Most people think they have to know what they want to paint before they start painting. But you can also start moving your brush over the canvas without having the slightest idea what the final painting might look like.  Why can it be great to start with NO clue what you are going to paint?

First, it can be very liberating to start without knowing where you’re going. You don’t have to have a great plan ready, you don’t have to have the big idea. Often if you are searching for the one perfect idea for a painting, you find that nothing is good enough. This causes anxiety, which inhibits creativity.

Second, when you have no plan you learn to paint from your intuition. You make a decision about how to start and simply start. Maybe it’s simply finding the first color to use and using it that gets you started. This can be very stimulating, whether you are painting in a wild, breathless pace or in a calm contemplative mood. You learn to be guided intuition or feeling and you start noticing what mood you are in, following what is appealing to you in that moment. This connection is both relaxing and stimulating – and being in the moment makes you feel good.

Try it. Surprise yourself.