When I started these paintings, I didn’t realise they’d end up being about a positive mindset. But I’m glad that’s how they turned out.
How Positive Mindset Influences My Art
It all began with an idea. I’d heard only too often how an offhand criticism had held people back for years. Maybe it was a parent or teacher who made a comment they thought was helpful. In fact, what it did was stop you from believing in yourself.
The Impact of Negative Feedback on Creativity
I’ve met many artists whose teachers told them years ago that they couldn’t draw or paint. And do you know what happened? They stopped painting for years. Their confidence was knocked. A teacher is supposed to encourage, to offer advice and guidance, not to crush any enjoyment or ambition.
When I went for my art college interview, I was told, “You’re not creative enough,” and was offered a lesser course. At the time, my art was very much about painting what I saw in front of me or from photos. But those words stuck with me for years.
It reminded me of something movie star Kate Winslet once shared. She was told she’d only get cast in “fat girl” roles, but she kept going and proved them wrong. We all need to be a bit like Kate Winslet – ignore the voices that doubt us and keep believing in what we’re capable of. That’s the spirit I wanted to capture in my positive mindset artwork.
My Artistic Process for Positive Mindset Paintings
The process to create these paintings began with acrylic ink. I’d use the dropper bottle top to loosely draw a face shape, then spray it with water to create lovely marks and effects. Once the base was set, I collaged in words of criticism. My aim was to create inspirational art pieces that would remind others to transform negative beliefs into self-belief.
I used charcoal to sketch the rough face, then brought in a sponge roller to create a grungy effect, which partially covered up some of the words.
White acrylic paint came next to add highlights and further subdue some of the collaged words. For the finer details of the face, I used wax pastels.
I’d created my abstract faces, but they felt unfinished. I couldn’t quite work out what was missing. Finally, it struck me. I wanted to cover up the negative phrases with positive words of empowerment. So “You’re not good enough” became “Believe in Yourself.” “You’re not creative enough” became “You can do it.”
Transforming Criticism into Empowering Art
A few weeks later, I reached the final stage: adding in the positive messages. To test it out, I took a photograph of the abstract face and digitally wrote the message over it to check positioning. Once happy with the layout, I used wax pastel to handwrite each empowering phrase onto the painting.
While we may never completely erase these memories, we can choose to rewrite them. These paintings are a reminder to hold onto positive thoughts. If any of them feel right for you, they’re ready to bring a bit of that uplifting energy into your space.
