8 Things Painting Has Taught Me
Painting has not only helped me express, but it has also taught me valuable lessons that I would have to learned otherwise. I never expected a brush and a blank canvas to become some of my greatest teachers. But over time, painting has revealed things to me that go far beyond technique or color theory. It has uncovered quiet truths about patience, surrender, emotion, and healing. Painting has taught me about myself, my emotions, my rhythms, my faith, and my need to express what I can’t always say out loud. In this post I want to share with you 8 things painting has taught me.
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8 Things Painting Has Taught Me
1. The Process Matters More Than the Outcome
When I first started painting, I used to chase the finished piece.
I wanted something complete, something beautiful to show.
You can even say that I would rush through my paintings, anxious to see the outcome.
But over time, I realized that the most sacred part of creating isn’t what ends up on the canvas. It’s what happens to me while I paint. The process is where the magic happens.
It’s where I let go of control, let my emotions rise to the surface, and allow the messiness to just be.
It’s in the layering, the redoing, the quiet pauses, and the unexpected mistakes that something deeper is happening, not just in the painting, but in me.
2. Emotion Has a Color.
Sometimes my hand reaches for a color before my mind knows why.
That’s how I’ve learned to trust my emotions.
There are days when dusty blue feels like peace, and others when soft yellow brings back memories.
My feelings guide my palette, not the other way around.
3. Not Every Painting Will Make Sense, And That’s Okay
Some pieces are meant to be felt, not understood.
There are paintings I’ve made that still confuse me… and yet, they carry part of my heart.
Those are usually my favorite paintings!
That’s why I’ve learned to stop forcing meaning and start honoring expression.
4. My Art Doesn’t Need to Be Loud to Be Powerful
Some of my softest, quietest paintings hold the deepest ache or healing.
I’ve learned that my voice as an artist doesn’t need to shout.
It just needs to be honest.
Gentleness can speak volumes.
5. It’s Okay to Start Over—And It’s Okay Not To
There have been times I’ve painted over something I wasn’t ready to see.
And other times, I left it there, unfinished, raw.
I’ve learned both are valid, beautiful, and ME.
The canvas, like life, holds permission to begin again, or to sit with what already is.
6. Inspiration Doesn’t Always Feel Like Fire, Sometimes It Feels Like Fog
Some days inspiration is clear and bright.
Other days it’s quiet, soft, and slow.
I’ve learned to paint in both and not to depend on how “inspired” I feel.
Sometimes, inspiration comes as I’m painting.
Other times, it doesn’t. But what matters is, painting regardless and honoring what I paint.
7. Art Connects Me to Others Without Needing Words
I’ve shared pieces born from deep ache. And someone, somewhere, always whispers, “I felt that too.”
Painting reminds me I’m not alone.
Our emotions, though personal, are strangely universal.
And art bridges hearts.
I love when I create abstract pieces that others can feel connected to!
8. The Artist Grows With Every Piece
Each painting, whether messy, beautiful, or unfinished, shapes me.
They teach me patience, vulnerability, and to trust the process.
I’m not just growing as an artist, I’m growing through the art.
Final Thoughts
Painting is not just something I do, it’s part of who I am.
And with every canvas, I’m learning more about grace, expression, and the beauty of becoming.
Painting is more than just creating.
It’s listening. It’s healing. It’s becoming.
If you’re on this journey too, keep painting.
Even when it’s quiet. Even when it’s hard.
Because the canvas always has more to teach us.
With love and paint-stained hands,
Gabby Abigail
