Part 2 of the Joshua Yeldham workshop was held yesterday. I don't feel I could do it justice to explain it and I almost feel like it would be breaking a trust that we (the group) developed throughout the process.

Instead I will share with you the self portrait we had to do during the week as homework. It was all about the process, not the outcome so it was very challenging to let go of the intellect when making this, to not judge it for all the technical imperfections and just allow the act of pure creation to occur. It's intensely personal so although I'm uncomfortable with sharing this in the public domain, it was such an amazing experience I'm hoping that some of that energy has been captured in the work and might resonate with some of you enough to inspire you to 'start/continue/come back to' making space for creativity in your daily life.

When you tap into pure creation and it's just about mark making (no judgement), you operate at a different level - it's raw, it's very physical and it's truly beautiful. It is something that will enrich your life and that of those around you. If you think you can't do it or you don't have time you're wrong. Can you doodle? Can you day dream? Obviously that's a much smaller scale of what I'm trying to explain above but that's a simple, manageable way to start making it a daily part of your busy life.

Workshop exercise -Self PortraitSuch a confronting yet beautiful experience doing this exercise

Homework Self Portrait - ink, acrylic, charcoal on paper

* A bit of background for those of you that don't know, I was lucky enough to participate in a two part workshop facilitated by Joshua Yeldham. It was a workshop on creativity and a few things I took away from it are:

1. we need to stop strangling the life out of things to try and maintain them (creativity, relationships, work, everything) and instead let go and allow them to follow their natural course. That may sometimes result in outcomes we don't want but it is the natural flow of things and how you will tap into your true creativity.

2. make time and space for pure creativity - like exercise and healthy eating, it will make you a more balanced person.

3. think for yourself, or rather, stop thinking! As children we are taught that trees should be green and the sun is yellow so we're already existing in a world of boundaries without even being aware of it. Stop thinking about it so much, let go and paint a purple sun in the shape of a triangle, using your elbow instead of a brush if that's what you're feeling.

NB: These are not necessarily what was said in the workshops, it is just some of the things that arose for me out of various discussions. There is so much more but as I mentioned at the beginning, I don't think this is the time.

Joshua Yeldham is exhibiting at the Manly Art Gallery  & Museum until November 2nd.

Workshop entry - Self portraitSubmission for a place in the workshop

Workshop submission Self Portrait - Hand cut paper, water colour, thread