Creative Process | Lily Swain

I wouldn't describe my creative process as linear. There are ups, downs, blocks, and frustrations as I work through the beginning, middle, and hopefully end of a piece.

There is a fun meme circulating the internet which accurately describes my process and the stages I often go through when I work on a painting. Due to its popularity, it reassuringly demonstrates a universal struggle (author unknown).

The Creative Process: 

1. This is awesome

2. This is tricky

3. This is shit

4. I am shit

5. This might be okay

6. This is awesome

Over the years after whitewashing countless paintings when I enter stage 3, I am learning to trust my process and resist the knee-jerk reaction to paint over something that may very well feel like, well shit. I consciously talk myself through stages 3 & 4 and work through nagging self doubt to get to the point where I feel like "this might be okay."