One of the wonderful things about the artistic process is that it has so much to teach us, if we’re open to it.
And perhaps one of the best things we can learn is to trust our intuition as artists – as Tammy Hanna discovered during our most recent round of the Create a Collection course.
I loved reading what Tammy wrote in response to my questions about her experience, because they’re so thoughtful, and offer so many little gems and reminders about what can happen if we just let ourselves do what feels true to us, instead of trying to follow the ‘rules’.
I hope you find some gems of your own as you read Tammy’s story – let us know in the comments!
What’s the name of the collection?
Are We Alive?
What did you discover in creating this collection?
I’ve become aware over the years that play, spontaneity and following a feeling are the things that motivate me to create.
However, I’d also felt a sense of shame around it – as if this wasn’t how a ‘real’ artist works.
That it’s all very well for experimenting or messing around in a sketchbook, but when it comes to making ‘real’ art, I thought I had to be serious or disciplined.
So it was hugely liberating to be able to embrace this approach as an integral way of how I create and trust my intuition rather than a misguided need to follow ‘the rules’.
Because there aren’t really any rules.
And if/when complete freedom becomes overwhelming, then having constraints can help.
And I can decide what those constraints are – from picking a theme and limiting my colour palette to how many pieces I want to attempt for a collection.
What challenged you and how did you overcome it?
The thing about following your intuition is that it takes a lot of faith.
I’m self-taught, and in the 20 or more years that I’ve been making art, the challenge that comes up every time I sit down to create is self-doubt.
And even though I know by now that there’s no magic formula to bypass it or skip over it, I still meet it with varying degrees of angst and success.
Experience helps, but having support helps even more. In creating my collection, Tara’s gentle words of wisdom, gained from years of her own experience, kept me going.
There was a point in the process, after I’d laid down the initial colour and layers in a burst of excited inspiration, when I felt paralysed.
I knew the pieces were far from finished, but I didn’t know how to move forward.
My initial idea for the collection (moments of joy) didn’t seem quite right any more, and I didn’t want to ruin what felt and looked good to me so far. I was also aware of trying to meet an expectation of what the pieces ‘ought’ to look like.
Tara’s encouragement to hone in on my ‘why,’ and trust myself, helped me to release those expectations and follow what felt right.
A lot of this involves being with the discomfort, being with the doubts and fears, with as much gentleness and curiosity as possible.
One afternoon, standing in my garden revelling in the autumn light, I watched the shadows of plants appear on the fence.
It sparked something and I grabbed my panels and began to trace the outlines of the shadows directly onto the boards. Shakily, in pencil, as the sun was setting, trying not to worry about getting it right, but just capturing what I could before the light disappeared.
Those lines ended up being drawn in in green and gold ink, adding an energy to the pieces that I hadn’t planned or expected. This helped me tap into the essence of what I wanted to convey in this collection – a sense of aliveness.
I loved that it was a sense of not knowing that led me there. Because I’d allowed it to be and made room for it.
What surprised you about making this collection?
That the mystery in the creative process is always there, that it continues to surprise me, and that it continues to feel so good!
I’m still working on the collection, but this process has reminded me that making art, especially if I trust myself, is nurturing, joyful, fulfilling and healing.
And that it was always meant to be this way.
Where to find Tammy online:
Would you like to create a collection of your own?
If you’ve never worked this way before, it can feel a bit daunting or opaque, but it can be absolutely game changing for your practice.
From stuck, frustrated, and not sure how to tell when a piece is finished, then stalling out for weeks or months, to being able to stay in flow, and create a body of work that shines with your unique voice.
Create a Collection is open twice a year currently.
Find out more and get on the waitlist – or join us – here.
