Move beyond the messy middle

The Art of Applied Visual Thinking

We don't know what comes next or how to move forward. It happens to all of us at some point. Whether in a creative project, business, or as part of life. So we sit and wait. Wait on someone or something to push us onto the next step.

My canvas sat propped up on my worktable for a week. Every time I looked at it, I felt it needed something but didn't know what or where to start. Que my talented partner Sheri. The next time we spoke during her "Friday Flow" gathering, I mentioned the painting and my stuckness, and without missing a beat, she gave me a few prompts to help me move forward.

They were:

1. Place the canvas across the room and observe it for several minutes.
2. Consider what needs to come forward or recede.
3. What color needs to repeat or what new color needs to be added?
4. What shape needs to be expanded or reduced?
5. What section feels like some "thing" you want to explore, enhance or intensify, such as a tear, a mass, or a blob? Ask yourself, how can I give that section more energy or definition?

I quickly jotted down her suggestions and moved on to work on something more pressing. A few days later, I came back to my painting with Sheri's prompts in hand. With her guideposts to help me think, I quickly added a bit more color and a few shapes to my canvas. Now I love it even more. I'm not sure it's done yet, but I know I can come back to it and follow Sheri's new prompts until I feel it's complete.

To learn more about Sheri's "Friday Flow" weekly gathering of creatives, check out the Turtle Studios calendar or click here to subscribe for the weekly reminders and Zoom info.

1. Give it some space - step back and observe the project, process, or situation from a distance. You can start by mapping out the 6 W's you learned in school --- who, what, where, when, how and why --- to give you the lay of the land.
2. Amplify or Quiet - what needs more or less of your precious time, resources and attention?
3. Repeat or Add New - what could you do more often or what could you add to help you move forward?
4. Expand or Reduce - what could you expand on, do less of, or perhaps eliminate altogether?
5. Look for the "thing" - is there some intriguing new "thing" concealed beneath the surface that needs some extra time, attention, or energy in order to come to life? Something more you want to say, a new direction you might take or the next level you want to achieve?

The next time you feel stuck, pull out these prompts, grab a pen, some paper and take a few minutes to map out your next steps. Soon you'll be out of the messy middle and on your way to bigger and better things.