Words of Wisdom

Someone I respect once said to me, “Nikki, you can’t do anything wrong.” I took that to mean that because of my moral compass and presence of mind, my actions would always be well-intentioned and thoughtful, which is how I try to approach my life and the world. Even when confronted with strife, I am very thoughtful about how to respond to the situation. Sometimes people don’t like the response, but my responses always contain a lot of consideration as to how to conduct myself in a way that is true to myself, and a way that is true to my values. If someone doesn’t like my response (which happens on occasion), then their values and compass are pointed in a different direction than mine, and I am happy to say, “adios.”

In art, too, I like to apply this “you can’t do anything wrong.” Because it’s actually very true for artists; we just need to create, without dwelling too much on whether or not it’s “good” or “right.” You can decide later whether it’s presentable, once you feel that the piece is complete, or that your commitment to the piece is dwindled or exhausted. I find that approaching my art in this way allows me to be fearless and productive - there is no time-consuming hesitance and fear of making something bad. If I don’t like it, I can just start over again. It’s a liberating approach to creation, being able to lift my own critique and fear.

One of the reasons this came to mind is that I’m about to embark on a new branch of my creative journey. I’ve decided to add encaustic painting to my toolkit, and I’m so excited to start experimenting with this dreamy technique. I have the wax medium and brushes all ready to go, just have to find an old crock pot to melt the wax in. I already have ideas about how to use the technique on some current works in progress. I’m so glad the weather is getting cooler now because I have to be in the garage studio and it can get downright stuffy in there during the summer. Stay tuned for more!