the art of balance

By Kristi Grussendorf
Balance.  I struggle with balance.  As I write, I worry that the three people who read this are going to worry about my mental health.  I’m okay…really:)

My mom says, “You think too much, Kristi.”  Do I?  If that’s the case, why do I forget birthdays and appointments?  Why do I seem to notice a building on a corner I’ve driven by hundreds of times only to be told that, yes, it has been there for at least a couple of years…

Right now, I have a headache.  Maybe I DO think too much!  Not everyone with which I associate, knows that I’m an artist.   I hate to stereotype but maybe this is one of the reasons I am not a linear thinker.  The traits that make me creative, while challenging at times, have also saved me.  Art has saved me.  It’s a refuge, a place to escape those bigger balance questions.  For example, when do you forgive and when is accountability necessary?  Is it true that there cannot be any peace without justice?

Those are questions I am unable to answer but as an artist, let me share with you what being an artist, especially a watercolor painter has taught me:

1.  Humility- This is a big one if you want to try your hand at watercolor.  I will NEVER master the medium. 
2.  Acceptance – If you try to control or force the paint to do what you want, results are far less successful than if you allow the paint to do what it naturally does all on its own.  Having a hard & fast “agenda” or goal is never a good idea.  I have to say teaching is also a LOT like this.  My goose bump moments have always been off script where the students (often the littlest ones) have taught me.  Please note that this does NOT negate preparation and study!
3. Perspective – Color Theory is ALL about this.  Yellow becomes more intensely yellow when placed next to its complement.  Value (how light or dark a color is) will throw an additional wrench into the equation because if the value is a huge contrast our eye reads light and dark more than color.   You can see how this relates to the larger world, the “bubbles” we inhabit and our own personal experiences.
4. Generosity – I often tell my students to paint like they’re millionaires and forget that a 5 ml tube of alizarin crimson costs 11.95!  Have a huge puddle available.   Paint with confidence – it’s only paper!  Skimping on the quality of materials, too, just leads to frustration for students.
5. Forgiveness – It’s never a good idea to critique while you’re in the actual process of painting.  I’ve seen inexperienced painters dab with a towel and try to erase before the paint even has a chance to dry!  Evaluating your work needs to happen on a different day, when you aren’t in that creative “zone.”  Perfectionists struggle with watercolor.  The very best watercolorists embrace the “happy accident!”
6. Gratitude – I am so thankful to have been able to pursue my passion.  Not everyone has this opportunity.

I have really tried over the years to have a relationship with watercolor.  Instead of trying to control or manage the paint, I enjoy watching it flow, mix and bloom on its own and fully recognize the best parts of my painting are often the parts I’ve recognized as beautiful and have left alone.  I strive to find a similar balance in all my other relationships.  Humor and compassion help a LOT.  One of the best pieces of advice from a college professor was that tenacity seemed to be the quality that best explained the most successful artists.  Another word for that would be “steadfastness” (my Lenten meditation word).  I will continue to go to my studio because I would hate to not have a brush in my hand if the muse decides to visit!