Kamara Marsh

Let me begin by saying that the intent behind this column is to promote mental health and wellness. So, having said that, I hope the double meaning behind the title of this article is caught and understood.

Every accomplishment in life begins with an idea. Every idea has the potential to grow into a bigger vision for the future that can be made into reality. However, there is a process that needs to take place in order for an idea to come to full fruition. Otherwise, it will just remain a dream floating out there somewhere that never gets fulfilled.

As many already know, I’m working diligently to become an accomplished artist. I’m often asked at art shows how I create my pieces. I thought good and hard about this recently because the process I go through has changed throughout the years as I have matured and developed my artistic abilities.

When I was younger, I had a lot of time to be meticulous about my work. I still had full use of my dominant hand and produced photographic likenesses of both people and animals. My pieces were beautifully rendered illustrations as that was my degree focus in art school. I mainly used charcoal, markers and ink and some watercolor at times. I really didn’t put much thought or labor into how I created a piece back then.

Then life got busy and I settled down and had my son, who faced multiple problems from birth. So, my focus shifted to tending to his needs. He was a toddler when I suffered from a traumatic brain injury in 1999. I had to re-learn to read and write as my dominant hand was left partially numb. I didn’t create anything for almost 17 years, thinking that my artistic abilities were lost. It wasn’t until 2016 that I decided to return to creating. Only this time, I had to adapt to my new level of functioning and used sponges and acrylic paint instead of pencils and markers. My painting style also shifted from realistic to more on the abstract side.

At first, my pieces were very spiritually inspired. However, word got out about my work. Soon, friends and family members and their friends and family members were commissioning me to do multiple projects. This really caused me to step outside my comfort zone and try new things. In 2018, I began entering juried shows. This really challenged me and helped develop the artistic style I now use today. I mention all of this because this is where the process I go through to create a painting developed. Let me explain how.

I liken this process to conception, pregnancy and birth. It all begins with a “seed.” An idea that’s conceived and develops in my mind. Sometimes it stays on my mind at night when I go to sleep and is still there in my thoughts when I wake. It often comes in a visual form and will grow the more I think about it. Often, some sort of “theme” sticks in my mind that I can’t shake.

After my idea has become more clear, I begin the process of planning how I am going to create the piece I envision. This is where both brainstorming and research comes into play. This is where I spend a lot of time Google searching anything remotely related to my idea. An idea will always grow if you feed it. Then I start making a plan for how I will create the piece. This is where I make decisions on size, materials and colors. After all the decisions are made, I get everything that I’ll need to begin my project.

Then I go into the next phase of the process, or what one could refer to as the “pregnancy” stage. I usually begin by making the background. The first stroke on the canvas is often the the most difficult. I may get just one small idea for the step that I am on and try to focus on that until I am finished. Then I wait for the next idea to come to my mind. Sometimes it comes right away and sometimes I have to walk away from the painting for awhile. I’ve taken months and even years to complete some of my pieces. Often, my idea morphs and changes as I continue painting, but I just keep moving forward little by little and step by step.

Sometimes, I get to a point where I feel like I’m stuck and not moving forward. Or just maybe not sure what I need to do next. This is where I often step back and pick the brains of my trusted artistic colleagues, friends and family members for any feedback and ideas they may have. Some of my best pieces have been created by doing this.

I’ve learned through the years to be patient and trust the process. There are no mistakes and things always move forward whether slow or fast as long as I don’t give up and keep working at it. Each piece I create is unique, just like each person who is born is unique.

One of the hardest parts of creating a piece is knowing when it’s done and not overworking it. Like the birth of a human, I’m not sure when my piece will be ready to be presented to the world. That’s very difficult for me because my technique often involves layering paint on the canvas to create a beautiful texture. Some pieces need more time and work than others. I don’t always know what will work best for each piece I create until I step out and try.

The steps I take for each piece differ from one another. I also experience a large gamut of emotions as I go through the process of creating. Similar to what a woman goes through while she’s pregnant. I recently experienced a small burst of anger for the fist time as I was creating the background for a painting. It ended with a stunning outcome. It’s as if my paintings literally come alive as I go through the process of creating them. I often refer to my art pieces as “he” or “she.” I wear my heart on my sleeve while I create. I put a part of me into every painting. I sometimes even become a little emotional when I have to let a painting go after it is sold.

This may sound odd to say, but the painting tells me when it’s done. I’m not sure how, but I just get the feeling that it’s done and I know I need to stop working on it. Sometimes I’ve hit a point in the process where my mind doesn’t feel like it’s done but my gut tells me to stop. One thing I’ve learned through the years is to trust my gut.

It can take days, weeks, months, and even years to complete a painting. After I’ve decided that it’s finally done comes the time to present my finished piece to the world. The same way we present our new born child to the world. The process I go through to make each painting varies just like each pregnancy and birth varies. Each of my paintings are unique, just like every person is unique.

I hope one is able to catch the correlation here. For years, I had a lot of desires to do things and I never carried them out to completion. I wasted 17 years of my life not painting because I simply didn’t put the effort in to trying after my injury. Carrying your dreams and ideas out to completion often isn’t easy to do, but it isn’t impossible, either.

Your ideas are not going to happen unless you put the effort into making them happen. Brainstorm and research what you need to do to get started. Break down the tasks you need to do into baby steps and take them on one by one. One day at a time. One week at a time. One month at a time. It may even take years to bring your idea to completion. However, with both determination and hard work, you’ll be surprised at what you can accomplish.

And to think, it all begins with just one small idea.

Kamara Marsh is a Michigan-made Licensed Professional Counselor and award-winning artist from East Lansing now residing in Alpena, where she combines her gifts of art and healing to reach the world, one person at a time. She can be reached at esimorp@att.net.