"Earthscape" © Chris Dunmire

What is Your TRUE Creative Nature? Posted Mar-17-2007
Know Thy Creative Self
Besides my famous Tee Time painting, the above piece, "Earthscape" is the second public painting project I've done to-date. I have visions of painting many more pictures in my creative lifetime, but for now I wanted to write about this particular piece and why it's floated to the surface again.

When I painted "Earthscape" three years ago, I truly thought it was my doorway into the world of painting. It so happened that the picture came directly from my imagination and before I brushed one lick of paint onto the paper canvas I made a deal with myself to take the pressure off:

Chris, I know you're not a skilled painter, so you can go ahead and ruin this canvas if you'd like. Go ahead and just let go and let it flow.

So I did and that's how "Earthscape" was manifested into form. And to this day I can't believe that picture was expressed through me. Why? Because of my personal creative nature, which I've written about in another piece titled Understanding Your Personal Creative Nature. Additdionally, there's a whole know-yourself-philosophical twist to this which I've tried to sum up in another creative-spiritual piece titled Going with the Flow: Accepting What IS .

Three years and one painting later I'm still finding myself enthused about the idea of painting, but my creative attention and energy is attracted so much more to other mediums and modes of expression.

Did I fail in becoming an authentic artist? Not at all. And this is why it's important to reflect upon your own creative nature and embrace what it is YOU love doing with your creative energy no matter what anyone else thinks or says — even your inner taskmaster-critic. Are you feeling creatively fulfilled? If not, pay attention to this area.

I realize now that my creative nature is not as naturally inclined towards traditional paint and brush like I wanted it to be (and why did I want that?). Admiting to that doesn't make me less of an artist. It makes me more aware of where I'm at in my own needs and desires on this creative journey that is only mine. It makes me more in tune with my authentic self and more equipped to go with my own flow and Accept What IS.

Creative expression has the capacity to bring out the best of who we are, but we have the responsibility to listen closely to what our higher self is saying and feel where our heart truly leaps for joy. If we are in tune and in harmony with that, we are aligned with our true creative nature and it will feel effortlessly wonderful to express that part of ourselves. •

P.S. After I finished "Earthscape", I cut the painting into strips and created a series of small life-affirming collages from it. They were simply beautiful to me, resonating deeply down to my soul. Since then I've given all of the collages away and pieces of "Earthscape" will go on to delight the eyes of its beholders.

© 2007 Chris Dunmire www.chrisdunmire.com. All rights reserved.