How The Process of Painting Will Inspire Your Writing

Soundscape exhibition of my original paintings.

As the first paint loaded brush swipes across the canvas, the colour breaks the white surface and you have begun.

I have been a visual artist, painting and exhibiting for over 25 years. Recently I went through a personal crisis. Through the process, I found that my experience of creating art could help me to write. Here is an outline of my painting process to inspire your writing.

Just Start

A blank canvas, the beginning. For some people, the blank canvas or white page can be daunting, even overwhelming. I have never had a problem starting a painting because one splash of colour and the art has begun. The same with your writing, the first sentence stains the page and you have started. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it is only the beginning.

Where the art begins, is not where it finishes, so just start writing.

“Creativity takes courage. ”
― Henri Matisse

Have Courage

My painting process is most similar to abstract expressionism. This art movement was developed in New York in the 1940s. The artists were renowned for paintings of emotional self-expression and the spontaneous application of paint.

With this style, the artwork develops in the process of painting. Each colour and shape applied, inspires another response and the next section is then added. The painting unfolds during the process of creating it. So too with writing. Each word builds the sentence and each sentence develops a paragraph. Each idea inspires the next idea and on, until it forms into something interesting.

Take courage and just keep writing, changes can come later.

“You can never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honour.”

— Aristotle

In the studio

The First Draft

The beginning of the artwork often starts with an underpainting. An overall colour, that serves the purpose of laying a foundation for the art. Much the same way, the first draft underpins an article. A mass of thoughts, ideas and a possible direction.

Well, that is how the writing process works for me. No one would expect the underpainting to be the finished masterpiece, just the same, the first draft is always only a beginning.

Multiple Revisions

My best paintings have always required multiple layers, often 3 and usually 4. The first layer starts the creative process. It really just gets the energy going and the blood flowing. The second layer will pull the composition together, although it will require a lot of paint. In the third layer, there will be constant change and definitely a struggle, but persistence is the key. The fourth layer completes the artwork, although it really is only for the varnish.

Once you start writing, just keep at it. Multiple revisions, fine tune and fix it, until you can’t change one more element. Todd Brison believes the true magic of writing happens in the third draft.

Any toddler with a crayon can scribble out a few words and call it writing. But what makes the difference between hacks and heroes when it comes to prose you can’t put down?

Answer: It’s the third draft.

Wairua, original painting

Find Your Style

Who are you? Do you know? Creating good art is all about style, Your style. If you want to write better, then get to know yourself. Really dig. Not who you want to be, but who you really are. Your authentic self. Then embrace it, love it and give it to the world generously.

I create my paintings in the process. I don’t do preliminary drawings or plan out the composition. I just start and I keep working until I am satisfied. For me, my art is all about the experience. I want to create the feelings that make people happy and it is the same when I write. I want to inspire and encourage people. This is who I am. I don’t write about politics and I don’t do controversial subjects. Know who you are. Then just do you.

Pure Passion, original painting

Fuel Your Creative Passion

The beauty of creating art is that it requires your full and immediate attention. It is at this very moment, right now. When I am painting and the rich warm tones of paint have been poured onto the canvas, I only have a short window of opportunity to create something beautiful.

It requires all of my energy and single focus. This is the moment to pull the composition together and if I can’t, then the paint will start to dry and I will lose the flow. It is this creative adrenaline that I live for.

This is the energy of creating something from nothing and it will either be successful or it will fail.

I have found the same addictive creative moment with writing. At this moment I am here, pouring out my heart, telling my stories. Capturing the words, getting sentences to sound just right. When it starts to flow, it is there, at that moment. Possibilities are endless and anything can happen. Fuel your creative passion. Find what sparks your imagination, nurture it and release this energy into your writing.

Push Past the Failures

There is always the possibility of failure. You have to learn to push past the fear of failure. The idea hasn’t worked, the composition was wrong and the artwork collapsed. It has happened so many times with my paintings. In the beginning, when I first started to paint and my artwork failed, I would throw myself on the ground and cry. Declaring to the world how useless my life was, but now I know what to expect. Failure is a natural part of the creative process.

I have found a similar pattern to writing. Maybe not as dramatic and definitely not as messy, but still, there are moments of failure. The words are not correct, the structure is not coming together, or perhaps the article didn’t get received how I wanted it to. It’s all part of the creative process. Don’t stress about it, you just have to push past it. I found if I left the failed painting for a few days when I came back to it, I could see a solution. Just close the page and come back to it another day.

The journey will continue when you are ready to complete it.

“Without failure there is no achievement”
- John Maxwell

To Sum Up

Just start, have courage. Begin the first draft, continue through many revisions until you have achieved your masterpiece. Find your style, fuel your creative passion and push past failure.

“Think outside the box, collapse the box, and take a f**king sharp knife to it.” — Banksy

Creativity has the power to change lives.
The world needs to hear what you have to say, get on and keep creating.

Froyle Davies
I’ve been a visual artist for over 25 years and now I tell my stories.
Let me inspire you with this beautiful free print, ‘Above the Stormy Waters.’

Cheers Froyle