I believe every artist has genius inside of them.

To see my YouTube video on this topic, CLICK HERE TO WATCH!

So what is a genius? According to the Dictionary, a genius is defined as “a person who is exceptionally intelligent or creative, either generally or in some particular respect.”

So tell me artist, do you feel that you are exceptionally intelligent or creative?

If you have chosen to pursue art professionally, then deep down, I think you must feel that the answer is yes. In your heart of hearts, you KNOW that you are intelligent, creative, and have visions that most people don’t have. You know you have brilliance inside of you, even if you have your moments of doubt.

The trouble is, that sometimes your genius gets covered up, like a diamond lost in the dirt. This metaphorical dirt can be your own self-doubt, other people’s criticisms of your work, having so many responsibilities in your life that you don’t feel like have the bandwidth to focus on your creativity, or discouragement at having tried and failed before. All these things can add up to cover up your genius so that eventually, you forget it’s even there.

So I want you to join me now in a little meditation where we are going to imagine what feeling like an artistic genius will feel like for you.

So just close your eyes now. Just close them and listen to my voice. Now take a deep breath, and let it out. And take another one, and let it out.

Now repeat after me. I am worthy. I accept myself exactly the way I am. I am unlocking the genius inside of me.

Now I want you to imagine that you are walking into your art studio. And as you walk into your studio in this dream, you realize that it is not your normal studio where you create work. As you walk in, the space opens up into a much larger, more open space.

One side of the studio is wall to ceiling windows, and the sunlight is illuminating the space in a heavenly way. As you walk in, you have a feeling that everything is right. You have no worries, as you step in, you have left them at the door, any practical concerns are gone. you know that this a space that is a gift to you. It is yours to use. It is a special place where you can divinely create.

You see one side of this space is a big canvas set up on an easel. You walk over and you see that you have everything you need to make a masterpiece. The brushes, the paint, all lined up and ready to use. Your heart is full of peace, and a calm joy, and so much gratitude for this opportunity. Then you take the paintbrush in your hand, and you start to paint. As you paint, you surrender to whatever is coming from your imagination. Your ideas come pouring out of your mind and flow from your brain and your heart, down your arm, into your fingertips, and into your brush.

Imagine this flow of energy like electricity from your mind flowing down this pathway and lighting up your brush like magic. As you paint, you start to see your creation taking shape. You are surprised that you have created such a strong, point giant, and powerful piece, but you keep painting, allowing this feeling of beautiful surrender to overtake you. You are simply a channel for your genius to inhabit and to flow through.

Now i want you to imagine finishing your piece in one sitting, and then stepping back and smiling. You are not only happy with your piece, but you also know that it is a masterpiece. In the seat of your soul, you know that this vision has been captured and will be of service to humanity because of its existence. You know if will elevate anyone who sees it. And you know that this happened because you surrendered to your genius, and trusted yourself to let it flow through you.

Ok, you can open your eyes. What kind of piece did you make? how did you feel as you were creating in your imagination? So I hope that gave you a little taste of what it will feel like to totally create from your genius.

So I am going to give you 5 steps to use to unlock your creative genius. The first is to surrender. The key here that is most important, is to surrender and trust ourselves. When you surrender and let go of control, you allow your mind to relax enough for the subconscious to direct you.

And the thing about the subconscious is that it has recorded everything that you have ever experienced since you were a child — it is a vast palace of knowledge, impressions, emotions and information that once you allow a channel to come through, will be able to make art that is more heartfelt, more arresting, and has that indescribable factor when you see great art that pulls you in and makes you fascinated. It will give your art POWER. Our unconscious mind is a treasure trove of forgotten experiences, emotions, ideas and memories. The unconscious mind is able to process this wealth of data very quickly and efficiently. And if you allow it, it can make brilliant and unexpected connections between all this seemingly unrelated information, which is essentially what creativity is all about.

So surrender. Every time you go to create, make it a mantra to first say “Surrender”. If it helps, take a minute or two to meditate on the word Surrender before you create. Say it as many times as you need to until you are truly in a state of surrender for your subconscious to come through.

Number 2 is to just start, even if you don’t know what you are doing. I want to read you this quote where Picasso is explaining his creative process:. “”I don’t have a clue. Ideas are simply starting points. I can rarely set them down as they come to my mind. As soon as I start to work, others well up in my pen. To know what you’re going to draw, you have to begin drawing… When I find myself facing a blank page, that’s always going through my head. What I capture in spite of myself interests me more than my own ideas.”

So if Picasso didn’t have a clue, that should make you feel a little better about yourself! Just sit down and begin creating. Don’t be so uptight that everything has to be planned out. In fact it is usually the things that are NOT planned out, that are the most creative, because you discover them — you INVENT them, like Einstein!

Number 3 is to set daily goals for yourself. Even if it is very simple, like “create for 1 hour a day”. If you are more far along the path of being a professional artist, you could make your goal for the day even more aggressive, like painting for 6 hours a day. The point is to get into the habit of actively creating. All great artists, wether we are talking about Monet or Michaelangelo, were passionate creators and put in the time for their craft. It is through constant creativity of their craft that these artists were able to become virtuosos of what they did. Michaelangelo said, “If you knew how much work went into it, you wouldn’t call it genius. ”

Number 4 is to break through plateaus in your work by combining different elements from other parts of life. If you are feeling stuck or just want to breathe new life in your work, you can add a dash of genius by incorporating ideas, methods, or inspiration from other things in life. This can be another industry, a hobby you have, another culture, or anything else that you think would be interesting.

An example of this would be to incorporate another art form into your paintings. Let’s say you also love ballet, and you’re feeling stuck in your painting. You could learn more about ballet instead of art for a little bit, and then come back to your painting with a different mindset. How could you approach painting each piece like choreographing a dance? Could you use different colors? Could you dance over your canvas? Could you paint the dancer in motion? You could use this approach by often saturating yourself in other industries so that the inspiration you have is fresh.

You are not copying other painters — you are painting something brand new and innovative because of your fresh take on it. Take your other passions like nature, hiking, coding, pets, cars, travel — and see how you can use that passion to combine it with your art in a different way.

Number 5 is to keep company of people who challenge you, of those who make you aspire to be more. Leonardo Da Vinci, one of history’s undisputed geniuses in art and innovation, was an apprentice first for years in the studio of an accomplished artist before he struck out on his own. It was there that he learned the techniques needed to become a master artist, and where he also learned how to work with patrons and handle the business of being an artist. The same thing happened with Michaelangelo, and also with Frida Kahlo. All apprenticed with artists who kept them reaching for the greatness in them, and encouraged them to grow and strive upwards.

I believe that every one of us has the capacity to think like an artistic genius, and by using these 5 methods, you can unlock your greatest creativity.

So, my goal with this article is to make you feel more in control of your creativity as an artist, and to no longer think of yourself as separate from the idea of genius. Genius is just a state of being that is extraordinarily creative, and by harnessing the subconscious mind. You can turn it on whenever you wish!

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With love, light, and creativity,

Jessica Libor
Artistic Coach

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