Sometimes, a life-changing insight comes from a completely unexpected place. For me, it happened during a treatment for shoulder pain, when I discovered the surprising connection between science, art, and meditation.
The Surprising Treatment
I went for a biofeedback treatment due to shoulder pain. I thought it might be related to the national stress. The therapist attached sensors to my fingers, and we started with a simple experiment: a graph on the screen that went down when I was relaxed and up when I was tense. Simple and clear, I thought to myself, not very surprising.
The Fish and the Goblet
Then came the interesting part. The therapist instructed me to watch a fish going through metamorphoses, with the goal of "taking the goblet". I didn't quite understand what he meant, but I went with it. On the screen appeared a cute drawn fish that swam, turned into a mermaid, came out of the water, and took the goblet. "That's it?" I wondered to myself, "That was too easy."
The therapist increased the difficulty level, but even then I "took" the goblet quickly. When he asked me what I did to succeed so fast, I innocently replied that I didn't try to succeed at all. The first time I was simply curious to see what the fish would turn into, and the second time I enjoyed watching the process of change.
The Surprising Insight
The moment I said it out loud, I understood - this is exactly what happens in Freestyle Painting! When I come to the studio intending to paint something "good", it usually ends in frustration. I reach a point where the painting looks really bad to me, and I leave feeling discouraged or, at best, understanding that it's just a stage in the process.
On the other hand, when I paint lightly, just to try a new technique or color, maybe even on a "second-hand" surface, that's when something surprising and refreshing happens. In these situations, turning points can occur in the creation, fascinating developments.
The Key: To Be, Not to Try
That's the whole point - to come from a place of curiosity, to observe the moment, like in meditation. Not to "try" but simply to "be". With ease, simplicity, without aiming or
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