A Summer of Art, Freedom, and Deeper Joy

A Summer of Art, Freedom, and Deeper Joy

Summer is approaching—and for me, it’s more than just a change of season. It is a cherished time I look forward to every year, a window of opportunity to return fully to my own canvas. Without the usual rush of teaching and daily responsibilities, I finally reclaim space to immerse myself in creation. In fact, many of my best ideas and most authentic works tend to emerge during this quiet and open season.

For an artist, the most critical tool is not a brush or a technique—it’s the mindset.
When I paint, I must be joyful and free. Without that emotional openness, the painting simply doesn’t breathe. Viewers can sense it immediately when a work feels stiff, hesitant, or constrained. A painting born without genuine inner movement carries a visible weight. But when I step into the canvas with clarity and liberation, something changes. The work gains power—an invisible energy that radiates far beyond its surface.

This is why I spend time preparing my mind before I begin to paint. I reflect, I listen, I slow down. My inner world must be calm and ready. I believe any artist who has reached a certain depth understands this. True art is not about perfection—it's about presence. And presence begins in the soul.

In moments like these, the value of the artwork itself feels irrelevant. To some, my paintings may seem modestly priced or underestimated. But for me, that’s not the point. What matters is that my work reaches people—that it brings joy, wonder, or resonance to someone out there. That is why I keep painting, and why I bring my work out into the world.

And the more I paint, the more I find myself drifting away from the noise of competition. The art world can often feel like a race—calls for submission, awards, recognition. And I’ll admit, I enjoy it sometimes. There’s satisfaction in being acknowledged, in seeing one’s work celebrated. But the pleasure is fleeting. It flickers and fades quickly.

The joy that comes from true creation—from standing before my own painting with honesty and peace—is incomparable. It is deeper, longer-lasting, and far more fulfilling than any trophy could offer.

This, I believe, is the true blessing of being an artist: to experience that sacred joy, again and again, as a gift. A quiet conversation between myself and something greater. For this, I am always grateful. And I wish to share this secret with others.
​
So this summer, my focus is simple: to return fully to the joy that painting gives. Not for praise. Not for recognition. But for the freedom it brings, the truth it reveals, and the joy it awakens in me—and hopefully, in others too.

​
A personal reflection on the power of painting, the importance of mindset in art, and finding true joy beyond competition during a summer dedicated to creative freedom.