and spaciousness of letting things be as they are will bring a peace that is worth all the effort. If I was wedded to completing an error free round of Tai Chi, or a painting that looked only like what was in my mind when I started it, I’d very VERY rarely be happy.
Being an eternal student is awesome
I’m a total learning fiend. I want to learn about everything, from how my kitchen tap works to the details of quantum theory. I am a dork in the best possible sense of the word. 🙂 All I know is that in embracing my beginner’s mind I am available for all sorts of revelations, aha moments and general absorbing of fascinating things, and Tai Chi and art both enable me to flex and strengthen that particular muscle.
Bossy moment: Apply everything I’ve said over the course of these two posts to your art/creative practice. It all applies and will change things for the easier. Consider me proof!
*****
These are my learnings so far, or at least the main ones that I’m aware of. I know for sure there are many more and part of the joy of it is knowing I will discover them as I keep going.
Do you have an energy practice; a martial art, or yoga, meditation or something else? Do you find it teaches you useful life and art lessons? Please share them in the comments ~ I’m fascinated by your experience of this! If you don’t have one, is there anything else in your life that you find teaches you these kinds of things?
i love that about you T… that you love to learn and take on life with such an open heart.
(and a generous one as well, to willingly share all these aha moments with us). xox
Haha, I tend to write to learn what I know Pauline, so it’s all news to me too! 😉
hooray for loving to learn. the world fascinates me too!
as for energy practice, i am spotty with practice of late, but am a lover of yoga and meditation/breathwork. i find these practices have taught me much that is applicable in life and art. the biggest lesson: that of beginning again.
Oh yes, beginning again ~ a great one! Thanks for reminding me. So much relief in that.
Hi, I’m Nigel and I used to be a perfectionist 😉
Thankfully life gave me a wake-up call, and made me an artist instead (I still can’t believe i keep saying that). the perfectionist is still there at times, and comes in useful occasionally, but mostly it gets ignored.
Not too good at Tai Chi, far too complicated. I’ll stick with Qi gong & Reiki.
As for laughter, if people are laughing at me they’re leaving somebody else alone.
I love your attitude Nigel. 🙂 It’s no mean feat to ignore your inner perfectionist, but so worth it as you know! I tried Qi Gong recently but decided one Chinese martial art/energy practice was enough! I could learn Tai Chi for a lifetime and never have finished learning it.
LOVE it!!! xx