Let Go of the Good Bits

This is a really interesting video from Louise Fletcher an English Abstract Painter.

Her message is about letting go of the 'good bits', especially if you intend to treat it as precious (e.g. cutting it out from a larger piece and selling it). Treating parts of pieces as precious is a back-handed way of sending yourself a message that you don't do that much good work. So, she suggests artists consider letting those good bits go -- ultimately validating your ability to create more good from your unlimited supply.

An example she uses is a painting on canvas that you're working on. You consider one small area in a corner of the canvas as a 'good bit', while the rest of the elements on the canvas are beginning to work well together and it's going somewhere. But you really like that good bit in the corner. So you start altering what's working to connect with the good bit. Unfortunately, it doesn't really work.

Her point is that rather than altering and sacrificing what is working in the larger area so the good bit fits, consider letting go of that bit by covering it up or changing it to work with the greater whole. Wherever the canvas goes from there, as a result, will bring in new good bits that are likely to be even more awesome and actually work much better or effectively with the overall piece.

I think there is real value in considering this way of handling our good bits, and I'm so appreciative that she has brought this up and leads by example.

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