Art is Truth Waiting to Be Told

What if all art (or lots of it, anyway) is a truth waiting to be told?
 
A painter friend of mine goes through this process when she paints.

She gets an idea about what she wants to paint.

She starts painting.

Then one of two things happens. 
 
She gets into a power struggle with the painting because what she thinks it should look like is NOT what it wants to be.  It’s hard to finish in this scenario. Too much fighting.
 
OR—She surrenders and lets the painting, to the best of her skill, become its true self.
 
Why would anyone fight, when surrender is the easier, more successful way?
 
One word: judgment. From other people and ourselves.
 
This is the same reason we don’t tell the truth in the rest of our lives. We’ve all experienced judgment, and it’s painful, awkward, embarrassing, heartbreaking. When we’re kids, it can be life-threatening.
 
But the whole journey is about the truth. Figuring out what it is, then expressing it.
 
This is another reason why your work matters. You’re bringing more truth into the world. 
Love, 
Christy

PS: If you want to get your art into the world, my book, Artists Prosper! can help. 
Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash