Focusing on the Process
Estimated time to read - under 3 minutes
I was chatting with my kids the other day about things we did when they were younger. And as we talked I was reminded of how much time we spent doing creative activities.
For example, my daughter has a clear memory of having fun painting with her feet on a big piece of paper outside. I also remember that particular episode, but for different reasons - I forgot to take clean water and a towel outside for after she was done and we got paint everywhere!
However, we have virtually no art to show for all those hours of creativity - whether it was painting, drawing or glueing and sticking, I think much of what the kids made eventually ended up in the recycling bin. This might sound a little harsh, but actually, the finished product was not important - it was the learning and having fun making that was key.
Can you see where this is going? Today I wanted to take time to recognise that when it comes to mosaics, we should take some time to shift our focus from the end product to what’s going on during the making part.
Because here’s the thing, mosaics take a long time to make - there is no avoiding that fact. It takes time to cut everything to the right size/shape and then set everything in just the right place. If you wanted instant results you’d be better with a different art/craft.
It's the process that draws us to making mosaics - that repetitive act of cutting or placing pieces can be quite therapeutic. For some it can take your focus away from your day to day worries and give you a period of calm. For others, making art can be a way of expressing thoughts or feelings about a particular issue.
I’ve taught numerous classes/groups where there participants have commented on how they have found the process to be relaxing or therapeutic. Not only that, but sometimes the act of making something in the company of others, gives the opportunity to have conversations and interactions with people that might not otherwise have happened.
For example, a couple of years ago I led a community project that involved children and people with dementia creating mosaics together. The fact that they had a shared project to work on, made it easier for the two groups to interact with each other and enjoy each other’s company.
And it’s not just the psychological benefits that are important in the process of making. It’s the learning and creativity that can take place when the focus is shifted away from the end product.
After all, in order to get better at anything you have to practise, and making mosaics is no different. Taking time to experiment with your materials, to see what you can do with them and how you can lay them is one of the best ways of learning. For example, the image shows some experiments I did using green pigments with my tile adhesive.
Giving yourself permission to play and make mistakes can be really valuable. I have a whole pile of test pieces that have resulted from playing and experimenting. Some things have gone well, others, not so well, but each has served a purpose and made me a better artist.
So I guess the main message today is to not only remember to play, but to remind yourself that even if you make a piece of art that you are not happy with, if you had fun creating it, or even learned something in the process, it was still a success.
And if you ever think of doing foot painting with a toddler, make sure that before you start, you have everything ready to clean up afterwards!
One of the courses I teach online focuses on some of the things discussed in this blog post. In Unlock the Potential of your Mosaic Materials we take time to experiment with materials and learn what we can do with them before going on to create a finished piece of mosaic art. For more information about the course click here.
This blog post was adapted from one of my weekly emails. If you have enjoyed reading it and would like to receive similar posts direct to your inbox, you can subscribe to my mailing list using the form at the bottom of the page.