So, in stepping up to the easel… one night I just suck, and the next I’m completely in the zone. I know that this is just how it is for all artists, but what is up with that?
Because I’m hiking or walking dogs all day, I paint at night. I also love NPR, so I often combine the two and listen to On Point or Terry Gross or the Moth Radio Hour or whatever is on. I love them (until BBC News comes on and I run to turn it off before I develop a facial tic).
The thing is, if you allow yourself to paint without any talking, your brain goes into this beta-mode kind of thing where it’s like a waking meditation. Hard to explain, but it’s like you have absolutely no conscious control over your thoughts, and they’re just below consciousness. I assume it has something to do with the left brain shutting down and allowing the right to kind of take over, but… I don’t know. I should probably dust off one of the books I have in the bookshelf dealing with creativity and the brain.
Anyway, I’m wondering if what I’m listening to is influencing my painting. Am I forcing my left brain to butt in when my right wants my whole head to itself? What if, instead of listening to a show on, say, some scientific theory, I have Verdi playing in the background? Hmm.
I’m sure Harvard has done some study on this, but I need to see for myself…
I’ll report back.
canvas major 